I've been sick for 3 days now with cold like symptoms, running a fever (over 101), congestion in the chest, coughing, sneezing. Today my skin has just hurt. Not only to the touch, but just in general it is very sore. I don't know why. at the moment I am not running a fever, so I know it's not from that. what could cause my skin to be sore feeling and even feel sore inside as well?

Go to the doctor, what if you have the famed Swine Flu? you will be another case! I don't know, I usually feel the same way when I have been sick.

Make sure you are not dehydrated. Check with the doctor you may have Mono, my body was really sore when I had it.

Would you know if you were having a heart attack? the answer may not be as simple as you think.

After a recent bout with the flu, 49-year-old Scott Conner thought his flu symptoms were lingering when he experienced chest pains at 4 a.m.

“the proverbial elephant was sitting on my chest that morning,” said Conner. “I thought it was just really bad congestion from the flu, or maybe indigestion. the pressure lasted about two hours.”

Conner said he continued to feel lousy all day but, convinced it wasn’t a big deal, didn’t want to go to the doctor. He had suffered similar heavy feelings in his chest off and on for the past couple of years. Conners shrugged off the earlier signs, figuring he was just out of shape.

“my wife insisted that I go see a doctor, and she made me the first appointment she could find available,” said Conner. “I went to Dr. Joseph Gibbons at 3 p.m. that day.”

“his story and symptoms were classic and consistent with problems of the heart. a lot of people believe they are experiencing indigestion, when really it is a heart attack,” said Gibbons.

According to Dr. Gibbons, keeling over from a massive heart attack is not as common as people may think. What is much more common is what’s known as “silent M.I.” silent myocardial infarction typically leaves people unsure of what, exactly, is wrong.

“a lot of times people will feel chest pressure or think they have indigestion,” said Gibbons. “Typically people will go through periods of feeling bad and, after resting, they will feel a little better.” This falsely leads people to believe that symptoms they’re experiencing aren’t associated with their hearts.

After examining Conner, the doctor sent him to the emergency room at FirstHealth Richmond Memorial.

“they told me I had suffered a heart attack,” said Conner. “I got sent to ICU and, while I was there, my chest started hurting again. my left arm was hurting too.”

Conner was transferred to Moore Regional for an emergency catheterization and had two stents placed in his heart. He said he started feeling better as soon as 11 p.m. that night.

“I received great care,” said Conner. “the doctors and staff at FirstHealth treated me with dignity, and gave me the best care possible. I’m grateful to them all for taking such good care of me.”

Conner is now incorporating regular exercise into his life, and has changed his eating habits. He claims that eating less sugar, saturated fat and salt isn’t as hard as it may seem. his nutritionist advised him not to deny himself the things he craves, but to eat less of those while eating more whole foods. it seems to be working because he’s lost about 25 lbs.

“I’m making a great recovery and feel better than I have in years,” Conner said. “Sometimes you don’t know how bad you felt until you feel good.”

Conner hopes sharing his story will help increase awareness about heart attacks.

“who knows what would have happened if my wife hadn’t insisted that I go to the doctor,” said Conner. “I didn’t think what was happening was that big of a deal – I was determined to ignore it.”

So, how do you know if you’re having a heart attack? the pain of a heart attack can feel like bad heartburn. some other symptoms that may, but don’t always, accompany a heart attack are: chest pressure; sweating; dizziness; nausea; pain in left arm or left side of jaw; tightness in the chest; shortness of breath for more than a couple of seconds; feeling weak or faint; or sudden overwhelming fatigue.

If you think you may be having a heart attack, don’t attempt to drive yourself to the hospital. Chew an aspirin while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

Risk factors associated with higher risk of heart attack include: smoking; diabetes; age; high cholesterol; high blood pressure; family history; atherosclerosis; lack of exercise; stress; and obesity.

“Knowing the risk factors is key,” said Gibbons. “It’s important to coordinate with your physician to try and manage the risks before they cause a problem.”

