Can Strokes Be Prevented? /wp-content/uploads/Can-Strokes-Be-Prevented.jpg 1000 667 Sandeep Jain, MD Sandeep Jain, MD https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f9741f92d515361dcc78e01c56b173f3?s=96&d=mm&r=g June 4, 2019 June 17, 2019

Can Strokes Be Prevented?

May is National Stroke Awareness Month and we’d like to shine the spotlight on stroke prevention. A common question that patients ask us is “can a stroke be prevented?”

Stroke, also known as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), is currently the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. It is a medical emergency. What is surprising is that most strokes are preventable. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as 80 percent of all CVAs can be prevented with the right lifestyle changes.

Risk Factors

The first step in preventing cerebrovascular accidents is to know the risk factors. There are certain things that make a person more likely to have a stroke, such as:

Genetics. If your parent, brother, or sister had a CVA, you are more likely to have one too.
Age. The risk increases as you age.
Diet. Diets that are high in saturated fats and cholesterol increase the risk of stroke as they raise blood cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a fatty substance in the blood that clogs arteries. The buildup of cholesterol in the arteries blocks blood flow to the brain resulting in a CVA. Consequently, eating a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol can reduce the risk.
Smoking. The nicotine and carbon monoxide present in cigarette smoke damage the cardiovascular system — hence, smokers have an increased risk of CVAs.
Using birth control pills. Taking certain kinds of birth control pills increases the risk of stroke. As a matter of fact, the risk is highest for women who take birth control pills and smoke.
Physical inactivity. A lack of physical exercise is linked with an increased risk of stroke.
Obesity. Obesity is related to other risk factors that likewise increase the risk of cerebrovascular accidents, such as elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure. Therefore, people who are obese are more likely to have a cerebrovascular accident.

Signs Of A Stroke

The next step in preventing strokes is to be aware of the signs. Some of these symptoms can occur with other illnesses, as well. If you are experiencing any of the below symptoms, it is important to call 911 or seek medical treatment right away. Acting quickly is the key to recovery from a CVA. Here are some signs to be on the lookout for:

Speech problems – Slurred or garbled speech.
Sudden confusion that comes on quickly – Trouble understanding what others are saying.
Trouble seeing or dimming – Vision problems that arise quickly in one or both eyes.
Difficulty walking – Difficulty walking, dizziness, or a loss of coordination.
Severe headache – A bad headache that occurs for no reason.
Numbness or weakness – Weakness or numbness on one side of the body only.

Why Acting Quickly Is Important

Getting treatment immediately for a stroke can help save lives. Treatments have improved greatly over the last several decades. Researchers now know that the brain can recover after a stroke. However, time is the key. Waiting too long to get help reduces the likelihood of recovery and diminishes the long-term prognosis greatly. Therefore, see a doctor even if you are in doubt about the symptoms.

Schedule an appointment or visit an urgent care near me to talk to a doctor about your risk today. We can help you identify ways to lower the likelihood of a cerebrovascular accident. Always remember to go to the emergency room or call 911 if you believe that you are having a stroke.

Find out how to get relief from allergic reactions.

By:Sandeep Jain, MD
May 28, 2019
0

Beat Seasonal Allergies With These Urgent Care Tips /wp-content/uploads/Beat_Seasonal_Allergies_With_These_Tips.jpg 1000 667 Sandeep Jain, MD Sandeep Jain, MD https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f9741f92d515361dcc78e01c56b173f3?s=96&d=mm&r=g May 28, 2019 May 30, 2019

Beat Seasonal Allergies With These Urgent Care Tips

Fight Seasonal Allergic Reactions With These Urgent Care Tips

Find out how to get relief from allergic reactions.

Spring allergy season is in full bloom, which means that allergen levels are through the roof right now. Pollen levels peak in the northeast part of the U.S. during April and May. If you are allergic to grass pollen, things will only get worse as the weeks go on. That means that your allergy symptoms — the itchy eyes, sneezing, and sniffling could stick around for months

If you suffer from a runny nose, itchy eyes and other hay seasonal allergy symptoms, you are not alone. More than 50 million Americans have allergies. Unfortunately, for the millions of allergy sufferers, springtime is the worst time of the year for allergic reactions.

Before you start any treatment, visit an urgent care center like Statcare to be sure that allergies are causing your troubles. Many other illnesses share the same symptoms as allergies. So, you really need to be sure that your symptoms are due to an allergic reaction so that you can get the appropriate treatment. Save a trip to the emergency room! Statcare has multiple urgent care locations and is open 7 days a week.

If you have seasonal allergies, make sure you seek treatment, as hay fever can trigger other common allergic reactions, such as:

Asthma – Seasonal allergies can exacerbate asthma symptoms. Exposure to pollen can trigger deadly asthma attacks. In fact, a British teen died after suffering an asthma attack. His parents said that an allergic reaction to pollen was partially to blame for the asthma attack.
Eczema/Atopic dermatitis – Hay fever is a common cause of this skin condition. Pollen is a known trigger for eczema.
Sinusitis – Hay fever can cause prolonged nasal congestion, which can cause sinusitis, an infection of the membrane that lines the sinuses.
Hives. This allergic skin rash can stem from various allergens.
Conjunctivitis. Allergic reactions can cause eye inflammation, and itchy, watery eyes. Allergic conjunctivitis cases often increase during hay fever season.

