Recent medical tips and research to promote healthful living and minimize illness promoting a higher quality of life
Health Department Advises Community to Get Vaccinated at Start of Flu Season
Flu season has arrived. So don’t wait, and go get your flu shots now!
The change in seasons and cooler weather is a reminder that it is time for residents to get their annual flu vaccine. While winter is the typical time for flu activity, outbreaks can occur as early as October, so it is not too early to get vaccinated. “We strongly recommend that everyone six months and older get the flu vaccine every year, especially those with a health condition that may increase their risk of serious complications from the flu,” said Dr. Anissa Davis, City Health Officer. “By getting the vaccine at the start of flu season, it gives your body a chance to develop immunity to the flu and protect yourself as well as those around you.”
Outwit the Flu or Cold
View the Natural Flu and Cold Remedies Slideshow
The flu is hitting the nation harder than it did at this time last year, but it could be peaking in some parts of the country, the CDC said today. CDC Director Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH, said Americans who haven’t yet been vaccinated against the flu should do so.
Boosting Your Immune System
This time of year is prime for anyone to get a cold and or flu. Following are some tips to boost your immunity and foods that will help you get a head start on jumpstarting your immune system. They’ll help you stay well in the first place.
Rosie O’Donnell Reveals The Warning Signs of a Heart Attack For Women
Women don’t experience the classic Hollywood heart attack and often, like Rosie O’Donnell, dismiss their symptoms as nothing. Learn the five warning signs all women should know. Plus, why the cost of not calling 911 is often your life.
Dietary Guidelines
Dietary guidelines, established in part by the U.S.D.A., suggest balance, moderation and variety, a sensible recipe for sound nutrition. Wishing you good health.
Credit: Blue Shield of California’s Health Care Services Team
Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease
Dr. Dwight Lundell talks about how to prevent heart disease. We physicians with all our training, knowledge and authority often acquire a rather large ego that tends to make it difficult to admit we are wrong.
Nutrition and Physical Activity
Proper nutrition is extremely important for an active lifestyle. A nutritious diet requires a variety of food types, such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. We put together a basic guide to help give your eating plan a healthy boost.
Community Activities Marina Del Rey, Play Del Rey, Westchester
Urgent Care Playa Vista Medical Center prides itself in participating in various community activities such as the annual LAX/Coastal Chamberfest, Westchester Stars and Stripes Annual Parade and Picnic, Annual William O’Neil and Company Wellness Fair, Villa Marina Block Party, Otis College Student Wellness Fair, Jet to Jetty Fun Run, providing Clinic Tours to various schools in the area, and presentations by Dr. Kent Shoji, President and CEO, to various community groups.
Please contact Susan Karpiel at 562-883-0629 or via email [email protected] for any inquiries on participation in an upcoming community activity.
Why Do You Take Vitamins
Do you find it’s a good alternative to consuming 5 pounds of broccoli each day? Or did your mother insist you take a spoonful of cod liver oil before eating dessert? Whatever your reason, vitamins are an important addition to daily nutritional support.
Getting and Staying Active
Being fit doesn’t require athletic abilities. A brisk walk several times a week is a great place to start. Here we define fitness, discuss its benefits, and show you how you can start to become more active.
Health Officials Predict Severe Flu Season
HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE warning that the upcoming flu season could be severe, with one pediatric flu-related death already recorded.
A 4-year-old in California with underlying health problems tested positive for the flu earlier this month and died. Dr. Cameron Kaiser, a health official from Riverside County, where the child was from, said in a press release that “a death so early in the flu season suggests this year may be worse than usual.”
“We should never forget that the flu kills. I always recommend people get their flu shots every year,” Kaiser said, adding that it is not too early to get the vaccine.
Officials often look to Australia’s flu season as an indicator of the upcoming season in the U.S. Australia, where winter just ended, experienced an early flu season that was severe, with the influenza strain H3N2 dominant and particularly bad. Australia’s Department of Health said flu activity was higher this season than past seasons, and 93% of cases reported were Influenza A.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the 2018-2019 flu season had a “moderate severity.” The season ran from October 2018 to May 2019, with activity increasing in November and peaking mid-February. It’s 21-week duration made it the longest flu season in 10 years.
The CDC advises that almost everyone over the age of 6 months, including pregnant women, receive the flu vaccine every year. Those with certain allergies or medical conditions should consult with their health care provider. Receiving the shot every season decreases the chances of getting the flu, which can be deadly, and lessens the severity of symptoms if a person does contract the contagious virus.
Multiple States Report High Flu Activity As Season Hits Peak Months
Public health officials in numerous states, most notably California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey are reporting significant flu activity—some exceeding even last year’s severe flu season. California has seen a relatively high number of deaths (42) for this point in the season. Roughly half of those have Top of Formoccurred in the elderly. Flu has been called “widespread” in New Jersey, to the extent that some hospitals there are imposing restrictions on people visiting hospitals. AtlantiCare is barring visitors under 14 years of age completely, while other systems are recommending that anyone who has been exposed to the flu or who is experiencing symptoms wear a mask in hospital waiting rooms and public areas. New Jersey health officials are also recommending that people with flu symptoms go to an urgent care center or their primary care provider instead of the ED (exceptions being children under the age of 5 and adults over age 65). Finally, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health says it has seen an increase of nearly 70% in confirmed flu cases compared with last year, to date; since many people with flu never get tested, it’s likely the actual number of cases is even higher. Officials there are still emploring residents to get vaccinated.
New Easier CPR – A MUST WATCH!
This new technique is NOT like the older, assisted mouth-to-mouth breathing/chest pumping method that had been previously recommended … It’s much easier to perform and a better method of CPR. It is preferred by the doctors who invented the procedure at the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center and recommended FOR EVERYBODY!!!
After checking for a pulse, this new technique is teaching us to do 100 compressions per hour with or without 2 quick breaths. If the patient is a family or loved one, they encourage breathing for then twice during the minute, it’s been found that better outcomes occur with continued blood circulation with CPR, as the body can withstand hypoxia better than no circulation.
This short video illustrates the best demonstration and gives the simplest explanation of exactly what to do if someone near you collapses and is presumably having a heart attack.
You could very well save the life of a friend or loved one or perhaps someone you share this video with might save your life!
Dr. Matthews Clinical Videos
View all of Dr. Matthews videos by clicking here:
15 Ways To Be Happy
Smile for a Good First Impression
First impressions occur within the first three seconds of meeting someone. To feel your best when making your own first impressions, be sure to smile, whether you feel happy or not. It’s free and it’s fast.
A Happy Healthy Winter
The cold, short days of winter bring us inside for comfort food, blazing fires, and winter treats like hot spiced cider. Being active during colder months is important, but may pose some challenges. We show how eating healthily and staying active can yield a different kind of comfort, the warm glow of good health.
Staying active during winter with all the holiday preparations, exercise is likely to be at the bottom of an already long to-do list. But there are several different ways to stay active without sacrificing the holiday celebrations.
Cardiac Arrest & Their Symptoms
We have all walked by the Red Cross sign in air- ports indicating where a heart machine is located. Do you know what is in them and how to use it? I did not. Try this video and see what you think. If you pick the wrong choice – the man dies –choose wisely. You may save a life. I just watched this video and was impressed so I’m sending it to those on my mailing list with the hope that it’ll save lives (maybe mine, yours or someone you love)!
http://www.heartrescuenow.com/