hypertension treatment near me

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 Signs and Symptoms of Hypertension

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a long-term health condition that can result in severe complications. According to an estimate, about half of all adults in the United States have high blood pressure, but surprisingly, many may not know they have it. It is also named “silent killer” because sometimes the damage due to high blood pressure may occur without you experiencing any signs and symptoms.

Let’s take a deeper look into hypertension, its stages, its signs and symptoms, and where you can go to get yourself evaluated for hypertension if you are located in Royal Palm Beach.

What is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure is when the force with which the blood pushes against the walls of blood vessels consistently remains too high. The blood pressure reading is two numbers. The top number is called systolic blood pressure while the bottom is known as diastolic blood pressure.

Systolic blood pressure measures the pressure on the blood vessel walls when your heart contracts or beats. On the other hand, diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure on your blood vessel walls when the heart is relaxing between the beats.

Ideal blood pressure is between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg. Hypertension is when blood pressure is consistently higher than the normal range. It has three stages:

  • Stage 1 hypertension – A blood pressure between 130/80mmHg to 139/89mmHg
  • Stage 2 hypertension – A blood pressure that is 140mmHg or higher consistently
  • Hypertensive crisis – A blood pressure that is 180/120mmHg or higher

Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

Most people stay unaware of a dangerously high level of blood pressure reading because of no signs and symptoms. A high blood pressure that goes unnoticed for a prolonged period can damage many important organs such as the heart, kidneys, blood vessels, etc. This is why it is important to measure your blood pressure regularly.

Rarely, a rise in blood pressure may manifest itself in the form of:

  • Morning headaches
  • Nosebleed
  • Sweating
  • Irregular heart rhythm
  • Vision changes
  • Buzzing in ears

According to the World Health Organization, severe hypertension can have signs and symptoms like:

What Can You Do?

The procedure to measure your blood pressure is quick and painless. You can measure it at home using automated devices or ask a healthcare professional to measure it.

Measuring blood pressure every year is a must if you are between the age of 18 to 39. Your healthcare professional, especially your family care provider, may also recommend you measure your blood pressure more frequently if you have already been diagnosed with high blood pressure or have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease.

If you measure blood pressure at home and notice any abnormality, visit your primary care provider for further evaluation and diagnosis.

Hypertension in Royal Palm Beach

Hypertension can severely affect your overall health and well-being. If you’re concerned about your blood pressure and want to get yourself evaluated, visit our compassionate healthcare providers at Advanced Medical Clinic. We are experts in diagnosing and treating long-term health issues like hypertension. We will also educate you on how to prevent hypertension from occurring if you are at risk for it.

To make an appointment with one of our healthcare providers, call our staff today at (561) 434-1935, or request an appointment now by filling out our online form.

Hypertension: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hypertension affects roughly 47 percent of the American adult population, and about 400,000 people succumb to the condition every year.

A person is considered hypertensive if their blood pressure chronically exceeds 130/80 mmHg, Hypertension puts anyone at a greater risk for potentially life-threatening complications, such as heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and sudden cardiac death.

Whether you suspect that you have hypertension or you have the risk factors for it (e.g., diabetes, excess weight problem, or unhealthy lifestyle habits), knowledge is crucial for keeping it under control and maintaining your quality of life.

Below, we’ve provided some information about hypertension, particularly its causes, symptoms, and treatment to give you a better understanding of this deadly condition.

Causes of Hypertension

Hypertension is broken down into two types: primary (essential) and secondary. The potential causes of high blood pressure vary, depending on the type, as outlined below:

  • Primary hypertension – This type has no identifiable cause but is thought to be linked to a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, genetics, and obesity.
  • Secondary hypertension – This type is ascribed to other medical conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), thyroid problems, kidney disease, or adrenal gland tumors.

Common Signs and Symptoms of Hypertension

Hypertension has been dubbed by experts “the silent killer” and for a good reason: a person can have hypertension for years and not know it. It often doesn’t have symptoms, and if it does, they are often mistakenly attributed to other conditions.

If you experience the following, see your primary care provider for a blood pressure check:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Severe headache
  • Nose bleeds
  • Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, and abdomen
  • Vision problems
  • Fatigue
  • Anxiety

Symptoms to Watch Out For

Hypertension requires vigilance to prevent hypertensive crisis, a medical emergency characterized by a sudden and severe increase in blood pressure. This is usually caused by nonadherence to the treatment plan, severe stress or anxiety, and other conditions.

