If you’ve seen a case of pink eye, you know it looks even worse than it sounds. Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is an inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane that lines your eyelid and covers the white part of your eyeball. When small blood vessels in the conjunctiva become inflamed, they’re more visible. This is what causes the whites of…
Blisters are small pockets of liquid that form on the outer layer of the skin after the skin becomes damaged and are usually caused by rubbing or burning. Blisters prevent the area from becoming further damaged by protecting the skin underneath and giving it adequate time to heal. Blisters are filled with serum, which is essentially blood plasma without fibrinogens….
Bug bites and stings can be just annoying — or they can be quite dangerous, depending on the insect and your own body’s reaction to it. Some insects are more likely than others to cause an allergic reaction. Not everybody is allergic to the sting, but unless you’ve been stung before, you probably don’t know how your body will react. Serious allergic…
You’ve always heard that you have to drink so much water in a day, that water is very good for you, and so on. A lot of people don’t realize just how important water is! Your body is 73% water. Throughout your day, as you work, play, exercise, or plain just loaf around – you’re losing water. Now you…
The summer months are rapidly approaching and after so many months cooped up inside because of cold and rain, the warmer days of spring and summer practically beg you to spend some time out in the sun’s rays. Whether you enjoy the beach, team sports at the park or just gardening in the back yard, enjoying the outdoors is one of…
Summertime is the perfect season for being outdoors, enjoying the beach, playing sports, lounging by the pool, and vacationing with family. For some, summertime means working to achieve the perfect tan. Whatever your outdoor summertime intentions are, learn the facts about sun safety and how best to protect yourself this summer. If you protect yourself properly, you can avoid that pesky…
You’ve just finished a delicious meal, but instead of feeling satisfied, you’re very uncomfortable — there’s a burning sensation in your stomach moving up toward your chest and throat, and it may get worse when you lie down. What’s going on? It’s a feeling you might know all too well. It’s Acid reflux. Did you know that acid reflux affects more than…
Spring is here, which means that it’s time for favorite outdoor activities in South Louisiana: picnics, barbecues, crawfish boils, and fishing. Unfortunately, the pleasant weather brings an unwanted side effect for some people – spring allergies. According to a recent study by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Baton Rouge ranks at #3 with a higher than average pollen score. Because Louisiana has…
Infected wounds occur when microorganisms colonize within a cut or puncture wound, causing either a deterioration of the wound or delayed healing. Most wounds are contaminated with some amount of bacteria. However, infections result when the body’s immune defenses are unable to cope with bacterial growth. The skin contains bacteria (normal flora) which is normally harmless if the skin is intact….
There’s Coastal Urgent Care! Every year on April 1 people gather all of their clever practical jokes and aim them towards the ones they love. This is not only acceptable, its appreciated. While its supposed to be all fun and games there is always the April fools prank that goes horribly wrong. Last year there was a giant spike in emergency…