Shannon Medical Center | Health Beat | Winter 2018

HEALTH BEAT is published as a community service for the friends and patrons of SHANNON MEDICAL CENTER, 120 E. Harris Ave., San Angelo, TX 76903, telephone 325-653-6741. Len Mertz , Chairman, Board of Directors Shane Plymell , President and CEO Lyndy Stone , Editor Kori Knappe , Contributing Writer Information in HEALTH BEAT comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. 2018 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. WINTER 2018 shannonhealth.com Shannon Medical Center complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Please call 325- 653-6741, ext. 6541. Shannon Medical Center cumple con las leyes federales de derechos civiles aplicables y no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo. ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 325- 653-6741, ext. 6541. Shannon Clinic–Beauregard 120 E. Beauregard Ave. 325-658-1511 Shannon Clinic–Pediatrics 225 E. Beauregard Ave. 325-481-2287 Shannon Clinic–Harris 220 E. Harris Ave. 325-658-1511 Shannon Clinic–Magdalen 102 N. Magdalen 325-658-1511 Shannon Clinic–Southwest 4450 Sunset Drive 325-658-1511 Shannon Clinic–Sunset 4235 Southwest Blvd. 325-481-2197 Shannon Clinic Urgent Care–North 2626 N. Bryant 325-481-2271 Shannon Clinic Urgent Care–West 4251 Sunset Drive 325-481-2226 Shannon Clinic Urgent Care–South 3502 Knickerbocker Road 325-481-2222 Shannon Clinic– Red Arroyo 3016 Vista del Arroyo 325-949-9408 Shannon Clinic– College Hills 4141 College Hills 325-481-2320 Family Health Center–Ozona 102 Ave. H 325-392-3788 Shannon Clinic– Big Spring 2503 Gregg St. 432-606-5178 HEALTH BEAT For most people, colds last 7 to 10 days. But people with weakened immune systems and lung conditions can develop a serious illness, such as pneumonia. You can’t make colds go away faster with over-the-counter cold medicine. But they may ease symptoms. Don’t give any child under age 6 an over-the-counter cold medicine. They can have serious side effects. Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Institutes of Health the common cold Kids and adults in the U.S. sneeze their way through more than 1 billion colds every year. Eating yogurt that contains active cultures may help prevent colds. In kids with asthma, colds are the most common trigger of wheezing. More than 200 viruses can cause colds. But the rhino- virus is the one most often to blame. Antibiotics don’t work against vi- ruses. That means they won’t help you feel better if you have a cold. And taking them unnec- essarily may make it harder for your body to fight off a bacterial infection. Colds are typically spread when people touch something contaminated by droplets of fluid that contain a cold virus. But you can also in- hale these droplets. Call your doctor if you have trouble breathing when you have a cold, your symptoms get worse or you don’t feel bet- ter in 10 days. Cough and sneeze into a tissue, then throw it away if you have a cold. Or sneeze into your upper shirt sleeve, covering your mouth and nose completely. 7-10 People are most contagious for the first two to three days of a cold. After the first week, colds often aren’t contagious. 8 HEALTH BEAT Wellness