Lone Star Family Health Center News

In the year since COVID-19 has upended life as we know it, it has become increasingly evident that certain individuals are more at risk of severe infection than others. While some people become afflicted by the virus and experience no symptoms, others are struck with such severe shortness of breath that hospitalization and in the worst-case scenario, mechanical ventilation is necessary.

There is not a straightforward way to know which individuals will experience more severe disease, but an association has emerged between critical COVID-19 and chronic illness. Certain medical conditions predispose people to experiencing more significant complications from a COVID-19 infection. These include obesity, diabetes, cancer, kidney, and lung diseases, among others. As such, if an individual or a group has one or several of these chronic medical conditions, they are at especially high risk. With this in mind, it becomes important to recognize that there are communities in which these medical conditions are more prevalent; thus, these have the greatest risk of morbidity and mortality from this pandemic.

Do you have a painful swollen joint of your greater toe? If so, you might have gout! The odds of you having gout are up to six times greater if you are male. The percentage of people with gout at any one point in time is 3% to 6% in men and 1% to 3% in women. In 2015 and 2016, there were about four new cases of gout per every one-hundred people per year. This does not seem worrisome, but when we think of the size of the U.S. population being about 328 million, we begin to see just how common gout is.

With spring here sunlight each day will increase, and the days will become longer. It is important, especially in Texas, to remember to take precautions for skin safety. The three main ways to protect your skin during those long hot days in the Texas heat are: seeking shade, applying sunscreen and wearing sun protective clothing.

Bless You! Salud! Gesundheit! These are the common courtesy phrases our friends, family, and even complete strangers extend to us after a whopping sneeze. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you are probably hearing these polite phrases so many times throughout the day that they have become grating to your ears. I bet you can’t even muster more than a grunt in thanks to these chipper well-wishers who aren’t currently sporting a Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer sized schnozz like you are. But don’t suffer in congested silence! There are straightforward treatments for seasonal allergies that will have you signing a peace treaty with springtime, and maybe even getting to smell the roses for once.

You probably experienced pink eye in your school days. Now your children may come running to you with those oh so familiar bloodshot eyes. This common condition is known as conjunctivitis. The following is a discussion about its causes and best treatment methods.

For most individuals, electronic devices have become ingrained into our daily lives. With this change, parents may be asking themselves how does screen time negatively impact their children, and how much should they limit their children’s interaction with electronic devices.

Many people suffer from sleepless nights. Trouble sleeping can be caused by a number of issues. Insomnia can be caused by physical symptoms like pain, increased urination, hot flashes or shortness breath, or by psychological issues like stress, anxiety or depression. These symptoms can make you unable to relax and stay asleep. Medications can also contribute to difficulty sleeping. Stimulants, steroids, diuretics, opioids and some anti-depressants can keep you awake at night. Psychiatric disorders like depression and bipolar disorder can also affect your sleep cycle. Some people with depression will have trouble sleeping while other with depression will sleep too much. People with bipolar disorder may stay up several days with little to no sleep and not feel tired. Your doctor will need a detailed history to pinpoint the exact cause of your problem.

Infectious Mononucleosis, more frequently referred to as “mono”, is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and is very common. Although it has also been associated with names such as “The Kissing Disease”, mono is not classified as a sexually transmitted infection. It is however transmitted through saliva, which can be exchanged during sex.

Chronic cough is a condition that affects many Texans. It is a cough that lasts 8 weeks or longer in adults and 4 weeks in children. The nagging cough is not only annoying but can also interrupt your sleep pattern, cause you to feel dizzy, hoarse and strain muscles. In this article we will discuss the most common causes and treatment of chronic cough in adults.

Has your ear been hurting lately? Is it itchy? Have you felt that you can’t hear as well in that ear? Is there some fluid coming out of your ear?

If you have children, have you noticed your child pulling or tugging at an ear? Maybe he or she seems to not hear as well in one ear, or loses balance and trips more easily than before?