Staff writer Kelli Easterling can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 18, or by email at

Ok. so. here it goes..

I have DEFINITE influenza symptoms. Terrible coughing, high fever, nausea, congestion, achy, it hurts behind my eyes constantly, and just overall i feel like CRAP. I had a few questions I was hoping could be answered..:

1) do you need antibiotics if you have the flu and it just keeps getting worse over a period of four days?

2) Will the doctor make me stay home even if i'm not contagious? or am I always contagious?

3) How long does the normal influenza take to run it's course? I'd had progressing symptoms since Wednesday night.

4) Any good pill/capsule medication to take to relieve flu symptoms?

Thanks
~claire~

Antibiotics cannot work against flu. this is because Influenza is caused by a virus, and antibiotics work against bacteria.

There is no cure for flu. Take painkillers.

I get really bad allergies when pollen and dust are in the air. I've tried Claritan, Alavert, and most kinds of allergy medication. the only one that really works for me is Benadryl, but it puts me to sleep. Is there something a little bit more natural than can ease up itchy eyes, nose and throat, sneezing and congestion?

instead of thinking about it in terms of medecine, think about how to lessen the cause of the symptoms. how about getting an air purifier? they have pretty good models starting at reasonable rates. one of the most popular ones out there is the honeywell 50250. if you have a bigger budget, i would get an even nicer one. you could put one in your home and office. they even make them for your car.
hepa-air-purifier.org/47/honeywel…

try Allegra, it just went over the counter from being prescription. It won't make you drowsy. nothing natural will help true allergies.

maybe try and air purifier when your inside to see if it help

I rinse my sinuses with a Neti pot a few times a day, and that helps !

alavert it is similar to benadryl

Over the counter meds only quiet the symptoms, they do not help to cure the reason for the allergic reaction! Typically an unhealthy, toxic body & weak immune system keep the body from dealing effectively with its response to allergens.
What is your diet like? do you eat a lot of fast or processed foods smothered in chemical additives? try eliminating certain foods from your diet & see what effect they have on your allergies. Remove dairy, gluten (wheat products) & refined sugars from your diet for a week & see how you feel. Slowly re-introduce, one at a time, these foods back into your diet & feel the difference, this will determine whether or not certain foods are causing or increasing your symptoms.
Changing your diet & gently detoxing your body will have a profound effect on your bodies abilities to fend off & eliminate invading allergens. You don't have to live with allergies, they are the bodies way of telling you something is wrong elsewhere. do you have at least 1 well formed bm a day, do you drink plenty of purified water, are you exposed to any known chemicals at home or work or just in your food! Yuck!
Helpful herbs would be freeze dried nettle, echinacea, red clover & garlic to help build back up the immune system & purify the blood. A tablespoon of local honey with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in warm water will help with the bodies reaction to the allergens & symptoms…
Diet will give you the fastest results, the herbs can take 2+ weeks to improve symptoms but will also begin to strengthen & heal the body. Hot baths with chamomile tea will help sweat out toxins, be sure to shower after your bath.

Usually, I get chest discomfort and a lot of mucus/coughing/congestion. I exercised in a more humid area, and I still had discomfort but none of the other symptoms. is that still normal?

The triggers and symptoms of asthma vary widely from patient to patient. Asthma attack can be precipitated by an excessive physical exercise, and it is known as exercise induced asthma. Patients with "wet" asthma prefer stay in dryer air, so they use air condition or dehumidifiers; others with "dry" asthma prefer humid air, so they use humidifiers. To a certain extent, humidity helps liquefy mucus and phlegm, so it helps give some relief to air way obstructions.

Haliman

Yeah…they normally are…did you notice after the humid conditions the mucous lifted a whole lot quicker/easier? as in one cough produced more?
if exercise is the trigger it will be present in all conditions!

