Archives for February 2019

Does Allergy Season Arrive Earlier in Florida?

Residents and snowbirds relish living in Florida for the same reason: the warm weather is the draw, especially during the temperate climate of winter months, when most of the country is freezing. Yet living in the Sunshine State has its pitfalls, such as allergies that can affect Floridians throughout the year.

Seasons in Florida

Florida has seasons just like the rest of the country – they just aren’t quite as obvious. Neither is the allergy season. There’s not a specific time when it arrives, it just always is. It’s totally possible to suffer from an allergy during a chilly Florida winter or when the trees don’t turn in the fall.

Allergy Season

Different allergens appear at different times of the year – however, in Florida, the allergy season begins early. Allergy sufferers up north find a bit of relief as a result of hard freezes. When allergy season awakens in the northern states, due to hay fever and tree pollens, Floridians have already been submersed for many months.

Allergy season in Florida is brought in with the New Year: beginning in January and lasting through the year until it subsides in November. That’s a long season.

Florida trees don’t lie dormant during winter months, which explains the length of the allergy season. The allergy season basically sticks around for most of the year, unlike up north when trees pollinate in the early spring. Florida trees can begin pollinating as early as December and rarely later than the end of January. Additionally, Florida has many trees that pollinate 12 months out of the year.

Allergen-Producing Trees

Pollen is perennial in the state of Florida. Pollinating trees are an issue prior to traditional spring, but so are Florida grasses that pollinate. Wind is pollen’s carrier and of course Florida is no stranger to the winds that deliver massive volumes of the substance, hundreds of miles at a time.

Pine pollen is common in Florida due to moist, humid air. Fine yellow dust appears on outside surfaces. Florida is full of pine trees and while allergies to pine are fairly rare, pollen produced by trees causes discomfort in the sensitive. The pollen spreads through the air as it’s released in very large quantities, but it’s also visible on surfaces.

Dealing With Pollen Allergies

It is impossible to avoid pollen altogether, but keeping doors and windows closed on days with a high pollen count will help. You may notice pollen on the surface of your car each morning. Pollen is highest between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., but you may feel it before seeing it, as it is highly allergenic.

If you know your triggers, you can help prevent allergy symptoms with medications or by limiting time spent outdoors. If you can’t get control over your body’s immune system, consulting with an allergist will help.

Professional Allergy Help in Wellington

The family medicine provider’s at Advanced Medical Clinic can address your allergy symptoms and determine what your triggers are to help you find relief. Same-day appointments are available. Call us at (561) 434-1935, or you can request an appointment using our online form.

How to Prevent Heart Disease

One in four deaths are attributed to heart disease in the United States. That works out to about 610,000 people who die from the disease each year, making it the leading cause of death for both men and women. That’s the bad news, according to the Centers for Disease Control. However, there is also good news. You can prevent heart disease by knowing what causes it and by making lifestyle adjustments.

Associated Risks

High blood pressure and high cholesterol are major risk factors that affect heart health. Smoking is also one of the greatest risks that people take, moving them closer to a heart event. Unfortunately, for nearly half of the American population, all three of these risks are in play.

A poor diet, obesity, and inactivity add to the risks of heart disease, as does drinking alcohol in excess. If addressed, these lifestyle choices can profoundly turn the tide toward good heart health. If you have a high level of triglycerides, which is a type of fat in the blood and related to cholesterol, it also raises your risk of heart disease.

Practical Steps to Defend Heart Health

Get to an ER If Alarming Symptoms Arise

If any acute symptoms appear that have you concerned, it’s best to proceed to the nearest hospital emergency room instead of waiting for a regular family medicine provider appointment.

Pains in the chest or shortness of breath could indicate a heart attack event.

See Your Family Medicine Provider

Barring any emergencies, the first step toward ensuring a healthy heart is to speak with your health care professional, especially if you’ve experienced discomfort in your chest that could be heart-related.

Schedule a regular appointment with your family medicine provider and be sure to communicate any symptoms. Your family health history will also be taken into account, as heart disease is often hereditary. The family medicine provider may listen to your heart and order blood work for testing. If test results or the exam leads the family medicine provider to have questions regarding your heart health, you may be referred to a cardiologist.

Control Your Blood Pressure

Controlling high blood pressure is critical to heart health. When cholesterol levels are high, it tends to block arteries and increase blood pressure, which raises the chance of a heart attack. Your family medicine provider may prescribe medications to lower cholesterol.

Watch What You Eat

Talk with your family medicine provider or nutritionist about a low-cholesterol diet. Paying attention to what you eat can have a profoundly positive effect on your heart health. A healthy diet that limits saturated fats, salt intake, and compound sugars helps lower high blood pressure, and cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood – which helps you lose weight that strains the heart.

Stop Smoking

If you smoke, stop. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. Smoking places you at risk for high blood pressure and a heart attack. Once you quit, your risk goes down. If willpower isn’t enough to get you to quit, speak with your family medicine provider for suggestions on how you can become less dependent on nicotine.

Keep Blood Sugar Managed

As if it didn’t come with enough concerns already, diabetes is a risk factor for heart disease. Diabetes gone unchecked allows high blood sugar levels to cause damage to blood vessels and nerves in your heart. Make an effort to manage your blood sugar properly if you have diabetes. Your family medicine provider will adjust your diet and medications to help protect you.

Internal Medicine Expertise in Wellington

If you have symptoms that could lead to heart disease, don’t ignore them. Start today to make lifestyle changes that will lead to a healthier heart. Our medical team at Advanced Medical Clinic can assess your condition and move you in the right direction.

Same-day appointments are available. Call us at (561) 434-1935, or you can request an appointment using our online form.