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How to Treat Nosebleeds

Nosebleeds can be caused by many things such as physical trauma, allergies, or underlying diseases that affect the blood. While nosebleeds are usually minor, it is still important to properly treat them otherwise they can cause major issues.

1. Do NOT Tilt Your Head Back

A big misconception and initial reaction when you have a nosebleed is to tilt your head back. This will only cause you to swallow blood, which can have worse effects than the nosebleed itself. You should sit down in a chair and actually lean your head slightly forward.

2. Apply Pressure

Next you need to pinch the soft part of your nose with your fingers. The pressure helps the nosebleed to slow down and prevents blood from escaping from your nose.

3. Apply Ice

Applying an ice pack against your nose and cheeks will help to constrict the blood vessels and slow down the nosebleed. It also numbs any pain you may be experiencing.

4. Take Preventative Measures

Once the nosebleed has stopped, you may want to consider putting a very small amount of ointment, such as Vaseline, in and around your nostrils since dryness and abrasion add to nosebleeds. You’ll want to prevent anything that will instigate another nosebleed such as blowing, wiping, picking or rubbing your nose.

5. Speak with your doctor

Even though nosebleeds are common for many people, it’s important to check in with a physician especially if:

The bleeding doesn’t stop after 10 minutes of treatment
A nosebleed occurs more than 4 times in a single week
Nosebleeds get more severe/painful
You are on blood-thinning medicine and are getting nosebleeds
You have any conditions that affect blood-clotting, such as liver disease

Call your physician and make an appointment if you have any questions or concerns about your nosebleeds. If you feel you need to see a doctor immediately you can be seen right away at either of our ExpressCare locations.

LYME DISEASE — What, How, When and Prevention.

lyme disease prevention

As Spring approaches and we think about enjoying the beautiful outdoors please keep in mind a few ways to keep you and your family safe from ticks and possible tick borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease. Knowledge is power, and the following is offered as a basic but thorough overview of what you should do to prevent this common and rather serious disease.

The WHAT

Lyme disease is an illness from a tick bite that has 3 stages:

Early localized disease: 3-30 days after a tick bite.

  • A large red ring (larger than 2inches across) or bull’s eye (called erythema migrans) that starts at the site of the tick bite and can last 2 weeks to 2 months. It is not itchy or painful and is seen in 80% of infected people.
  • A flu like illness with fever, headache, chills, fatigue, joint and muscle pain lasting a few days. Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cold symptoms or cough are not typically seen with Lyme disease.

Early disseminated disease: 2-12 weeks after the tick bite in about 20% of people who did not receive treatment will develop these problems.

  • Rashes can be similar but smaller than the primary rash of erythema migrans (chronic migrating redness) with a flu-like illness of fever, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain.
  • Eye problems, meningitis, and palsies of the facial nerves can be seen with or without a flu-like illness.
  • Carditis (heart problems) such as heart block can develop.

Late disease: 6 weeks to 2 yr after the tick bite.

  • Arthritis, most commonly the knee but can be other large joints.
  • Rarely neurological problems develop (weakness, numbing/tingling, memory issues.)

Lyme disease is often diagnosed based on history and exams, as lab testing is not helpful in the first 4 weeks of infection and can be difficult to interpret. It is treated with a 2-4 week course of antibiotics. If you have been treated appropriately in the early stage of Lyme disease you almost never develop the later stages.

lyme-ex

The HOW

Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria which is transmitted by the blacklegged tick (in New England, the deer tick). These ticks are very tiny—often the size of a pinhead and do not fly or jump. Tick bites do not hurt or itch. A tick bite can only lead to Lyme disease if the tick is infected with the bacteria and if the tick has been attached longer than 48hrs.

The WHEN

Lyme disease is more common April through October with more than 50% cases occurring during June and July.

PREVENTION

Use repellent

  • Products that contain permethrin or picaridin (Duranon, Congo Tick Spray, Permanone) can be used on clothing and shoes, but not on skin.
  • DEET containing products (20-30%) for children 2mo and older applied on skin (except face and hands) and clothing.

Tick checks

  • Remove all clothing and, if possible shower/bath within 2 hr coming in from area where tick exposure is a concern.
  • Do tick checks especially checking scalp, neck, armpits, and groin.
  • Remove any tick (using tweezers grasp as close to skin as possible and pull gently and steadily straight upwards avoiding twisting and jerking.)
  • Check pets and any outdoor gear.
  • Place clothes in a dryer on high heat for 1 hr to kill any ticks.

A great website with more information is www.cdc.gov/lyme/

Also check with your child’s doctor’s office as they may have more information and handouts.

ExpressCare Makes it Easy to Skip the wait!

