BayCare HealthChat

When you’re feeling miserable, it can be tough to tell the difference between a cold and the flu. You turn to your local drug store to find relief for your symptoms, hoping you get the right over-the-counter treatment. You may wonder if antibiotics would be appropriate to deal with what ails you. Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator, Residency Program Director and pharmacist Jovino O. Hernandez, PharmD,...

Almost 3 million Americans live with epilepsy. Although living with epilepsy may seem overwhelming at times, the good news is that many people with the condition can live full, active lives. BayCare focuses on helping individuals with epilepsy reduce, eliminate or manage their seizures so they achieve as much independence and enjoyment of life as possible. Sanjiv Sahoo, MD, discusses epilepsy, the...

Public health experts agree that obesity has reached an epidemic in this country and around the world. More than a third of U.S. adults are obese. Obesity can cause many health problems and put you at a higher risk for diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea and more. Lisa Ferreira, MD discusses the obesity epidemic and the various treatment options avail...

Since the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended all babies should be placed on their backs to sleep in 1992, deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome have declined dramatically. But sleep-related deaths from other causes, including suffocation, entrapment and asphyxia, have increased. Sleep needs for babies vary depending on their age. Even though you may think it will be easier for fee...

Influenza (or flu) is a highly contagious viral respiratory tract infection. About five to 20 percent of people in the U.S. get the flu each year. Influenza usually comes on abruptly, with fever, muscle aches, sore throat, and a nonproductive cough. Influenza viruses continually change (mutate) which causes new strains of the virus that can potentially make you fall ill. Nathan Waldrep, MD, discus...