Swim for fitness

Until this summer Williamson residents could swim everyday in the Williamson City Pool. Swimming helps keep people fit as it cools the body from the heat of the day. It exercises the upper body, lungs, and heart. The Red Cross teaches water safety, and the Rotary Club helps sponsor training. The Williamson Pool caused collaboration with agencies and service clubs. The Kiwanis Club maintains the facility above the swimming pool. There are area tennis courts, baseball fields, basketball courts, and parks managed by the park board. Williamson has good facilities though there are few doctors who practice. Activities reduce the allure of drugs, and help fight the War on Drugs.

Doctor Training for Emergency Medicine

Once physicians complete medical school, they train for 1-12 more years to receive a certification or become a specialist. Every 3-5 years they recertify in their specialties. After many years of practice, doctors reduce practice hours. Some close their practices and work a few shifts in the emergency room. In order to hone their skills, many enroll in the Emergency Medicine Certificate Program offered by West Virginia University. For 2-4 years they become medical students and take classes to update their skills in care of emergency patients. Though it takes considerable courage and resources to practice medicine as a solo practitioner, it takes new skills to work in the emergency room. The EMCP program will prepare them for that role.

When the government closes doctors offices, it is difficult to re-enter practice. The government collects millions of dollars from physicians when they investigate physicians. Some of this money can be spent in programs such as the EMCP Program. The government is especially vicious when it takes money and jewelry from physicians without a valid search warrant. Government agents trample the rights of physicians and act like barbarian when take money and jewelry that they do not return in their illegal search and seizures.

Zoonosis

A zoonosis is a disease caused by an animal vector. Since dogs and cats are the most common pets, they produce the largest number of diseases. Recently a patient had a puppy with diarrhea. Soon the entire family experienced diarrhea also. The puppy infected the human family. Many families in WVA and KY have dogs and cats as family pets. One common infection is toxocariasis, caused by Toxocara canis, a worm. Over 50% of dogs harbor at least one worm. When infected children can display fever, chills, cough, rash, and failure to thrive. The diagnosis is made by ELISA from infected tissue. Albendazol and mebendazole effectively treat toxocariasis. Doctors work hard to treat their patients. When a doctor leaves a community a valuable resource leaves the community.

Avoid Shingles

Shingles is the common term for Herpes Zoster, a common viral illness caused by the varicella virus. Most of us contracted Chicken Pox as children and harbor the varicella virus. When adults develop shingles, they have red scabs in a rash in the distribution of a dermatome. Many have fever, chills, headache, and myalgias. It can last as short as a month or plague the patient for many months. Taking an antiviral medication such as ancyclovir will lesson its impact and reduce symptoms. The best course is prevention. All patients over 60 should take the shingles vaccine. Doctors work hard to teach patients about immunizations. When law enforcement officers close doctors’ offices, they deprive communities of valuable people.

Herpes Zoster

Doctors recommend vaccinations for Herpes Zoster as Zistovax given in right upper arm to reduce the chance of developing symptoms. Everyone over 60 should be vaccinated. Thanks to immunizations, at risk populations can reduce the risk of acquiring it and reduce its severity. Many develop the common complication of post herpetic neuralgia. Doctors spend a lifetime keeping patients healthy. When law enforcement trample doctors, the communities lose valuable services that physicians provide. Worldwide the Rotary Club promote immunizions.

HPV Immunizations

Adolescents and young adults benefit from HPV immunizations. Young men 18-21 should take 3 doses of HPV, and women 18-26 need 3 doses of HPV immunization for protection against human papilloma virus. Vaccines help prevent contagious diseases such as human papilloma virus infections in these at-risk populations. Since young people feel that they are indestructible, the discussions of immunizations need to be part of school, health classes, and visits to their pediatricians to instill the benefits of immunizations. Doctors work hard to keep patients healthy. When they close their offices, the community looses important resources. Law enforcement is all too eager to close doctors’ offices.

Pneumococcal Vaccine

Immunizations help prevent disease. Older people commonly died from pneumonia. Physicians work hard to keep patients healthy and prevent disease. For protection from pneumococcal disease physicians administer PVC13 and PPSV23 to patients over 65. To patients 19 – 64, patients should take PPSV23 alone in patients who smoke and have chronic illnesses. It is pneumonia season.

Keep Warm

Winter arrived with freezing temperatures and snow. Many schools closed. A school bus failed to climb a hill and it wrecked. Keep warm and dry. Exercise at the gym, mall, or home to prevent harming your lungs and keep your heart active. Keep warm.

Celebrate in moderation

As we say goodbye to 2014 and hello to 2015, we must drink moderately. Some will celebrate at church. Others will watch the ball fall in Times Square. Many will celebrate at a party. Drink in moderation. Celebrate in moderation. Doctors want to keep patients safe and healthy. Law enforcement will work to arrest people who drink too much. Avoid a DUI. Use moderation or a designated driver. Some taxis offer free rides to prevent DUI’s.

Keep Fit

As the New Year approaches, keep fit. Work 30 minutes of exercise into your day. It will reduce heart disease and stress. Our lives are filled with stress. Regular exercise will prolong your life. Walk, jog, skate, and dance. Aerobic exercise helps strengthen the heart, and reduce drug and alcohol cravings. Doctors do not only prescribe medication, they encourage exercise.