Did you know Pentucket Medical ExpressCare employs a software called Clockwise.MD to improve the patient’s experience in our clinics?

With Clockwise.MD patients can:

  • Make online reservations.
  • Stay informed of wait status via text messages or a television dashboard in our waiting area.
  • Leave the waiting area and receive a text message when it’s time to return during delays and extended wait times.

This allows our patients to essentially skip the waiting room all together and make a better use of their day while still getting the care they need.

Simply go to our website and click on “Reserve My Spot” and then choose one of our two clinics in either Lawrence or Andover.

urgent healthcare haverhill ma

Eye Injury Prevention

Sight is one of our most trusted senses. 2,000 eye injuries occur every day and 90% of all of these injuries can be prevented by the use of protective eye wear to shield eyes from potential flying objects, fumes, dust, sparks or splashing chemicals. Protect your eyes and the eyes of your children with these simple reminders.

Use protective eye wear, especially when:

  • using hammers, power tools, or chemicals
  • welding
  • using household chemicals like bleach and other cleaners
  • always read labels carefully and work in a well ventilated area
  • while playing sports such as racquetball, paintball, lacrosse and hockey
  • when mowing the lawn, trimming or edging
  • while blowing leaves or sweeping

 

Be careful when opening bottles under pressure like a bottle of champagne, and avoid splashing while cooking with hot oils and other fluids.

 

Supervise children’s use of tools and toys. Pencils, scissors, knives, paperclips, bungee cords, wire hangers, rubber bands, fishhooks and small / flying toys can be dangerous. Teach children how to safely carry sharp objects, to never point flying toys at another person, and to never play with laser pointers!

 

And finally, always remember to protect your eyes from damaging UV rays by wearing broad-rimmed hats and/or sunglasses.

 

Staying Safe in the Summer Sun!

When the temperatures rise and we are exposed to extreme heat and humidity, our bodies lose the ability to cool themselves down. This may lead to dehydration and heat-related illness. Heat-related illness includes:

heat cramps

painful cramps, muscle spasms and sweating

Treat with hydration, seeking a cool environment and halting any strenuous activity.

heat exhaustion

heavy sweating, nausea, weakness or dizziness, muscle cramping

Treat by getting into a cooler environment with a fan if available, remove bulky or tight clothing, utilize cool compresses or spray cool mist on skin and hydrate.

heat stroke

sweating may or not occur at this point because of significant dehydration; altered mental status

This is a medical emergency and the affected person must be taken to the hospital immediately. Call 911.

Extreme heat tips

  • Always use protective sunblock.
  • Drink plenty of fluids. If you are working outside, drink 2-4 glasses of cool water every hour. Avoid alcohol and sugary drinks.
  • Seek shade or cooler areas if you start to get hot.
  • Wear lightweight, light colored , loose fitting clothing.
  • Limit your outdoor activity and sun exposure.
  • Remember never leave a child or a pet in a parked car! It takes less than 2 minutes for a car’s temperature to rise to an unsafe level.

People at greater risk for heat-related illness are:

  • infants/young children and the elderly
  • people with high blood pressure, heart disease or a fever
  • people with obesity
  • people with mental illness
  • people who use drugs and alcohol

Why Use an Urgent Care?

Why Use an Urgent Care?

by Garrett Bomba, MD

None of us like getting sick or injured. We also don’t like waiting or paying more than we should. Everyone has a story about a 3 hour wait in an Emergency Department waiting room, or about that $2200 bill from the hospital after being seen for back pain. Urgent Care was born out of these issues.

Many conditions seen within emergency departments are not life threatening and do not require most of the sophisticated equipment and facilities offered there. Whether you have back pain or a broken bone, a sore throat or a cough, ExpressCare urgent care is always a great option. With an average wait time of 15 minutes in the waiting room, Pentucket’s urgent care system can evaluate, diagnose and treat many common conditions and have you on your way in less than an hour! Speed up your visit time by signing into our waiting room online and we will hold a spot for you.

Common Conditions Evaluated at ExpressCare:

We also charge only an office level visit so you can say goodbye to those $100 ER copays! We are staffed with a professional team that has access to lab, x-ray, CAT scan, MRI and ultrasound, making it easy for us to make the right diagnosis.

So if you ever have a medical issue that is not life threatening, please visit ExpressCare at Pentucket Medical and start getting well faster!

Please Note: If you experience a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest Emergency Department.

Medical emergencies include:

  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of Breath
  • Abdominal pain
  • Uncontrolled bleeding
  • Psychiatric issues
  • Children less than 3 months old with a fever over 100.4
  • Stroke-like symptoms
  • Weakness / numbness / confusion
  • Difficulty with speech, vision or balance
  • Severe headache