Centra Care

2013 Girl’s Night Out for Health

adeomedia — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:38:08 +0000

It’s Girls Night…With a Healthy Twist! And ladies, this special night is all about you!

Centra Care, Get Healthy Florida, and partners are excited to announce the date for this year’s FREE Girl’s Night Out for Health – Thursday, May 23, from 5 PM – 8 PM at the Winter Garden Village Centra Care.

It’s an evening when ladies can enjoy fun with their girlfriends, and get lots of free health screenings and pampering, too.

So put a group of girls together…. book that sitter…. and come experience all that this highly anticipated, free community event has to offer.

For more event details visit: GNOforHealth.com

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Pink Eye – not just for kids anymore

adeomedia — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:28:14 +0000

This week, it seems pink is the new …. hazel, and blue and brown and green…

Conjunctivitis also known as Pink Eye, is what Centra Care data shows as What’s Going Around this week. While it is typically seen mostly in children, Centra Care data shows that adult cases have risen by over 30 percent in the last week.

Learn More:

Pink Eye is a VERY contagious infection of the conjunctiva, which is a thin film that covers the inside of your eyelids and the whites of your eyes. Since the cause can be viral or bacterial, prescription eye drops are often needed to heal the infection.

Symptoms include:

Redness in the whites of the eye
Red and swollen eyelids
Tears
Itching and burning
Sensitivity to light
Discolored drainage

If you think you or one of your children may have Pink Eye, there are a few things Centra Care physicians recommend to help keep the infection from spreading:

Don’t rub or touch your eyes. Wash your hands often. Don’t share towels. Change pillowcases frequently. Disinfect makeup brushes that may have become contaminated. And if you wear contact lenses, stop wearing them and either sanitize the lens or throw it out if it is a disposable.

The physicians at Centra Care can determine if you need an antibiotic to heal your Pink Eye. So don’t delay treatment.

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Why are you so itchy??

adeomedia — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:58:57 +0000

Allergies, bugs, even stress can cause What’s Going Around this week. HIVES are an allergic reaction to a drug or food or to contact with things like plants, insects or even pollen. It causes your body to release chemicals that can make your skin swell or break out in hives.

Centra Care locations reported that last week cases of hives were up 21% in adults and 57% in children.

Learn More

Hives appear as red or white bumps or welts on the skin. They are itchy and how long they last can really vary. But the good news is that they usually go away on their own

To reduce itch, avoid things that increase the warmth of your skin, like hot showers or staying outside on a hot day. You should also avoid irritating the area with tight-fitting clothing. Over the counter medications like Benadryl can be taken orally to treat itchy skin. Follow instructions on the medication package for dosage and how to use the medication safely.

If an insect sting is the cause of your hives, you’ll want to treat the hives and the actual sting location.

Go to the Emergency Room immediately or call 911 if any symptoms of difficulty breathing, tongue or throat swelling, or worsening swelling/rash develop.

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They’re baaaaaaack……

adeomedia — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:33:34 +0000

With all the gorgeous weather we’ve been having, it’s not a stretch to call Central Florida “paradise” – unfortunately, the mosquitoes feel the same way.

Centra Care data from the past week shows that cases of Insect Bites were up 64% among adults and that pediatric numbers doubled. The following Centra Care locations showed the biggest increases:

Hunter’s Creek & Lee Road: up 300%

Sand Lake & Winter Garden Village: up 200%

Learn More

Insect bites and stings can cause an immediate skin reaction. The bite from fire ants and the sting from bees, wasps, and hornets are usually painful. Bites caused by mosquitoes, fleas, and mites are more likely to cause itching than pain.

Due to our tropical climate, mosquitoes, especially, get very heavy in Central Florida during the late spring and summer months.

To try and prevent mosquito bites:

Use an insect repellent containing either DEET, Picaridin or oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.
No matter how much repellent you’ve used, if you’re starting getting bit, re-apply.
Avoid the outdoors during dawn and dusk.
When using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and then repellent.