LOUISVILLE - Sarah Vanegas wanted quick relief for her 17-year-old daughter’s sore throat and congestion, so instead of trying to schedule a visit with her doctor, she went to a Take Care Clinic inside a nearby Walgreens where her daughter could be seen quickly.

“Sometimes with the pediatrician, you’re waiting 40 minutes. here, we were in and out in 20 minutes,” said Vanegas, of Louisville, whose daughter, Lindsay, was prescribed an antihistamine and nasal spray for allergies. “For the symptoms she had, I felt very comfortable with this.”

Families seeking faster care close to home have helped push up the number of retail clinics dramatically across the nation – from about 200 in October 2006 to more than 1,200 at the end of 2010.

That’s according to the research and consulting firm Merchant Medicine, which lists 40 retail clinics in Kentucky and anticipates more clinics across the nation this year.

The clinics are usually staffed by nurse practitioners and located in grocery, drug and department stores, often close to where medications are sold.

Visits are comparatively cheap; a 2009 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine put the cost a typical visit – including evaluation, medications, labs, tests and other services – at $110 in the average retail clinic, $166 in a doctor’s office, $156 in an urgent care center and $570 in an emergency room.

“The biggest thing these clinics fulfill is a convenient place to go for a minor illness,” said Tom Charland, Merchant Medicine’s chief executive officer. “And people truly are saving money.”

But some doctors contend the clinics cause more problems than they solve.

Critics say they interrupt relationships between patients and doctors and create potential for conflicts of interest between stores and clinics. They say doctors who know their patients offer better care, less chance of costly follow-up visits and a greater likelihood of finding potentially serious medical problems.

“There might be something that presents as a minor complaint but is in fact the tip of the iceberg,” said Dr. Gordon R. Tobin, president of the Kentucky Medical Association. “Physicians have the gold standard in education and training.”

Kentucky adopted a regulation in August saying retail clinics must restrict services to a list of minor illnesses, screenings and preventive care such as flu shots, and they can’t provide ongoing treatment for chronic illness.

That state also required retail clinics to tell patients that they don’t have to buy medications from the host store.

Meanwhile, clinics are prompting some doctors to change their methods to meet the needs of patient seeking greater convenience.

Glen Stream, president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said more doctors are providing services such as after-hours and weekend care and same-day appointments.

“If the doctor’s office is only open 9 to 5, and kids are in school and parents are at work, that’s not meeting the need,” Stream said.

Studies find quality

Charland said five illnesses make up the majority of retail clinics’ workload: strep throat; pink eye; and infections of the ear, sinus and female bladder. Studies show clinics generally provide quality care for such conditions.

A report last year by the Rand Corp., a non-profit policy and research organization, examined several studies and said initial evidence suggests quality at retail clinics “is comparable to that provided in other health care settings.”

One study looked at three conditions – ear infections, sore throat and urinary tract infections – and found that “quality scores” were similar at retail clinics, physician offices and urgent care centers – although retail clinic patients were less likely to undergo urine tests for infection.

The report also cited three studies examining rates of repeat visits and follow-up care, possible indicators that care during the first visit was incomplete. two studies found similar rates at retail clinics and other settings, and the third found a 2 percent higher rate for retail clinics.

Charlotte Beason, executive director of the Kentucky Board of Nursing, said she knows of no disciplinary actions connected with nurse practitioners at retail clinics, who are required in Kentucky to have written agreements with doctors, who aren’t required to be on site.

Nurse Jill Johnson, market manager for clinic operations at Take Care Health Systems, said nurses know what they can handle and what they can’t – and they call 911 if someone comes in with a serious symptom such as chest pain.

Recently, retailers such as Walmart have begun partnering with hospital systems to run their clinics. Typically, most retail clinics – are subsidiaries of their host stores.

“We believe our customers are happy to be helped by local organizations they already know and trust to provide health care,” said Bruce Shepard, director of health care innovations for Walmart, which has partnered with Baptist Hospital East and others. “We know that the clinics mean a great deal to our customers from a convenience standpoint.”

