Around 85 percent of people are allergic to urushiol. The first time that someone comes into contact with urushiol, there may be no reaction at all. This is because it takes time for the immune system to prepare a defensive reaction to the allergen. The rash that is triggered by the body’s defense system is a form of dermatitis, which is irritation and swelling of the skin.

Rashes can appear as soon as eight hours after coming in contact with urushiol and as late as fifteen days after contact. Because of this sometimes-delayed reaction, many people believe that the rash in contagious, but this belief is a myth. People are sometimes re-exposed to the allergen, however, through indirect contact. Urushiol can be present on items like garden tools that have come into contact with the plants. If the plants are burned, urushiol contact can be airborne.

Other plants like stinging nettle can resemble urushiol rashes but are not caused by reactions to allergens. Skin conditions that may look like urushiol rashes include impetigo, scabies and shingles. Allergies to other chemical substances can produce similar rashes as well. An online medical consultation with an Ask-the-Dr professional can help those suffering from painful rashes identify them and seek the best medical treatment. A consultation with an online doctor can also help determine if further medical treatment is warranted. For more information about Ask-the-Dr’s services or to speak today with a qualified professional, call 888-448-7633!

Just as children need vaccines to prevent illnesses, so do adults. Adhering to an adult vaccine schedule can help you to maintain good health throughout your life. The physicians at Ask-the-Dr can help you to decide if you need to go to a nearby medical facility to get a vaccine. Adult vaccines include tetanus boosters every 10 years, flu, pneumonia, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and a measles, mumps, rubella combination. Other vaccines may be recommended for you by the Ask-the-Dr physician based on your medical history and questions presented to you.

When the physician from Ask-the-Dr recommends a vaccine for you, you should get it done as soon as possible. Vaccines for adults are designed to help you avoid life-threatening illnesses and to keep you from spreading those diseases to others. If you have any questions about the recommended adult vaccinations, ask the doctors with Ask-the-Dr. They are trained, licensed physicians who can give you medically accurate information as a supplement to the advice of your regular doctor.

If you are wondering whether you need to get vaccines as an adult, the answer is probably yes, but to get the correct shots at the right time, you need the advice of an expert. Trusted medical answers to your specific questions is just a phone call away with Ask-the-Dr. From vaccines to basic, non-emergency ailments, you can find the answers you need. Get professional online medical consultation about adult vaccines from Ask-the-Dr. Call today for trusted medical information from real doctors at 888-448-7633.

Ask-the-Doctor provides a variety of plans for both individuals and families. Each offers access to informational consultations via phone and email as well as diagnostic consultations. Informational contact allows you to ask an online doctor any questions you have regarding symptoms or general health concerns while a diagnostic call connects you to a doctor in your area who will assess symptoms and offer a diagnosis and medical advice over the phone. This doctor also has the ability to give prescriptions for medications such as antibiotics that may be needed to treat a condition like bronchitis. Ask-the-Doctor takes the guesswork out of caring for your own health or for the well-being of your family. Symptoms such as coughing or fever can quickly and affordably be assessed without a visit to the emergency room. If it is determined to be necessary, bronchitis treatments can be advised and prescribed.

If you are tired of paying for expensive, and sometimes unnecessary, doctor bills or emergency room visits, Ask-the-Doctor may the ideal fit for your medical needs. With medical professionals that can be accessed within three hours, you will no longer have to worry about whether or not symptoms of an illness require medical intervention. To begin simplifying your life through Ask-the-Doctor, call 888-448-7633 and sign up for your own plan that will save you money, time and emotional energy.

If you’ve been bitten, one of the first steps in tick treatment is to remove the insect. To do this, you will need a pair of tweezers with a fine point, and then position them as close to the head of the tick as possible. You will then want to pull the tick straight out, always being careful not to squeeze the tick around its midsection. If a tick is full of blood, squeezing it may cause the body to rupture, leading to an increased risk of infection. Once the tick has been removed, place it in a sealed jar or bag in case it needs to be examined by a medical professional later. You can then treat the wound with ice or a cold compress, and you can take an antihistamine to help with any redness or swelling.