In most cases, bites and stings can be easily treated at home, but head to Centra Care if you’re worried or if you have more than a minor reaction. Call 911 if you are with someone who has a severe reaction such as chest pain, face or mouth swelling, difficulty swallowing, trouble breathing, or goes into shock.

Mosquitoes can also carry the dangerous West Nile Virus. Symptoms include headache, fever, fatigue, dizziness and confusion. Last summer, cases of West Nile were reported in both Orange and Seminole counties.

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Aching back this week? You’re not alone.

adeomedia — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:41:22 +0000

Spring cleaning, yardwork, lugging heavy suitcases around the airport — these are all excuses the physicians at Centra Care heard over the last week from the nearly 200 patients that came in complaining of an aching back.

Learn More:

The fact is, about 80 percent of people will experience some type of back pain during their lifetime. Acute back pain can cause pain ranging from a dull, lingering ache to a sudden, sharp pain. It usually comes on suddenly and lasts for a few days to a few weeks. Once the pain has lasted over three months, it is considered chronic.

Most back pain eventually goes away on its own. While resting can help, staying in bed for days at a time can make the pain worse. A little rest and over the counter pain relievers will bring better results.

WHEN TO VISIT CENTRA CARE

If you’ve got an aching back and your pain doesn’t improve after a few days, is severe or was caused by an injury, head to your neighborhood Centra Care or call your doctor.

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The MIX 105.1 Safety Safari, Presented By Centra Care!

adeomedia — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:08:01 +0000

The MIX 105.1 Safety Safari presented by Centra Care will be traveling around Central Florida keeping our kids safe by fitting them with bicycle helmets for FREE!

Continue to check back here throughout the year to see which event we’ll be at next!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday, May 11th: Arthritis Walk – Lake Eola [EVENT DETAILS]
Saturday, June 1st: Hurricane – I Can Be Prepared Expo [EVENT DETAILS]
Saturday, November 2nd: Give Kids The World 5k Gingerbread Run [EVENT DETAILS]

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Contact Dermatitis is What’s Going Around. What is it?

adeomedia — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:07:55 +0000

‘Talk about uncomfortable! What’s Going Around this week causes itching, oozing and more itching. Contact Dermatitis is a condition in which the skin becomes red, sore or inflamed after direct contact with a substance, and Centra Care physicians have been seeing case numbers increase two weeks in a row.

Learn More

There are two kinds of contact dermatitis: irritant and allergic.

Irritant Contact Dermatitis is caused by contact with substances like detergents, pesticides or other chemicals. The reaction usually looks like a burn.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis is caused by exposure to which you have become allergic. Something like the metal in an earring, topical antibiotics or…

Poison Oak or Poison Ivy. Most people are sensitive to the plants’ oily sap. If it gets on your skin, it causes a blistering skin rash. The rash can range from mild to severe, depending on how much sap gets on your skin and how sensitive you are to it. The result is typically an itching, red rash with bumps or blisters.

Poison Ivy, which is more common in our area has three shiny green leaves and a red stem. Poison ivy typically grows in the form of a vine.

Poison Oak grows in the form of a shrub and has three leaves similar to poison ivy.

The oils from these plants usually enter the skin rapidly and may remain for a long time on contaminated clothing, pets, tools, shoes and other surfaces. These contaminated items can cause rashes in the future if they are not properly cleaned.

SYMPTOMS

Extreme itching
Red, streaky, patchy rash where the plant touched the skin
Red bumps, which may form large, blisters

The reaction can vary from mild to severe. In rare cases, the person is admitted to a hospital. The worst symptoms are often seen during days 4 to 7. The rash may last for 1 to 3 weeks.

