Early Signs of Pregnancy Every Woman Should Know

It’s often thought that it’s impossible for a woman to be pregnant and not realize it, but this is actually not all that uncommon. Occasionally, a woman won’t know she’s pregnant until she goes toemergency care for stomach pain, which turns out to be labor pains. Other women don’t realize they’re expecting until about five months into the pregnancy. Every woman should learn how to identify the potential signs of pregnancy, particularly since birth control isn’t always effective.

Missed Period

Although not every woman has regular periods, a missed period is still among the most commonly noticed early signs of pregnancy. Women who are sexually active can use over-the-counter pregnancy tests if they miss a period. If the OTC test has a positive result, a professional-grade pregnancy test at a walk-in clinic is warranted.

Implantation Bleeding

It’s possible to still bleed and cramp at around the time of your period, but to be pregnant regardless. This is known as implantation bleeding. When sperm fertilizes an egg, the embryo still needs to implant on the uterine wall. This happens between six and 12 days after conception. In many cases, the embryo simply doesn’t implant, and is naturally expelled.

Fatigue

Fatigue is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. It often starts as early as the first week. However, since fatigue is so common among non-pregnant individuals, it’s often misinterpreted.

Breast Changes

The American Pregnancy Association reports that changes in the breasts are thethird most commonly reported sign of pregnancy. This can happen as early as one to two weeks. Newly expecting moms may notice swelling and tenderness.

Morning Sickness

Most expecting mothers will have nausea and vomiting at some point, usually starting at two to eight weeks. Morning sickness often does occur upon waking up, which is why doctors recommend keeping bland soda crackers near the bed. However, nausea can strike at any time of the day.

Paramount Urgent Care is well-known for providing emergency care in the Orlando area, but we’re also a family medicine center. You can turn to our caring providers for women’s healthcare, including physical exams and pregnancy tests. For more information, please visitwww.paramounturgentcare.com.

Who Should Get a Shingles Vaccine?

The same virus that causes chickenpox can also cause shingles. If you’ve ever had chickenpox, this virus is already inside you. Shingles causes a painful rash that appears on one side of the body. It can result in intense pain that lasts for years, and it might even cause eye damage. Because of the risk of these serious complications, family medicine doctors urge their patients to have the shingles vaccine.

Talk to your healthcare provider to find out if you should get the shingles vaccine. Currently, it’s recommended for adults ages 50 and older. The newest shingles vaccine, which was approved for use in 2017, should be given in two separate doses spaced two to six months apart.

Shingles is one of the many conditions we treat here at Paramount Urgent Care, and we also offer preventive medical services, including vaccines, in ourwalk-in clinics near Orlando. For more information, please visit www.paramounturgentcare.com.

Is Your Strep Throat Actually Mononucleosis?

Strep throat is a common reason for visits tourgent care centers. Since it’s caused by bacteria, a doctor might prescribe antibiotics to treat it. However, some patients are surprised to learn that what they thought was strep throat is actually mononucleosis. To confirm the diagnosis, the physician can perform a simple lab test.

Comparing Strep Throat and Mononucleosis

Strep throat and mono are different in a few key ways.Mono is caused by a virus, usually the Epstein-Barr virus. Strep throat is caused by group A streptococcus bacteria. Because of this, strep throat is treatable with antibiotics, but mono is not. Mono is also less contagious.

Diagnosing Your Symptoms

Mono and strep throat can both cause similar symptoms. These include the following:

• Sore throat
• Painful swallowing
• Swollen tonsils
• Swollen and tender lymph nodes
• Headache
• Fever
• Rash

If you have mono, your sore throat will feel better within a week or two. But you can have lingering fatigue for weeks or perhaps months. For some people, the fatigue of mono is nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Other people experience it intensely. The fatigue may be so severe that it’s difficult to do simple tasks, like eating or bathing. Strep throat won’t cause this intense, long-lasting fatigue. But since the early symptoms of both types of infections are so similar, the only way for healthcare providers to confirm a diagnosis is to run a lab test. The urgent care physician will swab the back of your throat to collect a sample of cells for testing.

Recovering from Your Infection

If you do have strep throat instead of mono, then antibiotics can help. For either type of infection, doctors recommend the following self-care strategies:

• Get lots of rest.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Gargle with salt water for your sore throat.
• Avoid returning to normal activities until you’re fully recovered.

Patients who have long-lasting fatigue from mono may need to follow a modified schedule of activities when returning to work or school.

If your symptoms are severe or persistent, you can find the medical care you need in Orlando atParamount Urgent Care. For more information, please visitwww.paramounturgentcare.com. Our walk-in clinic is open seven days per week, from 8 AM to 8 PM.