Here are a few tips for healthy lifestyle – physical, emotional and mental.
- Get enough sleep (adults 7-8 hours and children 9-10 hours minimum)
- Some form of physical activity like walking, jogging in fast pace (6000 steps/day minimum)
- Some form of meditation for inner peace (30 minutes minimum)
- Balanced food (Less carbohydrate, more protein, lots of vegetable and fruits, enough water)
- Entertainment, connecting socially and a feeling of love (With family, friends and community every week)
- Staying engaged than idle (Physical exercise, learning or doing some work)
Here are a few primary care tips and information that is useful for every family at home.
FEVER
Causes :
Fever is the most common symptom and can be caused for many reasons.
What can be done at home:
- Cold Compress
- Antipyretic: Tylenol/Motrin
- Plenty of fluid:
- Rest
When to take to doctor’s office: Very high fever
DIARRHEA
Causes:
Types:
- Infectious
- Non infectious
What can be done at home:
- Plenty of water/Gatorade. make sure to urinate at least 3 times a day.
- High in simple carb e.g. rice
- Avoid fat/protein/fiber which is difficult to digest
When to take to doctor’s office: fever, very weak, unable to eat/drink, Stool with blood mix
Vomiting (stomach bug)
Causes:
What can be done at home: do not eat for about 2 hours after vomiting, after 2 hours, start by drinking water/clear liquid, progress slowly to easy to digest food.
When to take to hospital: very frequent vomiting, very weak, no urine for 8 hours, fever
Cold /cough
Causes: viral (more common), bacterial, allergic
How to know common cold vs flu?
Common cold: starts slowly, low grade fever, mild lethargy, mild body ache
Flu: start suddenly: fine at one moment and suddenly you become very sick ( lethargy, severe muscle ache, high fever (more than 101)
What can be done at home: Rest, drink plenty of water/fluid, take Tylenol, Motrin for fever/body ache, make sure you urinate at least 3 times a day
When to go to hospital: Difficulty with breathing, high fever, nuchal rigidity, confusion,
Sore throat
Bacterial vs viral?
Bacterial: Starts suddenly, high fever, very sick
Viral: starts slowly, low grade fever, mildly sick
For teen agers: Mononucleosis
What can be done at home: Tylenol/Motrin, rest, plenty of fluid
When to go to hospital: if bacterial, need to go to dr’s office to rule out Strep throat, if strep throat, very important to get treated esp for children as it carries complication like: kidney disease or rheumatic heart disease)
Mononucleosis ( kissing disease)
symptoms: sore throat, fatigue, fever
Cause: air born, kissing
what can be done at home:
When to take to hospital:
Pneumonia:
not itself contagious
Types: viral, bacterial
What can be done at home: rest, plenty of fluid intake, Tylenol/motrin for feverTreatment: needs antibiotics
educationglobalsenate.org 