Economics vs. care

Charland said doctors’ objections to retail clinics come down to one thing: “Economic consequences.”

But doctors say it’s not that simple.

Dr. Emily Johnson, a Louisville pediatrician, acknowledged that competition is one issue, saying, “From a business standpoint, I really would prefer they didn’t exist.”

But she said quality is a larger issue.

She said children’s medical care can suffer when nurses aren’t aware of patient information such as whether immunizations are up-to-date. And she said many nurses at retail clinics have no specific training in children’s care, while “pediatricians have three years or more of pediatric training.”

She said many families that bring children to the clinics wind up coming to her afterward – driving up their costs. She estimated that in the past six months, she’s spoken with about 35 families whose children have been seen in retail clinics, and “at least 25 of them were in the office to follow-up or because they wanted our second opinion.”

She recalled one teen seen twice over six months at a retail clinic, diagnosed with bronchitis both times, and given antibiotics and steroids. The steroids helped, she said, but the antibiotics didn’t. When she saw him, she looked at his records from previous years and realized asthma was the cause of his symptoms, not infection. “I put him on a daily controller medication as well as a rescue inhaler and his symptoms resolved within a few days,” she said.

Doctors also said potential problems such as medication allergies may go undetected at retail clinics.

“People want convenience,” Tobin said. “But there is a price.”

Doctors also said retail clinic nurses may over-prescribe antibiotics, which can lead to the growth of drug-resistant superbugs such as MRSA.

But a 2009 study found no evidence of this, saying 25 percent of patients with sore throats received antibiotics at retail clinics, compared with 29 percent at doctor’s offices.

Tobin said the KMA supports the state’s efforts to restrict the scope of care for retail clinics, especially as more clinics nationally explore handling routine, ongoing care associated with chronic conditions such as diabetes.

Stream, of the national physician group, agreed that doctors are best at handling the complexities of chronic illness.

“This often gets seen as a turf battle. But most family doctors are busier than they can be,” he said. “It’s not just like they’re worried about someone taking their business. … It really is a genuine concern about what’s good for the patient.”

Cedar fever pollen counts hit historic seven-year highs in Central Texas causing allergy sufferers to desperately search for relief.At Live Oak Pharmacy in downtown Austin people who are dealing with cedar fever were buying up relief in any form they could find it.Customer Anita Benner says her symptoms are unbearable and even caused a sinus infection.“Claritin D generic is the best thing working for me right now, but really if we mowed down all the cedar trees in Austin that would probably be better,” Benner said.Clouds of yellow cedar pollen make you feel miserable, but there are alternatives to anti-histamines and decongestants.“It’s terrible. It’s this constant itching and congestion and sneezing,” Benner said.Live Oak pharmacist Nathan Pope recommends a variety of solutions to fight cedar fever symptoms including a Neti pot to flush your nasal cavity.“do it when you’re in a warm steamy shower and then you don’t have to worry about the mess,” Pope said.Pope also recommends concentrated herb drops called Easy Breather. The natural alternative was developed by an Austin company and promises to battle cedar fever symptoms.others turn to acupuncture for relief.Margaret Hubby used acupuncture successfully the past two years, and is hoping it works again this cedar season.“It’s more lasting and there are no bad side effects,” Hubby said.her acupuncturist places needles in specific areas of her face and legs.“we identify what the person has out of balance and try to re-balance their immune system and cut down on inflammation,” acupuncturist Ziyang Zhou said.While the age-old practice of acupuncture might now work for everyone, Hubby says she feels better within 24 hours of treatment.Cedar season typically ends in mid-February.

By Whitny Doyle, R.N.

