Shannon Medical Center | Health Beat | Winter 2019

Some cold symptoms can look a lot like those of the flu—a potentially more serious illness that’s treatable with antiviral medicines. If you’re feeling ill, the following chart can help you decide which of these two illnesses you may have. When in doubt, see your doctor promptly, especially if you’re at high risk for flu complications. Cold (usually milder than flu) Flu (lasts longer, usually worse than cold symptoms) Runny, stuffy nose (common) Runny, stuffy nose (sometimes) Sneezing (common) Sneezing (sometimes) Sore throat (common) Sore throat (sometimes) Cough (mild to moderate) Cough (common) Fatigue (sometimes) Fatigue (common) Muscle aches (slight) Muscle aches (common) Headache (rare) Headache (common) Fever (rare) Fever (common) Chills (uncommon) Chills (fairly common) Make a prevention plan Dodging germs during cold and flu season may be a daunting task—especially when everyone around you is starting to sniffle, sneeze and cough. But it isn’t im- possible. Remember these tips: ■  ■ Get a new flu shot in the fall, just as you should every year. ■  ■ Wash your hands often, especially after touching things sick people may have handled. ■  ■ Try not to touch your face— germs can spread this way. ■  ■ Avoid close contact with people who have a cold or the flu. ■  ■ Consider having separate bathroom hand towels for sick and healthy people. Sources: American Lung Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Is it a cold or the flu? New lymphedema treatment program Lymphedema is a condition that leads to swell- ing, most commonly in the limbs, and often affects cancer patients after the surgical removal or injury of lymph nodes. After lymph nodes are removed, the lymphatic system becomes compromised and the limb from which the nodes were removed tends to be affected. For breast cancer patients, the most affected area is the arm. Not all cancer patients who have undergone a lymph node resection will develop lymphedema, but it is a very common condition. It does not always develop immedi- ately; it can occur after a period of time. If left untreated, the affected limb can become and remain severely swollen. Lymphedema may also cause restricted range of motion in the affected area, discomfort, tightness or heaviness, and even recurring infection. Previously, treatment options for lymphedema patients have been limited or non-existent in San Angelo. Wanting to fill a need for patients, Shan- non Physical Therapist Jessica Ayers, PT, DPT, CLT, recently completed additional training to be- come a certified lymphedema specialist. She now offers patients lymphedema treatment services at the Shannon Neuro Therapy location at the St. John’s Campus. Certified lymphedema thera- pists undergo intensive training in order to receive certification and offer these services to patients. Oncology patients tend to be the most affected by lymphedema, but it may also be caused by congenital malformations or after other types of surgery. Presently, there is no cure for lymph- edema. However, the condition can be effectively managed with a specialized treatment program. “Initial treatment includes a four-course regi- men of compression bandaging, a manual therapy technique used to drain the affected areas, skin care and specialized exercises that target the af- fected limb,” says Ayers. “Patients work through the course of treatment until their condition has improved and is stable.Then, they enter the maintenance phase of treatment in which their condition is monitored and progress is sustained. During this phase, patients are typically also fit- ted for a compression garment they must wear on the affected limb.” Patients with long-standing venous insuffi- ciency are also candidates for this type of therapy because they can potentially develop a form of lymphedema. Please talk to your health care provider about your risk for developing lymphedema. Patients are accepted to the program through a physician referral. For more information, please call 325-659-7132 . Wellness Winter 2019 7