URI and the ‘itises…It may sound like the latest music group, but you don’t want to catch them in your town; unfortunately, they’re touring Central Florida.
Centra Care physicians looked at data of adult patients to see which illnesses are keeping them away from work. The ones they have diagnosed consistently over the past 4 weeks are: Upper Respiratory Infection (URI), Bronchitis, Gastroenteritis, Otitis Media and Pharyngitis.

LEARN MORE:

URI is any type of infection of the head and chest that is caused by a virus. It can affect people in different ways... In the nose, throat, sinuses and ears. The infection is spread when viruses are passed to others by sneezing, coughing, or by touching something that has been infected by another person.

Bronchitis is inflammation of the large air passages in the lungs. Symptoms of bronchitis include a dry cough that develops into a cough with mucus, wheezing, fatigue, chest tightness and a mild fever; sometimes with chills. Acute bronchitis is contagious so washing your hands and keeping them away from your face is an important step in prevention.

Gastroenteritis, also known as stomach flu, is irritation and inflammation of the stomach and intestines caused by a virus. Symptoms include: vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and low-grade fever. Because the stomach flu is viral in nature it is highly contagious and can’t be treated with antibiotics. The best prevention against stomach flu is frequent hand washing, especially after bathroom use (including diaper changes) and the handling of food.

Otitis Media occurs when the ear lining becomes swollen, and fluid builds up – that can cause ear pain and infection. Symptoms include: earache (either a sharp, sudden pain or a dull, continuous pain), fever and chills, nasal congestion may accompany or precede an ear infection, a feeling of fullness in the ear, nausea, muffled hearing and ear drainage. Because of complications associated with ear infections, it’s important to see a physician to determine what is causing your earache. If it’s bacterial in nature, antibiotics may be needed to clear it up.

Pharyngitis (sore throat), the inflammation of the pharynx, is a very common medical condition. Sore throats can be caused by viruses or the streptococcus bacteria (also known as strep throat). Since the symptoms of strep throat and viral sore throats are the same, a doctor will often swab your throat to determine if you will need an antibiotic. If it's not strep throat, you won't need an antibiotic, since antibiotics do not kill viruses.

If you need to see a doctor, Centra Care’s No Wait, Online Reservations allows you to secure a time at any of our locations that fits with your schedule. Now if you are sick or injured, you can schedule to see a doctor during your lunch break, after work, on the weekend, or whenever is convenient for you. There are 19 Centra Care Urgent Care locations – and a Florida Hospital certified physician on site – 7 Days a Week. For more information visit: www.CentraCare.org

Sincerely,



Florida Hospital Centra Care
407-200-CARE (2273)
To learn more about "What's Going Around" in our community you can listen to the Centra Care Senior Medical Director each Tuesday morning between 8am and 8:30am on 88.3FM radio - Z88.3