Below are the common signs and symptoms of a hypertensive crisis. If you experience any or some of these, time is of the essence – go to your nearest emergency room or call 911 for prompt intervention.

  • Blood pressure of 180/120 or higher
  • Nosebleeds
  • Seizures
  • Severe chest pain, especially if it occurs with sweating, nausea or vomiting, rapid heartbeats, shortness of breath, etc.
  • Sudden or severe headache, especially if accompanied by blurred vision and/or unilateral paralysis of the face or extremities

Treatment for Hypertension

Managing hypertension involves routine screenings, monitoring and coordinating treatment, checkups, and patient education.

Medications are the mainstay of treatment for hypertension. Your primary care provider may prescribe a diuretic (medications to expel excess salt and water from the body) or a combination of a diuretic and either an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (medication to relax your blood vessels) or a beta-blocker (medication to lower your blood pressure).

Your family medicine provider will also likely give you dietary and lifestyle recommendations, such as the following, to ensure your condition is properly managed:

  • Consuming a low-fat and low-sodium diet
  • Engaging in regular physical activity
  • Lowering or avoiding caffeine and alcohol intake altogether
  • Managing stress levels
  • Monitoring your blood pressure at home
  • Quitting smoking
  • Visiting your primary care provider regularly

Hypertension Treatment in Wellington, FL

For top-notch hypertension treatment and management in the Wellington, Florida area, visit us here at Advanced Medical. Our team is led by two board-certified primary care providers who are best known for their comprehensive and compassionate approach to care and commitment to guiding patients along the path to optimal health and wellness.

To schedule an appointment with one of our providers, call our office today at (561) 434-1935 or use our convenient online appointment request form.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

A rise and fall in your body’s blood pressure is something to be taken seriously. This can happen throughout the day, depending on your activity and physical state. When you have high blood pressure, you are at risk of other life-threatening medical problems. High blood pressure can also occur with other health conditions, such as arthritis.

You can manage your health better by knowing the causes of various conditions. Continue reading to find out more about the causes of high blood pressure.

What Is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is abnormally high systolic and diastolic blood pressure. These two numbers indicate the pressure in the arteries, the vessels carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Systolic blood pressure is the first or higher number. It measures the pressure when the heart beats. Meanwhile, diastolic pressure, the second number, measures the pressure between beats, when the heart rests. Your primary care provider can determine if you have high blood pressure based on blood pressure readings that check these numbers.

This condition usually has no severe symptoms, particularly in the early stages. You may feel headaches, nosebleeds, or shortness of breath when your blood pressure becomes severely high.

Types and Causes of High Blood Pressure

There are two types of high blood pressure, depending on the cause. Your family primary care provider may examine your medical history to determine what causes your hypertension.

●     Primary Hypertension

Most adults suffer from primary or essential hypertension. This type of high blood pressure has no definite cause and gradually develops over time.

●     Secondary Hypertension

Secondary hypertension appears more suddenly. This type of hypertension occurs because of another underlying medical condition in the heart, kidneys, or endocrine system. Examples are arthritis, thyroid problems, problems in blood vessels, obstructive sleep apnea, and more.

Risk Factors Causing High Blood Pressure

Some factors increase the likelihood of having high blood pressure. Although these do not directly cause hypertension, you should monitor your blood pressure closely if you are associated with these risk factors:

●     Age and Gender

Hypertension can affect people at any age. However, the likelihood of acquiring it increases as you get older. Although less common, children may also suffer from hypertension. Poor lifestyle habits and kidney or heart problems can contribute to hypertension in the younger population.

●     Family History and Race

Genetics can play a significant role in developing high blood pressure. Hypertension tends to run in families. According to studies, people of African descent may also develop the condition earlier than others. They are also more likely to develop serious complications such as heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.

●     Physical Activity

Physical inactivity is generally associated with a higher heart rate. It causes the heart to work harder and produce more intense contractions, leading to hypertension.

●     Weight

Increased weight means the body needs more blood supply and oxygen. When there is increased blood flow in the arteries, the pressure against the artery walls may also increase.

