diabetes treatment wellington

Common Conditions Treated by Family Medicine Doctors: from Colds and Flu to Chronic Diseases

Family medicine doctors are our everyday heroes. They provide comprehensive primary healthcare to patients of all ages for a variety of conditions, such as colds, strep throat, and flu. They also help patients manage chronic conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

In this blog, we will look at these health problems and at how your family doctor can help you manage them.

Colds

One of the most frequent conditions treated by family medicine doctors is the common cold. This viral infection affects millions of people every year and causes symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, sneezing and coughing.

Family doctors provide treatments to alleviate these symptoms and to prevent complications, such as pneumonia or middle ear infections. Also, your family doctor can show you ways to limit your exposure to the many seasonal viruses that cause the common cold.

Influenza

Flu is another acute condition that family medicine doctors see frequently. Influenza, like the common cold, is caused by a virus – typically, different ones that develop during the annual flu season.

Fortunately, today’s yearly influenza vaccines effectively protect against the flu. Your family doctor likely will recommend you receive one. Vaccinations can start as early as 6 months of age. Flu vaccines also are important if you are in a high-risk group, such as:

  • Being 65 or older
  • Having a chronic health condition, such as asthma or diabetes
  • Being a healthcare worker or routinely contacting medically fragile individuals (such as an elderly parent)

Your family doctor will discuss your risk factors with you as part of your annual physical examination.

Plus, as the flu, colds and other acute illnesses are highly contagious, your family doctor will give practical ways to reduce your risk of getting sick. Examples include thorough and frequent handwashing, staying out of crowds, and covering your mouth when sneezing or coughing.

Strep Throat

Strep throat is a bacterial infection affecting the throat and tonsils. It is most common in children between the ages of five and 15 but can occur in adults as well.

Symptoms include a very sore throat, difficulty swallowing, fever and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Strep throat is highly contagious. It can spread through respiratory droplets or direct contact with an infected person.

If you suspect that you or your child has strep throat, see your family doctor. He or she will perform a physical examination and do a rapid strep test to confirm the presence of the bacteria. Treatment for strep throat usually involves antibiotics and comfort measures, such as fever-reducing medications, rest, and plenty of fluids.

Hypertension

Also called high blood pressure, hypertension is a very common chronic health condition in American adults. Classically defined as a blood pressure reading higher than 140/90 mmHg, hypertension more recently is recognized as anything higher than 130/80 mmHg.

Checking your blood pressure is an important part of your annual physical exam. This cardiovascular condition can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and more. Hypertension often has no symptoms, so it is known as a “silent killer.”

Your family medicine physician may prescribe medication to control your blood pressure. Be sure to take it as prescribed.

Also, your doctor may recommend changing some lifestyle habits, such as smoking, eating a fatty, salty diet and being sedentary. While you cannot change hereditary risk factors for hypertension, lifestyle changes are highly effective in avoiding or managing hypertension.

Diabetes

Consistently high levels of blood glucose are characteristic of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes develops due to obesity, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyle. Type 1 is related to the body’s inability to produce the hormone insulin. Because diabetes can run in families, your family doctor may suggest routine screening if you have close relatives with this disease.

If you are diagnosed with diabetes, carefully follow your doctor’s recommendations for managing the condition. This includes monitoring your blood glucose levels regularly, taking medication as prescribed and making necessary lifestyle changes. You must maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly to control blood sugar levels.

Additionally, individuals with diabetes should be aware of health complications. These may include diabetic retinopathy, nerve damage in the feet and hands (neuropathy), heart disease, and kidney disease.

Your Family Doctor Provides Preventive Care and Chronic and Acute Disease Management in Wellington, FL

At Advanced Medical Clinic, we are passionate about family medicine. Internal medicine physician, Dr. Ishwan Gunawardene, and his wife, family nurse practitioner, Shariffa Gunawardene, provide patient-centered care for people of all ages and walks of life. So, whether you are a middle-aged adult, a parent with young children, or a senior with a few chronic conditions, we can help you enjoy the best possible health.

Contact us to learn more about our services or to arrange your annual physical. Call (561) 434-1935, or request your visit here.

The Rising Cost of Insulin in the U.S.: A Looming Crisis?

Insulin is a hormone that is naturally produced by the body in order to metabolize carbohydrates and to regulate blood sugar levels. People with type 1 diabetes, whose pancreas produces little to no insulin, are insulin-dependent – needing shots of insulin to replenish what their body is not manufacturing. Similarly, those who have type 2 diabetes may also need to have insulin shots to regulate their glucose levels.

The men who discovered insulin in 1923 sold the intellectual property rights for just 3 Canadian dollars. Today, the average price of insulin in the United States is $98.70, with some rates going as high as $250 per vial.

Diabetes is big business for pharmaceutical manufacturers. Even as far back as 1941, several companies were indicted on antitrust and price-fixing charges when they were caught inflating the prices of insulin.

Expensive Insulin – Who Is to Blame?

For those of us who have diabetes, these rising costs are becoming more and more painful in the wallet. Diabetics in the United States pay at least eight times the cost of insulin as compared to those who live in other high-income nations.

The insulin market is broken, from the insulin manufacturers and their lobbyists to the wholesalers and retailers to governmental and nongovernmental regulatory bodies. Insulin prices will continue to rise with no real policy-level solutions.

What then can be done to help patients with diabetes afford the cost of insulin?

What Family Medicine Providers Can Do

Some providers are proactive in helping their patients to better manage their disease. The local family medicine providers may not be able to singlehandedly change the system, but they can provide low-cost options such as human insulin – which is doable and effective.

Moreover, drug manufacturers offer affordable treatment options to certain healthcare facilities through the 340B program, of which more than 12,000 facilities are participating. As a patient, ask your family medicine provider whether you have access to this or to something similar.

Family Medicine Provider in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, Florida

The skilled and experienced healthcare team here at Advanced Medical Clinic specializes in diagnosing and treating patients with endocrine disorders, including diabetes. Dr. Ishan Gunawardene, our internal medicine family medicine provider, aims to help his diabetes patients find insulin that they can afford to control their disease.

His wife, Shariffa Gunawardene, is a board-certified nurse practitioner who can treat patients of all ages. Together, they can serve the medical needs of your whole family. We are highly flexible and take a personalized approach for your family’s optimal health.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, contact our friendly staff today by calling us at (561) 434-1935 or by filling out our easy-to-use appointment request form online now. We have convenient locations in Wellington (off SR7/441, north of Lake Worth Road) and in Royal Palm Beach (near the intersection of Okeechobee Boulevard and Royal Palm Beach Boulevard), and we look forward to being your family’s healthcare partner!