I have always been in pretty good health, so I was surprised one day when my doctor told me my blood pressure was a bit high. She told me to begin watching my salt intake, start exercising, and to try to relax. Well, I intended to follow her advice when I left her office, but the next day I was back to my same habits. I kept using the salt shaker and didn't begin an exercise routine like I had planned. When I went for my next check-up, she told me that my blood pressure was even higher and approaching a dangerous level. I had to begin a blood pressure medication to manage it. I wanted to create a blog to share my story and remind people to listen to their doctors' advice. If a few lifestyle changes can improve your health, then you should make them.
While the weather may be starting to cool down, fall sports are starting to pick up, meaning that injuries may occur. There are a number of sports that take place during the fall season like cross country, tennis, football, volleyball, soccer, golf, and more. This helps keep children active and socialable, but it definitely opens up the opportunity for them to get injuries. There are three types of injuries that are more common than others in fall sports. Here is a look at them and how to best treat them.
1. Shin Splints
With so many different fall sports involving running—like football, soccer, and cross country—shin splints are one of the most common injuries that may occur. This particular type of injury often occurs in a person that runs frequently, and it can result in severe pain in the shin and lower part of the person's leg.
Luckily, there are measures that runners can take to help prevent shin splint injuries. For example, the runner should ensure that he or she is wearing properly fitted shoes at all times rather than shoes that are too snug. Once a shin splint injury has been diagnosed, it is important for the runner to ease back into running and the related sport since this will help to minimize the chances of getting another similar injury.
2. Concussions
Concussions are very common, especially in contact sports like football. Unfortunately, these types of injuries are becoming far more common. Thankfully, awareness about this injury is being spread more so than before, which is ensuring that players are getting medical attention at the slightest inkling of a concussion. If an athlete is experiencing symptoms of a concussion—such as nausea, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, or just feeling out of the ordinary—it is important to seek medical attention immediately.
3. Tennis Elbow
Despite its name, a tennis elbow injury is not an injury that is only sustained during tennis. Tennis elbow can occur as a result of any form of repetitive movement of the arm. The injury occurs when the ligaments in the arm tears, resulting in pain and inflammation. Apart from tennis, tennis elbow occurs in sports like golf and baseball. If an athlete experiences consistent pain in the arm, it is vital that he or she rests the affected arm and ices it as necessary. If the pain continues, an X-ray is the next step to diagnose and treat the condition.
If you experience symptoms of any of the aforementioned injuries, visit your family physician or an urgent care clinic such as MED7 Urgent Care Center.
Share26 October 2018
