Posts Tagged ‘online diagnosis’

Norovirus Symptoms and Treatment from Online Doctor Professionals

March 26, 2012 | Author

Ask-the-Dr, the online doctor that gives online medical consultation, knows that norovirus is one of the most infectious viruses a human being can contract. This virus causes the great majority of cases of gastroenteritis and food poisoning. Because it’s largely transmitted through food and water that have been contaminated by feces, it’s very easy for people to catch during vacations in places where the sanitation is uncertain. It can also be caught by students on spring break, or by people sharing close quarters with other people. The virus can even be spread through the air when the person vomits, or when a toilet full of infected matter is flushed without the lid being down.

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.

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Allergy Season Help from Online Doctor Professionals

March 9, 2012 | Author

It’s nearly allergy season and Ask-the-Dr, the online doctor for over-the-phone medical advice, is ready to answer questions about allergies, allergy medication and offer allergy health tips or a prescription.

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.

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Allergy Season Health Tips from Online Doctor Professionals

February 21, 2012 | Author

No one likes dealing with allergies, but in fact studies have shown that one in every five people are allergic to something, and that a vast majority of those suffering are doing so due to the environment, either the one found inside your home or the one found outside. When allergy season hits, people flock to the drug store searching for allergy medication. However, with a few allergy health tips from Ask-the-Dr you may be able to make this season fly by with ease.

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.

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Cough and Congestion Symptom Help from the Online Doctor Professionals

February 6, 2012 | Author

Persistent symptoms of illness in yourself or a loved one can be a worrying dilemma. On the one hand, you want to make sure that their hacking or fever is not the result of a serious health problem. However, if it is simply a common cold or a problem that can easily be dealt with at home it is frustrating to pay a large emergency room bill or doctor fee. Let Ask-the-Dr provide needed assistance with congestion and other common symptoms. Our network of online doctor professionals can take the guesswork out of health problems. Coughing, for example, may be a symptom of a less serious cold or may be indicative of a dangerous illness such as bronchitis or pneumonia or even a chronic one such as asthma. Online doctors offer members email or phone consultations in order to provide valuable guidance for health problems.

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.

Posted in Congestion, Cough, Online Doctor, Online Medical Consultation | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Comments Closed

Sore Throat Prevention and Your Online Doctor

January 26, 2012 | Author

Sore throats abound in the winter months and there is often confusion as to how to prevent and treat sore throats. Many times antibiotics are thought to help combat sore throats, but the truth of the matter is antibiotics fight bacteria, while sore throats are caused by viruses. A sore throat can lead to a bacterial infection, in which case the sore throat could turn into a more serious ailment such as strep throat. In the case of strep throat, antibiotics are needed.

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.

Posted in Online Doctor, Online Medical Consultation, Sore Throat | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Comments Closed

Strep Throat Symptoms and Your Online Doctor

January 9, 2012 | Author

Cold, flu, and strep throat arrive with the winter season and the strep bug that a good percentage of healthy adults carry dormant throughout the year can awaken and lead to a sore throat and other strep symptoms. Many times, the greatest deterrent to overcoming strep throat is when treatment is not sought out immediately. Strep is a more serious illness than a common cold of flu-like symptoms and an online medical consultation from the healthcare professionals at Ask-the-Dr will go a long way in the road to recovery.

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.

Posted in Online Doctor, Online Medical Consultation, Strep Throat | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Comments Closed

Companies Benefit from Using Online Medical Care from Ask-the-Dr

November 29, 2011 | Author

With the current economic problems and lack of healthcare benefits, it can be difficult for employees and employers to stay afloat. That’s why Ask-the-Dr provides online doctors that can diagnose your illness and prescribe treatment for patients from the comfort of your home or office.

The last thing a company needs is a worker having to come to work ill because they cannot afford medical care. Soon, other employees will be sick, bringing down productivity. Ask-the-Dr’s plans can help your employees afford the medical care they need while keeping your business running.

Your company will also benefit from the happiness of your employees. Employees that feel that they have stock in the company tend to produce more quality work and are absent from work less. The best part is that using Ask-the-Dr can cut healthcare costs by 25% or more.

