Your Health

Common Medical Complaints:

Migraines

Tips for prevention:

• Identify and then avoid triggers
• Get regular exercise (warm-up slowly)
• Lower your stress level
• Quit smoking
• Reduce the effects of estrogen (decrease medications containing estrogen)
• Maintain a sleep routine
• Biofeedback therapy
• Eat regular meals

Treating:

• Take pain relieving medications
• Take preventive medications

Links:

• American Academy of Family Physicians – www.familydoctor.org
• American Council of Headache Education – www.achenet.org
• National Headache Foundation – www.headaches.org

 

Heart Burn & Acid Reflux Disease

Tips for prevention:

• Avoid large, fatty meals
• Avoid trigger foods
• Quit smoking
• Loosen your belts or pants (to avoid pressure on your stomach and LES)
• Lose weight (extra abdominal fat puts pressure on the stomach, causing acid to splash back into the esophagus)
• Don’t eat three to four hours before going to bed
• Manage stress
• Talk to your Dr. about ALL the medications you take (some medicines make heartburn worse)
• Keep your body upright after eating

Links:

• American Academy of Family Physicians – www.familydoctor.org
• International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders – www.aboutgerd.org
• Medline Plus – www.medlineplus.gov
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases – www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov

 

Allergies

Tips for prevention:

• Shower at night to wash off pollen
• Close doors and windows during pollen and mold seasons
• Use air conditioning in your house and car
• Stay inside in the early morning and on windy days
• Avoid lawn work
• Hang clothes to dry inside so pollen doesn’t collect on fabric
• Use a HEPA filter or double layered bag in your vacuum if no one else can do your vacuuming

Treating:

• See Dr. and decide what type of medications are right for you—oral and nasal antihistamines, leukotriene blockers, nasal corticosteroids, and/or decongestants

Links:

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology – www.aaaai.org
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America – www.aafa.org
• Medline Plus – www.medlineplus.gov

 

Heart Attack & Stroke

Tips for prevention:

• Reduce high blood pressure
• Reduce high cholesterol
• Lose weight
• Be active
• Control diabetes
• Quit smoking
• Avoid excessive alcohol use
• Reduce stress
• Eat a healthy diet
• Talk openly to your Dr. (it’s normal to experience anger, guilt or depression after having a heart attack or stroke)

Treating:

• Antiplatelet agents
• Blood pressure-lowering medications
• Cholesterol-lowering medications
• Anticoagulants

Links:

• American Heart Association – www.americanheart.org
• American Stroke Association – www.strokesassociation.org
• The National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute – www.nhlbi.nih.gov

 

High Blood Pressure

Tips to manage:

• Eat a healthy diet
• Don’t do it at all at once (make small changes over time)
• Keep a food diary
• Read food labels
• Limit alcohol
• Reduce your sodium intake
• Ask your Dr. to help you develop an exercise plan
• Be active for 30 to 60 minutes most days
• Add strength training to your workout
• If you’re overweight—lose weight
• Quit smoking
• Find ways to manage your stress
• Identify your blood pressure goal with your Dr. and get it checked regularly
• Take your medications as prescribed

Treating:

• Diuretics
• Beta Blockers (BB)
• Calcium Channel Blockers (CCB)
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI)
• Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARB)

Links:

• American Academy of Family Physicians – www.familydoctor.org
• National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute – www.nhlbi.nih.gov

 

Frequent Bladder Urges and Leakage

Tips for managing:

• Drink enough fluids every day to keep your body hydrated
• Practice good hygiene (always urinate before and after having sex, and remember to wipe from front to back to prevent bacteria from entering your urethra)
• If you’re overweight—lose weight
• Don’t hold urine in your bladder (you don’t want to stretch and weaken your bladder muscles, so go when you have to go)
• Empty your bladder completely when urinating
• Quit smoking
• Avoid straining your pelvic muscles during bowel movements
• Avoid foods and drinks that seem to increase your symptoms
• Regularly discuss any bladder problems with your doctor

Treating:

• Bladder training
• Medications
• Techniques to strengthen pelvic floor muscles—electrical stimulation and biofeedback therapy
• Surgery (if no other treatment improves your symptoms)

Links:

• American Urological Association – www.urologyhealth.org
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive And Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) – www.kidney.niddk.nih.gov

 

Insulin and Diabetes

Tips for managing:

• Keep your blood glucose under control by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising

Links:

• American Diabetes Association – www.diabetes.org
• National Diabetes Education Program – www.ndep.nih.gov
• National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse – www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov

External Content Disclaimer

*Please note that pages of this site may be linked to other websites, which may have different terms of use and privacy practices than Privia Medical Group. Privia does not own, control, manage, supervise, direct, or otherwise have involvement in such other websites or the content of such websites. Privia is not responsible for the content of any linked websites. Privia is not acting as an agent for these websites, nor does Privia endorse or guarantee, in any way, their websites, content, or products. Privia makes no representation or warranty regarding the accuracy of information contained in linked websites, takes no responsibility for the use of copyrighted or otherwise protected materials on such linked websites, and has no control over the privacy practices or use of user information at such linked websites.