If you still have questions regarding treatment options after being bitten by a tick, you may want to consider using Ask-the-Dr’s online medical consultation services. In doing so, you will be able to speak with a qualified online doctor who will consider your situation and then make specific recommendations that relate directly to your health, including whether you should seek out a qualified medical facility for a tetanus shot. Ask-the-Dr provides services by phone and through the Internet, meaning you can always access a qualified doctor for non-emergency medical advice and more. For more information on how Ask-the-Dr works, or to speak with a doctor today, call 888-448-7633!

Norovirus symptoms are basically those of a severe but acute case of gastroenteritis, acute meaning it doesn’t last long. The patient experiences nausea, sometimes projectile vomiting, abdominal cramps and watery diarrhea, all the hallmarks of what people call the “stomach flu.” There’s also a general feeling of malaise. This phase of the disease rarely lasts more than two and a half days and though it does make the patient thoroughly miserable, is rarely fatal. People who are very young, very old or have compromised immune systems, like people with HIV/AIDs, are more at risk for life threatening complications. All sufferers should make sure they get adequate hydration because of the diarrhea.

Even after the patient’s symptoms have gone away, they should still be careful in their interactions with other people. They will still be infectious for some time after they begin to feel well.

Norovirus treatments emphasize that the patient get plenty of plain, fresh water, especially if the patient is a child. Alcoholic beverages, fruit juices and sodas aren’t recommended, as they can possibly make any diarrhea worse. Yogurt with active live cultures should also help in ridding the body of the virus and anti-vomiting medicines might be given if the vomiting is severe. Otherwise, if the patient can tolerate food, there should be no change in the diet, if the diet is uncontaminated.

Though not a substitute for a general practice physician, Ask-the-Dr’s over-the-phone medical advice can help a patient or parent gain some idea as to what might be happening to them or their child. This can be of great help before they’re seen at the doctor’s office or emergency room. People shouldn’t hesitate to call Ask-the-Dr at 888-448-7633 for any medical questions.

When people are abnormally sensitive to substances that are harmless to other people they’re said to be allergic to them. The allergens might be in the air, in the food, or can be something that they’ve touched. The allergy can manifest as anything from hives to sneezing and itching to a rapid and violent reaction that might even be life threatening. This is called anaphylaxis.

Often, when people think of allergens they think of the pollen that comes from flowers during the growing season. But other allergens can be pet hair and dander, feathers, or foods like strawberries, eggs, fish, shellfish and dairy products. Some people are even sensitive to cold, heat or sunlight. Spring and summer aren’t the only times when people can suffer. Some people are very uncomfortable when they’re forced to stay indoors for long periods of time during the cold weather. This is because the heating system blows dust into the air, which irritates their nose and throat.

Though there are many sorts of medications for allergies, some of them come with risks. Some decongestants have compounds that act like adrenaline and aren’t recommended for people with high blood pressure, heart disease or glaucoma. Some cause sleeplessness and the one thing an allergy sufferer needs is good sleep.

The best way to manage an allergy is for the sufferer to take control, as far as possible, of their environment. They might use a humidifier when they have a cold and sleep with the head of their bed elevated to help their sinuses drain. Their home should be vacuumed and cleaned regularly, including air ducts.

Allergy sufferers should also eliminate food allergens from their diet. If they’re not sure what they’re allergic too, they can take a scratch test. They can also eliminate foods one at a time from their diet, then reintroduce them and see how they react to them.

Ask-the-Dr is your avenue to online doctor professionals who can answer questions about allergy symptoms, medications, or other health concerns. An online medical consultation can give clients peace of mind and often relief through a prescription at 888-448-7633.

Tip 1: Are Allergies It Really the Problem?

Many times people believe that they are allergic to something when, in fact, they may not be. There are many viruses that can mimic the symptoms of this condition. As a good rule of thumb, and as any online doctor professional will tell you, don’t automatically assume that you’re allergic to something. If your congestion lasts for a few weeks, if you have thin and clear mucus, and if your symptoms worsen after you are exposed to the supposed allergen, your symptoms are likely from this frustrating condition.

Tip 2: Keeping Clean

There is no way to avoid going outside, which means that you will have to deal with allergen triggers eventually, but you can make your house a safe zone by keeping it clean. One thing you may not learn from over-the-phone medical advice is that you should remove your clothing when you get home. Take off your shoes and put them in a closet, change your clothes and, if possible, shower. If you have animals it’s a good idea to wipe them down, especially their paws, before they come inside the house as well. This keeps the pollen outside and makes your home much more comfortable to live in during that time of year.