No more waiting in a doctor’s office, missing more work, and no paying expensive office visit fees. Ask-the-Dr offers a unique opportunity to stay at work or home and get care when you need it, no matter the time of day. For information about our online plans and benefits, contact us online or call 888-448-7633.

Posted in 24/7 Medical Care, On-Demand Medical Care, Online Medical Advice, Online Medical Consultation | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Closed

Flu Season Myths with Your Online Doctor

November 7, 2011 | Author

With flu season in full swing, there are common myths and misconceptions about how influenza can affect you and what symptoms to look for when determining whether or not you have the flu. Your online health professionals, Ask-the-Dr, offers individuals, families, and groups online medical consultations with board-certified specialists and licensed doctors without having to schedule an appointment or wait in a doctor’s office. Don’t miss an opportunity to get real, professional advanced healthcare information regarding influenza from Ask-the-Dr.com.

An article on WebMD discusses 13 flu myths and the number one flu myth is quoted below:

Flu Myth #1: The seasonal flu is annoying but harmless.

There has been a lot of focus on swine flu, but it’s important to remember that the run-of-the-mill seasonal flu can be a serious condition itself. “A lot of people just think of the flu as a very bad cold,” says Curtis Allen, a spokesman for the CDC in Atlanta. But it’s much worse than that.

For one, you usually feel terrible.  In addition to the congestion and cough, you’re apt to have nasty body aches and fever, which are less likely with a garden-variety cold. “When you get the flu, you know it,” says Christine Hay, MD, assistant professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “You feel like you’ve been hit by a Mack truck.”

Aside from the short-term misery and lost workdays, flu can have more serious implications. Sure, most people who get the seasonal flu recover just fine. But the seasonal flu also hospitalizes 200,000 people in the U.S. each year. It kills between 3,000 and 49,000 people. That’s close to the number of women killed by breast cancer each year, and more than twice the number of people killed by AIDS.

Read about other flu myths on the WebMD website and schedule a talk with an online doctor at Ask-the-Dr.com when you have symptoms of influenza to receive proper and convenient medical treatment. Stay healthy this holiday season!

Posted in 24/7 Medical Care, Flu Myths, Influenza, Online Medical Advice, Online Medical Consultation | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Closed

The Age of On-Demand Services Reaches Doctors

September 8, 2011 | Author

Two a.m. on a Thursday morning and Lily, your 12 month old daughter, is coughing uncontrollably and has a low-grade fever. Your pediatrician’s office doesn’t open until 9 a.m. An online doctor who could email medical consultations or provide a diagnosis over the phone would help Lily feel better and save you time, money, and sleep.

With Ask-the-Dr, around-the-clock access to doctors is now a reality.  Medicine is catching up to the age of on-demand.  Fast, easy, and inexpensive medical solutions are available through 24/7 online or phone call consultations.

Ask-the-Dr online doctor consultations are a convenient alternative to in-office doctor or emergency room visits.  Licensed physicians and board-certified specialists provide general online or by phone medical consultations by making a diagnosis, recommending treatment, and prescribing medication, when appropriate.

The Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) report 70% of doctor’s office visits are unnecessary and could have been taken care of over the phone or by email avoiding the cost and travel.

Ask-the-Dr online doctor chats do not replace the need for a Primary Care Physician (PCP) and is only a fast and easy doctor supplement to care provided by a PCP. Ask-the-Dr does require a comprehensive medical history questionnaire just as you would fill out on your first doctor’s office visit. Patient records may be updated and maintained by the member as well as amended by the physician after each online or by phone medical consultation. Medical records and progress should regularly be shared with the member’s primary care physician to allow for continuity of care and Ask-the-Dr practices patient privacy as outlined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

While Ask-the-Dr’s service is independent of health or medical insurance, having an on-demand, online or by phone medical doctor consultation accessible 27/7 will put your mind at ease. Fast, convenient, easy access doctors with the Ask-the-Dr service will make the 2 a.m. coughing and low-grade fever of your one year old a little less worrisome.  And, Lily will thank you, too.

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