The sore throat starts on Monday. Tuesday adds a headache and congestion. on Wednesday, you ask to leave work after almost hacking up your lungs onto a client, but your boss is being uptight. so you tough it out and go home exhausted, skipping dinner and falling into bed. you feel a little better on Thursday, so off to work you go. But by Thursday night, you feel like the victim of a hit-and-run. so you call the doctor early Friday. she can squeeze you in that afternoon. you ask your boss if you can leave early for a doctor’s appointment. He gives you a disapproving look like you’re a naughty 4-year-old, informing you that he’ll need to see a doctor’s note.

When you reach the clinic, you’re running on empty. you drag yourself into a crowded waiting room. Despite the fact that you arrive 15 minutes early, you sit there for 45 minutes, and then in the exam room for another half hour. you don’t know what you have. Maybe it’s bronchitis or strep throat. so you wait patiently, eager for the relief the doctor will provide with the swoop of her pen upon her prescription pad.

The doctor finally arrives. she looks at your vital signs, asks you a few questions about your appetite and your phlegm, listens to your chest, and then sends you along your merry way with instructions to rest and drink lots of fluid.

“What!?”you’re screaming on the inside. or maybe, if you’re really ticked off, you’re screaming out loud. “I waited two hours for that? I paid $30 to be told to drink water and rest?” You’re wondering, Shouldn’t I at least get an antibiotic?

You’re exhausted and ill, and now you’re $30 lighter. all for nothing. your weekend will be wasted in bed. and you forgot to ask for a note for work. Without a prescription for an antibiotic, who’s going to believe that you’re really sick?

Culturally, antibiotics have powers that go beyond mere germicide. a prescription for antibiotics is a validating certificate of illness. Antibiotics symbolize scientific proof of your suffering and guaranteed restoration to health. so when your throat feels like it was clawed by rabid animals and your body can barely maintain an upright position, why on earth would your health-care provider deny you these life-sustaining medications?

Infections come in different flavors, the two most common being bacterial and viral. Bacteria are single-celled organisms that grow, reproduce and die like other life forms. Bacteria can make you ill by invading your tissues and releasing harmful toxins, thus activating your immune system.

Bacterial cells differ from human cells. they have a different type of DNA, different proteins and a host of unique features. these differences allow us to create drugs that kill the bacteria without killing our own cells. for instance, penicillin targets bacteria by preventing them from growing a proper cell wall. Human cells have flexible membranes instead of walls, so they’re unaffected. But a bacterium without a cell wall is like a person born without skin. Death ensues.

Over time, bacteria find ways to outsmart our antibiotics. for instance, bacteria that cause bladder infections learned how to produce a substance that disables penicillin. as a result, we no longer use penicillin drugs to treat urinary tract infections. Bacteria are so skilled at adapting to our drugs that taking a single dose of an antibiotic puts a person at risk for developing resistant strains for up to a year.

Antibiotics come with a slew of hairy complications, from life-threatening reactions (like a skin-melting rash called Stevens-Johnson syndrome) to ruptured tendons to some gnarly diarrhea. In certain situations, the risks of antibiotics outweigh the benefits. for instance, antibiotics typically shorten the course of an uncomplicated ear infection in a child by only one day. Research tells us that, in many cases, treating the child with pain-relieving eardrops and lots of TLC is as effective and less risky than prescribing antibiotics.

Antibiotics are completely ineffective against viruses. Viruses are tiny protein envelopes stuffed with genetic material. Unlike bacteria, they cannot grow or replicate on their own. they must highjack the cellular machinery of the cell they infect to reproduce. Antibiotics can’t kill viruses because viruses don’t have the same parts as a living cell. Like zombies, viruses aren’t technically alive, so they’re a bitch to kill.

If you don’t receive antibiotics because you have a viral infection, it doesn’t mean that you’re somehow not actually sick. Viral infections can be just as nasty as bacterial ones. HIV, swine flu, herpes and the deadly hantavirus are all examples of viral illnesses. even common cold and flu-like viruses can cause fever, chills, loss of appetite, muscle aches, sore throat, congestion and cough. While these viruses usually aren’t life threatening, they definitely make you sick. Unfortunately, antibiotics don’t help.

