A typical lecture received from our physicians as we get older is to watch our salt. Sadly this doesn’t mean watching it as it adds flavor to our food. Instead, it means we need to monitor our intake to ensure that it doesn’t affect our health. Salt is an essential nutrient for sustaining good health. At one point, it was hard enough to obtain. It was more valuable than gold. Today it’s found in significant quantities in almost everything we consume. Unfortunately, there are serious health consequences for some who eat too much salt.
Understanding How Sodium Intake Affects Our Health
Our kidneys regulate the salt in our bodies. It plays a distinct role in maintaining the balance of fluids in the body. Our nervous system also relies on it for helping our muscles function, and the nerves transmit information. When there’s too much salt in our system, it can directly affect the amount of water in our blood vessels. This increase, in turn, can increase blood pressure, which isn’t good for our hearts.
The symptoms of high blood pressure aren’t always easy to identify. This feature has led to it being labeled as “the silent killer.” The increased pressure can cause our blood vessels to stretch, damaging the walls. It can also lead to the build-up of plaque in our arteries, making it difficult for blood to pass. This change, in turn, leads to the pressure further increases in our veins. As an aside, the increased water levels can result in weight gain and bloating.
Hypertension is a major contributing factor in the development of heart disease. This condition is the leading killer of people all over the world. Only 10% of people will manage to escape the development of high blood pressure over their lifespan. The most frequent sources of salt in the average diet include:
- Packaged food
- Restaurant food
- Naturally occurring sources in food
- Added to food when cooked at home
It can be difficult to avoid high levels of sodium in your diet as a result. The majority of salt is already in the food you eat, making it challenging to reduce. Regrettably, reducing the amount of salt you eat is an integral part of lasting health. Reducing the amount of salt you consume to under 1500 mg/day can lower your blood pressure by up to 25.6%.
The Science Doesn’t Lie
The reports that indicate that salt intake isn’t a severe concern are mainly inaccurate. Their data often miscalculates the amount of sodium consumed by the subjects. They also tend to focus on those with ailing health rather than the general population. If you want to know if salt intake is a concern for you, speak to your physician. They’ll be able to determine if you need to watch the amount of salt you consume. People worldwide experience complications related to high sodium intake, and you may be one of them. Checking with your physician will ensure you can take action to protect your health by reducing your intake.
Conroe Family Doctor in Conroe, Texas Wishing you and your family a Safe and Happy 4th of July! Stay Safe & Healthy from COVID-19 and fireworks this 4th of July. We are open for in-office visits as well as telehealth visits. Please call (936) 441-2012 or go On-Line www.conroefamilydoctor.com to schedule your appointment.
Conroe Family Doctor in Conroe, Texas Hope’s you and your Family have a Happy Father’s Day! Stay Safe & Healthy from COVID-19 this Father’s Day. We are open for in-office visits as well as telehealth visits. Please call (936) 441-2012 or go On-Line www.conroefamilydoctor.com to schedule your appointment.
While there’s little question among the professionals that vaccinations are important, many parents still show concern at the prospect of getting the COVID-19 vaccine for their children. This concern often seems supported by the fact that younger children tend not to show symptoms if they get the disease and are less likely to die or be hospitalized from infection. In spite of this, experts state that it is essential that your teens, and eventually your younger children, receive the vaccination for their own health and for those around them.
Three Reasons Experts Say You Should Vaccinate Your Teen Against COVID-19
Not only is it important, but it’s also critical that those who are over the age get vaccinated as soon as possible. COVID-19 isn’t an individual problem; it’s a concern that affects almost everyone in the world. Eliminating it as a threat is a responsibility all of us share, and the way we help with it is by masking up, social distancing, and getting the vaccine for our families as soon as possible. The following three reasons are why it’s essential your child get vaccinated and how it can help protect others.
- COVID-19 Vaccination Protects Teens From A Dangerous Infection – While it’s true that younger people have a reduced risk of infection, that doesn’t mean the chance is zero. Those between the ages of 5 and 17 rep represent nearly 10% of all COVID-19 cases that have happened in the United States. While death is uncommon, it is not unheard of. Teens, in particular, are at risk for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).
- The More Of Us That Receive Vaccinations, The Closer We Get To Herd Immunity – Every one of us that gets a vaccination is one more person that is both immune to the disease and incapable of spreading it to others. Those who are unable to receive the vaccination due to unavailability or other medical conditions can be protected by those who can receive their vaccinations. With those under 18 comprising 24% of the population in the US, teens play an important role.
- COVID-19 Is Mutating – Vaccination Can Help Fight New Strains – By reducing the spread of the original COVID-19 virus, we limit the possibility that it will have a chance to mutate. The more people who can become infected by and carry the disease, the more chances there are that it will continue to slip past our defenses.
Taking these into consideration, it’s absolutely clear that we must vaccinate our children as soon as possible, in addition to being vaccinated ourselves. With all of us working to beat it, we can put an end to the pandemic and get back on the way to a safer world for all of us.
Bring Additional Questions About Vaccination To Your Health Provider
If you still have concerns about vaccinating your children, reach out to your health provider with your worries. They’ll be able to provide clear information about the safety of your child and how vaccinations can help. Act soon to ensure that your children, your elderly, and all your loved ones are protected from COVID-19. The pandemic isn’t over, but with us all working together, it can be.
Communications have vastly expanded over the past decade. With the development of video calls and online services, the medical industry has begun implementing telehealth services in clinics all across the country. But what is telehealth all about? For many, telehealth has become a new avenue for healthcare, allowing people to get appointments from their primary care physicians and specialists without leaving their homes. Here, we’ll explore some of the various aspects of telehealth, how it works to help doctors and patients through appointments, and how it improves healthcare overall.
What Does Telehealth Mean?
Telehealth, also known as telemedicine, uses telecommunication to provide care for you even when you’re not in the doctor’s office. As long as you have a phone or device that can access the internet, these appointments are possible. During these appointments, you can speak with your doctor in real-time, send and receive messages from your doctor through messages and emails, and doctors can use remote patient monitoring to check on your health while you’re at home. Patients can receive primary care for many clinics, gain prescriptions, talk to mental health counselors, and gain immediate urgent care right through their device.
Telehealth comes with so many benefits. For patients unable to leave home, or patients unable to commute to their doctor’s office, telehealth can allow people the time and effort they need to care for their health on their schedule. Your doctor can address your health problems wherever you are, and using these telehealth services can cut down on waiting times, allowing your doctor to give you the full-on attention you need to improve your health and get the treatments you need.
How Does Telehealth Work For Families?
For parents with busy work-life schedules, telehealth can help families immensely. Through telehealth, your doctors can schedule appointments with you and your family, allowing you to see your medical specialists and help them diagnose and treat problems from a distance. For families, telehealth provides these benefits:
- Privacy and Security: Telehealth services should always consider the privacy of your family’s needs. When talking with your primary care doctor, telehealth can easily track healthcare information and keep both you and your doctor checking when handling your family’s needs.
- Easy Follow-Ups: At the end of your telehealth session, your doctor can easily schedule a follow-up appointment that works within your schedule, so you don’t have to worry.
- Fun Interaction With Children: For assessing children’s health, your children can be comfortable in their own homes while receiving an initial examination from their primary doctor.
- Schedule Tests and Exams: If your doctor needs a more thorough exam, your telehealth visit can be a preliminary appointment for your health.
- Talk About Anything: Within this space, you get one-on-one attention from your primary care physician.
If you’re curious about telehealth services, contact your health insurance company to see if your insurance covers telehealth visits. For more information about telehealth, arrange an appointment with your primary care doctor to learn more.