Tip 3: The Right Medication

An online doctor can tell you that you should go to the pharmacy for allergy relief, but what type of medication should you get? Unfortunately you may need to experiment with different types of medications as each person’s metabolism is different. Try switching brands and, if you find no relief, try another. While an online medical consultation may be a huge help, if you are finding no relief from your symptoms using over-the-counter medications, you may want to visit an allergen specialist.

If you are having a difficult time figuring out if you are truly allergic to something, or what type of medication for allergies you should try, Ask-the-Dr can help. Give us a call at 888-448-7633 and we can help to determine if you are suffering from this condition as well as give more tips about how to make dealing with your condition much more comfortable.

We offer three affordable plans for both individuals and families. Each plan includes free phone and email informational consultations and varying degrees of coverage for diagnostic consultations. After choosing a plan that best fits your needs and becoming a member, you can connect with a qualified physician for online or over-the-phone medical advice. Informational consultations give you immediate access to a doctor, and diagnostic consultations will connect you with a physician in one to three hours after your request.

While our services are meant to supplement rather than replace the primary care physician, being covered by one of our plans can save you time and money. If you have a problem overnight you can receive access to an online medical consultation that will help you decide what action to take. Visits to the emergency room are often unnecessary, costly and time consuming. Conversely, if certain symptoms are indicative of a serious illness, our services may help you to identify the problem earlier. This allows you to promptly take the necessary steps to receive treatment.

At a low monthly rate that can be afforded on any budget, Ask-the-Dr is a valuable medical service that simplifies your medical concerns and offers you a way to have peace of mind regarding your family’s health. If you are tired of agonizing over what to do regarding illness symptoms, call today at 888-448-7633 to learn more or to sign up for a plan today.

Calling Ask-the-Dr for an online medical consultation should happen as soon as you feel any painful swallowing or scratchy feeling in your throat. An online doctor through the Ask-the-Dr website can diagnose and prescribe treatment for a sore throat or fever or give you antibiotics for the more serious strep throat.

Some helpful sore throat prevention tips found on WebMD.com are below:

• Get plenty of rest and drink a lot of fluids.
• Gargle with warm salt water (1 teaspoon of salt per glass of water).
• Suck on throat lozenges or hard candy.
• Suck on frozen treats (such as Popsicles).
• Use a humidifier to create a warm or cool mist in your room. This may help relieve hoarseness and soothe swollen air passages.
• Sip warm tea with honey or chicken broth. These old home remedies help comfort many people and help you get more fluids.
• Try steam inhalations to ease the pain. Run very hot water in a sink. With a towel draped over your head to trap the steam, lean over the sink while the hot water is running. Breathe deeply through your mouth and nose for five to 10 minutes. Repeat several times a day. Always be careful not to burn yourself with the hot water or steam.
• Take acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen for pain relief.

Online medical consultations save time and money. Regular doctor visits and medical insurance plans can be excessively in cost when dealing with basic and commonly treatable ailments. Consult Ask-the-Dr online or speak to an operator at 888-448-7633.

Strep throat is an illness that should be taken seriously. Unlike cold or flu-like symptoms, strep throat come on quickly and is also highly contagious. If you have a large family or small children, isolating yourself until you have proper antibiotics from an online doctor will keep you from transferring your illness to loved ones or friends. Receiving an online doctor consultation will help determine whether you have strep throat and when appropriate, you can have a prescription called in.

Some of the straightforward ways to prevent strep throat during the fall and winter seasons is to get adequate rest, sanitize your hands as much as possible, reduce exposing yourself to high and ongoing stress, and stay away from people who might already be infected. A rapidly developing fever and sore throat is a sure sign of oncoming strep throat.

Calling Ask-the-Dr for a consultation should happen as soon as symptoms start to arise. Antibiotics administered as soon as possible will reduce your symptoms and risk of furthering complications leading to a more serious disease such as a rheumatic fever. Antibiotics prescribed from an internet doctor will keep the contagious period down to 24 hours and sore throat relief will arrive within 36 hours in most cases. Keeping throat lozenges on hand can also help sooth pain and provide a level of comfort.

With an online medical consultation, you are able to save time and money. Normal doctor visits and medical insurance plans from large companies often are unneeded when dealing with basic and commonly treatable ailments. Consult Ask-the-Dr today online or speak to an operator at 888-448-7633.