Several illnesses are repeat offenders when it comes to inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends against routinely using antibiotics to treat sore throats, sinus pain and cough. these infections are far more likely to be viral than bacterial.

Millions of boogery, sore-throated, coughing Americans will head to the health clinic in search of relief this winter. the majority will leave empty-handed. Was the trip a waste? I’d argue no. Sick people should have someone check their vital signs, listen to their lungs and grill them about their symptoms to rule out something more concerning, such as pneumonia. But it would be doing everyone a disservice to prescribe an antibiotic for a viral illness. so when your health-care provider tells you to go rest and hydrate, dammit, we mean it. Park yourself in bed, and don’t go spreading your germs around. Here’s your note for work. and trust me, we all wish we could do more.

Despite its brilliant name, this column is not intended to prevent, diagnose or treat herpes. or any other diseases, for that matter.Whitny Doyle is a family nurse practitioner grad student.the opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

If you could rid yourself of sinus problems for the rest of your life, would you do it? a new procedure in Kinston, a balloon sinuplasty, could offer such an option.

Sinus problems are not uncommon, and an infection can result in fever, weakness, fatigue, cough and congestion, according to otolaryngologist Dr. Barbara Goheen who performs the procedure at Kinston Head and Neck.

“a whole range of things that can cause sinus problems, but the most common reason is people who have allergies exposed to things they are allergic to,” Goheen said. “Their nasal system swells — including in the opening — and the sinus cannot drain.”

Problems can occur when sinuses cannot drain, Goheen said. when mucus cannot drain out it can degenerate the sinus lining resulting in a bacterial sinus infection. 

Balloon sinuplasty has been performed in mainstream medicine since 2005, and Goheen has performed the procedure since 2008. the procedure is a way to eliminate sinus problems by making sinuses less likely to be clogged.

Previous procedures involved taking small tools to cut away pieces of the bone, but the balloon sinuplasty is a much less invasive and much more efficient procedure, Goheen said.

“Over 90 percent of people who have this procedure done experience a reduction in symptoms, and 73 percent of people have their symptoms stop entirely,” Goheen said. “In the operating room, this procedure takes 30 minutes, and the person can go back to work the next day without having much to worry about.”

During the procedure, a telescope is inserted into the nostril, and a special catheter is inserted into the sinuses containing a guiding wire. once the apparatus is in the right place, a tiny balloon is threaded through the guide wire to the opening of the sinus. Expanding the balloon permanently expands the sinus opening.

“What the balloon does is microfracture the bone of the sinus opening,” Goheen said. “with this procedure, you are basically making the opening bigger, and it is a permanent fix because the bone heals with the wider opening left by the balloon.”

In addition to being less invasive, the procedure does not carry the risk of possible complications to surgery, like rare cases of blindness and meningitis.

Although sinus infections are the number one reason people go to doctors, most people who can have this procedure done are not aware of it’s existence, Goheen said.

“there is a big group of people who go to the doctor all the time, get antibiotics all the time; it’s sort of a patch for what is going on,” Goheen said. “this procedure actually goes in and fixes the problem, but most people do not come to have something like this done because they do not know about it.”

Joel Gerber can be reached at 252-559-1076 or jgerber@freedomenc.com.

Breakout Box: For more information, call Kinston Head and Neck at 252-523-0687.

He just got his shots Tuesday, and the cough started the very next morning. Last night, he would wake up like was coughing and couldn't catch his breath. it was very scary. It's not quite a dry cough, but I do not hear any congestion.

check out this site..
it's a great site and should be able to help you…

children.webmd.com/default.htm

Go to doctor now!

I would take him into the doctor. it may be asthma or allergies. if his throat feels dry (allergies) he may cough. if eh can't catch his breath, that sounds like asthma. my daughter has both. They will probably get you a nebulizer and just keep an eye on his breathing.