Supporting Health & Wellness: During Flu Season & Beyond

Set foot outside, and you’re likely to see people wearing surgical masks to protect themselves from the flu virus. Stay indoors, and you can’t miss the headlines about an apparent flu epidemic. While we should be aware, prepared, and responsive, Doctors Smith and O’Neal, of RenewIV and Cooperative Med, respectively, don’t want to see the Tampa Bay area in hysteria.

The flu is no joke, and Doctors Smith and O’Neal don’t take it lightly. During this flu season alone, at least 30 children have lost their lives to the virus. The Centers for Disease Control notes that this is the most active flu season in nearly a decade, with more than 74,000 reported cases. Strong opinions about vaccines abound, and the flu vaccine may not be as effective as desired this season, but widespread vaccination remains integral. Dr. O’Neal explains, “Although influenza vaccine efficacy is not as good as many of our other vaccines, it still prevents 2,000 deaths and thousands of hospitalizations as well as saves over 1 billion health care dollars each year.” Access to the vaccine is feasible for members of his CooperativeMed practice. The vaccine is accessible to the general population, too, and some employers even offer it on site.

Prevention & Action

Widespread vaccination is recommended because, as shared by Dr. O’Neal, it “reduces exposure to high risk individuals, such as medically complex persons or children, who could die from influenza.” Realistically, not all people will get vaccinated. In those cases, Dr. O’Neal encourages people to contact their primary care physician: “Early reporting of symptoms to your physician should be a priority in order to test for the virus and implement prompt anti-viral therapy,” noted O’Neal. Being familiar with flu symptoms is important and they typically include high fever, headache, muscle aches, and respiratory infections. Nausea and vomiting are unlikely to be associated with the flu.

Beyond immediately contacting your physician once flu symptoms present, a visit to Dr. Smith’s team at RenewIV is a great idea. “It’s best to come in as soon as you start to feel symptoms,” said Dr. Smith. “Once patients are very sick, an IV will help manage the symptoms to get them a good nights sleep but may not get them better enough to get back to work,” she continued. The amount of lost productivity because of the flu is immense, so receiving IV therapy, early on, can help patients resume their daily responsibilities sooner.

Still early in the calendar year, many people remain focused on health and wellness goals. Weaving IV therapy into one’s wellness program is something to consider. “Regular IVs can help build patients’ immunity and support their efforts to stay healthy during flu season,” Smith conveyed. RenewIV offers an array of customizable IV drips. A drip like their popular Chicken Soup provides proper hydration as well as vitamins and nutrients that both boost the body’s defenses and ability to quickly recover. Dr. Smith designed RevitalIV Wellness Maintenance packages, which are ideal for buttressing individual patient’s ongoing health and wellness efforts. Of note, Dr. O’Neal reminds patients that antibiotics are not an appropriate treatment for the flu.

Doctors Helping Our City

Dr. O’Neal’s CooperativeMed is Tampa Bay’s first membership medical practice. Membership is available for family members of all ages. Providing many services and benefits to its patients, CooperativeMed is not cost prohibitive and was founded on the principle of consumer driven healthcare. Also the first of its kind, RenewIV Wellness is Tampa’s original IV wellness location. The RenewIV team is committed to helping clients achieve their optimum lifestyle. Visits in the serene environment are brief, so the many benefits require minimal time investment. Connect with Drs. O’Neal and Smith and invest in your health and well-being during every season.
Learn more about services and memberships at RenewIV https://www.renewivwellness.com and CooperativeMed http://www.cooperativemed.com

Categorized in: Work

This post was written by Elevate, Inc.