WHAT TO DO:

Wash the skin thoroughly with soap and warm water. Because the plant oil enters skin quickly, try to wash it off within 30 minutes.
Scrub under the fingernails with a brush to prevent the plant oil from spreading to other parts of the body.
Wash clothing and shoes with soap and hot water. The plant oils can linger on them.
Immediately bathe animals to remove the oils from their fur.
Body heat and sweating can aggravate the itching. Stay cool and apply cool compresses to your skin.
Calamine lotion and hydrocortisone cream can be applied to the skin to reduce itching and blistering.
Bathing in lukewarm water with an oatmeal bath product, available in drugstores, may soothe itchy skin.
If creams, lotions, or bathing do not stop the itching, antihistamines may be helpful.

Visit Centra Care or call your doctor if:

The Itching is severe and cannot be controlled.
The rash affects your face, lips, eyes, or genitals.
The rash shows signs of infection, such as pus, yellow fluid leaking from blisters, odor, or increased tenderness.

Call 911 or go to an emergency room if:

Someone is suffering a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or difficulty breathing, or has had a severe reaction in the past.

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Is Strep Throat going around your neighborhood?

adeomedia — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:53:14 +0000

Strep Throat is What’s Going Around this week. Because bacteria is to blame, confirmed cases of Strep are most often treated with prescription antibiotics. Besides leading to serious complications, if left untreated, a person with Strep can remain contagious for upwards of three weeks – even if symptoms no longer remain.

Centra Care data shows that the number of Strep cases has been increasing over the past two weeks, which is not common for this time of year. The areas of Central Florida seeing the greatest increases are:

Altamonte & Sand Lake – up 400%
Conway – up 300%

Learn More:

Strep Throat affects both children and adults. The infection is easily spread by person-to-person contact with nasal secretions or saliva. It takes 2 – 5 days after being exposed to the bacteria that causes Strep to experience symptoms.

Symptoms of Strep usually begin suddenly. The sore throat can range from mild to severe and may be accompanied by other symptoms including:

Fever that begins suddenly
Red throat, sometimes with white patches
General discomfort or ill feeling
Loss of appetite
Tender, swollen lymph nodes in the neck
Difficulty swallowing
Stomach ache
Nausea
Chills
Headache

So how do you know if your sore throat warrants a trip to the doctor? According to the CDC you should seek medical care if you or your child has:

A sore throat that lasts longer than 1 week
Difficulty swallowing or breathing
Excessive drooling (young children)
Temperature higher than 100.4° F
Pus on the back of the throat
Rash
Hoarseness for more than 2 weeks
Blood in saliva or phlegm
Symptoms of dehydration
Recurring sore throats

Only a physician can diagnose Strep by examining you and conducting tests. It’s a myth that white spots in the back of your throat are a positive determination for Strep Throat. Treatment with antibiotics will clear the infection and also help to reduce complications.

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Unseasonable stay for strep throat in Florida

adeomedia — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:55:49 +0000

Florida Hospital Centra Care’s Dr. Timothy Hendricks tells us strep throat is enjoying an unseasonable stay in Florida. Because bacteria are to blame, confirmed cases of Strep are most often treated with prescription antibiotics.

Besides leading to serious complications, if left untreated, a person with Strep can remain contagious for upwards of three weeks – even if symptoms no longer remain.

Centra Care data shows that the number of Strep cases has been increasing over the past two weeks, which is not common for this time of year. [Read full story]

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Bad allergies this season? Here’s why

adeomedia — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:55:11 +0000

It seems to get worse and arrive earlier each year. Allergy season has people across Central Florida reaching for the tissues and popping all kinds of pills.

According to First Alert Meteorologist Jason Brewer, who also suffers from allergies, we can thank Mother Nature. We had a warm winter, and some flowers have been blooming since January.

“We had a warm January, one of the warmest Januarys on record. We typically see freezes in January that typically help suppress the pollen down the road. We didn’t have that this year,” said Brewer.

Florida Hospital’s Centre Care, which has 21 locations in Central Florida, have noticed an increase in patients suffering from allergies. They have seen 130 for the last week in March and 160 for the first week in April. [Read full story]

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