Viruses that cause colds and the flu are active year-round. Since we spend more time indoors and in closer proximity with other people during the winter months we are exposed more frequently to the viruses that get us sick. Practicing good public hygiene is one way to help protect yourself and others from getting sick. 1. Be relentless with hand washing.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [...] Read More »

‘Tis the season for the invasion of the germs. Seasonal flu usually peaks in late fall and can last until May 1st. According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC), last years’ H1N1 virus spread worldwide, causing the first flu pandemic in over 40 years. While it’s hard to make it through an entire cold and flu season without so much as a sniffle, the following habits can minimize the chances [...] Read More »

We are getting healthy here at Healthagen.  This week we all rolled up our sleeves and got our flu shots.  Prior to the scheduled event we had lots of questions, myths and concerns floating around the office so we thought we would re-visit the idea of vaccine safety. Vaccines are a great public health success story.  The administration of vaccines has eradicated smallpox, nearly ended polio and [...] Read More »

18 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetes, a serious lifelong condition.  In 2007 alone 1.6 million people over the age of 20 were diagnosed with diabetes.  Left untreated, all forms of diabetes can cause further medical problems such as heart disease, kidney disease, amputation, blindness and even death.  Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States.  [...] Read More »

To conclude our 10 part series on flu symptoms that are common to other conditions we would like to highlight the characteristic symptoms of Scarlet Fever. Let’s begin by taking a look at the information on iTriage (available on iPhone, Android, or at http://www.iTriageHealth.com). Scarlet Fever Description A disorder characterized by a rash covering most of the body, a strawberry-like appearance [...] Read More »

So you or your child has a fever and a rash and you are concerned if the cause is the flu or another illness that causes a fever. Let’s review the information about hand foot and mouth disease taken from iTriage (available on iPhone, Android, or at www.iTriageHealth.com), and compare it to the symptoms of the flu. Flu (Influenza) Symptoms Fever, headache, tiredness (fatigue), chills, dry cough, [...] Read More »

Keep your ghosts, goblins, and fairy princesses happy this Halloween by keeping these safety tips in mind. 1.     Dress up with style and safety in mind.  Costumes should be bright and reflective.  Consider adding reflective tape to costumes to help drivers see your little monsters on the road.  Make sure costumes and accessories (wigs, capes, etc) are flame resistant. 2.     Try makeup [...] Read More »

How can you tell the difference between the flu and cellulitis? Let’s review the information about cellulitis taken from iTriage (available on iPhone, Android, or at www.iTriageHealth.com). Please see our previous posts for more information on the flu. Description Cellulitis is a skin infection caused by bacteria. Bacteria can enter into the skin either through a cut or insect bite and spread to [...] Read More »

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) an outbreak of cholera was confirmed in Haiti on October 21, 2010.  Due to this recent report we thought it would be helpful to re-post this article that was written back in February shortly after the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Just the word, Cholera strikes fear into the ranks of public health professionals. Cholera is an [...] Read More »

How are ear infections different than the flu and how can you tell the two apart? Let’s use some of the content from iTriage (found on iPhone, Android, or at www.itriagehealth.com) to learn about ear infections and review some of the key differences. Please see our previous posts or iTriage to learn more specific details about the flu. Description A middle ear infection or inflammation is the [...] Read More »