Healthy Together

Atrial Fibrillation or AFib is a heart ailment that affects many Americans. AFib occurs when the upper and lower chambers are not coordinated, causing the heart to beat too slowly, too quickly, or irregularly. Symptoms of AFib include shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating and fainting.

With January being Cervical Health Awareness Month, now is a good time to schedule an appointment or talk to your primary care provider about getting a Pap smear.

Almost always, a rash on the breast is due to a minor and treatable condition, such as an infection or allergy. Rarely, though, it can be due to something more severe like inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). This is a type of breast cancer that develops quite differently than most breast cancers. Instead of lumps, inflammatory breast cancer can appear with a rash.

To take a sick day or to soldier on? It can be a tough decision, whether we’re making it for ourselves or for a child. The answer should weigh several considerations: what symptoms are present, what the conditions are like at the office or school and who else will be there. Of course, these considerations take on even greater importance during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a risky choice could spark an outbreak with severe consequences to the health of others. Here are some factors to consider when determining whether a day should be a sick day.

While it’s impossible to prevent breast cancer, it’s important to understand your level of risk. By understanding the risk factors that we can change – such as exercise and alcohol consumption – we can learn to adapt our lifestyle to lower our risk for breast cancer. And by understanding the risk factors that we cannot change – such as cancer history and genetic factors – we can have informed conversations with our doctors about screening recommendations and medical interventions.

AnMed Health Central Family Medicine, conveniently located at 1035 West Main Street near Central Town Hall, opened December 20, 2021, and is accepting new patients. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.