As winter begins to approach, it brings many joys – the upcoming holidays, hockey season, snow falling on a quiet street –but it also brings some down sides. Days get shorter and the cold can get unbearable. Sometimes these changes with the seasons can cause mood changes. When these moods get more serious or start to affect your daily life, this is called Seasonal Affective Disorder.
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Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black-legged ticks, commonly known as deer ticks. While many people associate tick bites and Lyme disease with the spring and summer months, it’s crucial to remain vigilant in the fall.
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The Allina Health United Family Medicine Residency Program trains physicians to become specialists in family medicine. In addition to learning
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As summer is winding down and back-to-school season begins, now is a great time to think about health preparations for the new school year. There are many things to consider ensuring a smooth transition back to school, and one of the most important – and often overlooked – ways to promote a healthy school year is getting a flu shot. This vaccination plays a crucial role in safeguarding the health of students, families and communities. A flu shot is your best defense to prevent getting the virus and its potentially serious complications.
Here’s a few reasons why getting your flu shot should be a priority this fall, and how it fits into your back-to-school preparations.
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With the wet conditions this summer the mosquitoes have now come out in full force! While the little pests can transmit troublesome viral illnesses, the most common result here in Minnesota is an annoying bug bite that is itchy and irritating. Treatment for these itchy bug bites can include ice and over the counter anti-itch creams such as hydrocortisone. What is better than treatment, however, is taking steps to avoid getting bitten by these insects!
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Summer is here and the days are long. Now is the time to enjoy the outdoors and go for walks, play sports, meet up with friends or whatever other activities you enjoy. It is always tempting to just throw on shorts and a T-shirt and go outside. Before you go outside, however, there are several items to consider to protect your skin and eyes while enjoying this beautiful weather. This is important to not only preventing painful sunburn, but also more serious future health problems. Here are some tricks to keeping your skin healthy:
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I love this warmer weather! My favorite part about this time of year is the ability to re-engage with people out in the world. Every spring and summer, I talk to neighbors that I haven’t seen since the start of winter. I often reconnect with friends and family for cookouts, outdoor sporting events, or dinners on patios. I have the chance to explore new parks and trails with my wife, which is a way that we like to connect and spend quality time together.
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Whether it was told to you by a parent, taught to you through the food pyramid or recommended by your doctor, all of us have heard that we need to eat more fruits and vegetables. But what does that mean? The exact amount varies by age, but the USDA MyPlate program represents having fruits and vegetables visually as taking up half of your plate and is a fantastic way to assess each meal and snack. Adding more fruits and vegetables to the diet can be a great way to improve your health.
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As the seasons shift and the chill of winter gives way to the warmth of spring, there’s a sense of renewal in the air. With the sun shining bright and nature coming back to life, what better time to get back to that exercise routine, or to continue your current one, by taking it outdoors. Embracing exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and outdoor workouts not only offer a refreshing change of scenery, but also bring health benefits for both the body and mind.
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