●     Diet

The nutrients in your diet, such as sodium and potassium, can affect your blood pressure. Too much sodium or salt can promote fluid retention in your body, resulting in increased blood pressure. Low potassium levels due to improper diet or dehydration can lead to sodium buildup in the blood.

●     Use of Tobacco and Drinking Alcohol

The use of tobacco products does not only temporarily raise your body’s blood pressure immediately, it can also cause the narrowing of artery walls, leading to permanent damage. Alcohol consumption can also lead to heart damage, especially if the intake is more than one to two drinks a day.

●     Stress

High levels of stress are associated with a temporary spike in blood pressure. Stress-related habits or coping mechanisms such as binge eating, smoking, or drinking alcohol can also cause a permanent increase in blood pressure.

●     Pregnancy

Pregnant women may suffer from gestational hypertension or pregnancy-induced hypertension, or preeclampsia. This condition can pose serious risks before, during, and after birth.

●     Use of Certain Medications

Some birth control pills, pain relievers, cold medications, decongestants, and prescription drugs may affect the body’s blood pressure. Illegal drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines can also cause hypertension.

Treatment For High Blood Pressure and Arthritis in Wellington, FL

High blood pressure affects your overall health in many ways. It should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. To get the best medical treatment for hypertension, you should always listen to the experts. Primary care providers are the trusted and first-hand primary care providers who can help diagnose and treat your high blood pressure.

If you are looking for a clinic to help you with your high blood pressure, we at Advanced Medical Clinic offer medical services in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, Florida. Our skilled family medicine providers and staff will surely accommodate your concerns, from diagnosis to treatment.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help. You may call our friendly staff at (561) 434-1935 or fill out this online request form. We look forward to serving you.

What Can a Family Medicine Provider in Wellington Treat?

Family medicine is grounded on the most basic social unit—the family. Family medicine providers receive specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of the entire spectrum of medical conditions that affect the members of an entire family unit: the mother, the father, the children, and even the grandparents.

It doesn’t mean, however, that you need to have a family to be attended to by a family medicine provider. Rather, it implies that family medicine providers can provide care to patients of all ages, throughout their lives, and for multiple generations at the same time.

To get a better insight into how you can benefit from the expertise of a family medicine provider, let’s explore the various conditions they treat and the scope of their services.

Emerging, Acute, and Chronic Conditions

As your primary care provider, your family medicine provider knows your medical history and can evaluate new and unusual symptoms, which may be indicative of a development of a potentially serious medical condition. In other words, if you’re experiencing symptoms that you suspect to be those of a chronic condition, your family medicine provider is the usually the first provider you see to ascertain whether these symptoms are any cause for concern. Your family medicine provider will then order the necessary tests, interpret the results, and constantly monitor your symptoms to see if there’s any progression.

Should these symptoms point to a chronic condition, your family medicine provider can provide personalized, ongoing treatment and coordinate your care with other sub-specialists, when need be. Common chronic diseases treated by family medicine provider include arthritis, asthma, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension.

Your family medicine provider is also your go-to – and often, your only stop– for appropriate diagnoses and treatment of acute conditions, such as urinary tract infection, cold, flu, sinus infection, ear infection, among others.

Women’s Health

Contrary to what many women think, a wellness appointment with their OB/GYN doesn’t necessarily cover their primary care needs. Albeit an OB/GYN can cover specific gynecologic or reproductive health issues, it isn’t the same as seeing a family medicine provider.

A recent study indicates that women who consult their family medicine providers for preventive care receive a broader range of care. The bottom line is that visits with family medicine providers can complement visits with OB/GYNs.

Other Services Provided by a Family Medicine Provider

Apart from diagnosing and providing treatment for diseases, family medicine providers also provide health and nutrition counseling, health-risk assessments, early pregnancy care, family planning, wellness checkups, immunizations, and screening tests.

Family Medicine Provider in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach

If you’ve been on the world wide web to search for a family medicine provider in Wellington, Florida, your search ends here. At Advanced Medical Clinic, our board-certified family nurse practitioner Shariffa Gunawardene—is a family medicine provider, who is dedicated to delivering evidence-based, compassionate, and patient-centered care to everyone in our community.

To schedule an appointment with Shariffa, call us at (561) 434-1935. You may also use this secure online appointment form.