Signs Of An Allergic Reaction

Here are some of the signs of seasonal allergies. Get medical care right away if you are experiencing these symptoms.

Watery, itchy eyes
Runny nose
Sneezing
Sore throat
Coughing
Fatigue
Dark circles under the eyes

Allergy Do’s

Visit an urgent care center like Statcare. If you have any of the above symptoms, come in for an allergy test. Most insurance plans cover blood work for seasonal allergies.
Use air conditioning. Although spring might seem like a great time to open the windows, resist the temptation to do so. Using the air conditioning will help keep allergens out of your home.
Stay inside when pollen levels are high. Check out the New York pollen forecast and avoid outdoor activities when the pollen counts are high.

Allergy Don’ts

Ignore the symptoms. Allergy symptoms can be more than a nuisance — they can be deadly. Exposure to pollen can cause severe allergic and asthma reactions. Therefore, never ignore these symptoms.
Automatically reach for over-the-counter remedies. Although there are plenty of OTC allergy medications available, visit Statcare before taking these medications to make sure that seasonal allergies are to blame for your symptoms. Also, a doctor can help you select the best treatment for your particular symptoms. There are many options and not all of them are right for everyone.

For more health tips and advice, sign up for our newsletter. Schedule your appointment for seasonal allergy treatment in New York. Contact us today or find a walk-in clinic near me.

By:Sandeep Jain, MD
May 21, 2019
0

How To Talk To Your Partner About STDs /wp-content/uploads/Talking-to-partner-about-STD-1024x683.jpg 1024 683 Sandeep Jain, MD Sandeep Jain, MD https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f9741f92d515361dcc78e01c56b173f3?s=96&d=mm&r=g May 21, 2019 July 12, 2019

How To Talk To Your Partner About STDs

It’s the talk that no one wants to have — the one about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Although it isn’t easy, STDs should be the topic of your next conversation. There are many myths surrounding STDs, such as you have to sleep with lots of people to get an STD. This is simply not true. These myths can cause you to not get tested. However, learning about your partner’s sexual history and getting tested are ways to keep your body healthy.

STD’s are more common than you think, which is why it is very important to talk about them. Data from the New York State’s Department of Health for 2017 indicate that the rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia are increasing in New York. STD’s are especially high among millennials. More than 50 percent of STD’s occur in people younger than 26. Surprisingly, you don’t even have to have sex with a partner to get an STD. As a matter of fact, you can get an STD through skin-to-skin genital contact. Here are some tips to help you bring up STDs with your partner.

#1 Educate Yourself

First, read up on STD’s to make sure you have the facts. Learning about STD’s will help you avoid common myths and misconceptions that could derail your conversation. Make sure you view information from reliable websites like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

#2 Choose The Right Setting

Pick the right place to have the talk. Don’t bring up the conversation in the middle of dinner at your favorite restaurant. Choose a quiet, calm setting where there will not be any interruptions.

#3 Pick The Right Time

The earlier that you have the talk in your relationship, the better. Don’t wait until you are in bed about to have sex to bring up the topic. Likewise, this is not something that you want to wait until after the condom breaks to discuss — by then it’s way too late. So, have the conversation early. That way, you and your partner will have time to process the information. Then, make an appointment together for STD testing.

# 4 Be Honest

Honesty should be something that you strive for in any relationship. It is the building block for a healthy partnership. So, be honest about how many partners you have been with and your sexual health. Don’t hide things from your partner. It will only cause problems later. If you have had an STD in the past, tell your partner. Being honest about your own history can help your partner feel comfortable sharing things with you, as well.

#5 Get Tested Together

Most STD’s are curable. Treatment can help manage or minimize the symptoms of those STDs that are incurable. Going with your partner to get STD testing can help make the process a little easier. Having the support and encouragement of your significant other can help reduce some of the pressure.

Are you ready to get tested? Get STD results fast with testing. Schedule an appointment for your STD testing in New York today.

Picture related to immigration medial exam showing US Passport green card

By:Sandeep Jain, MD
May 13, 2019
0

The Immigration Medical Exam Explained /wp-content/uploads/The-Immigration-Medical-Exam-Explained.jpg 1000 668 Sandeep Jain, MD Sandeep Jain, MD https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f9741f92d515361dcc78e01c56b173f3?s=96&d=mm&r=g May 13, 2019 July 11, 2019

The Immigration Medical Exam Explained

What is the immigration medical exam? Learn more in this helpful blog post.

The immigration medical examination is an important part of the immigration process. It is required for all green card applicants. If you complete your medical exam at the wrong time or choose a physician who is not authorized by the government, then it could delay your visa. En español. Schedule an immigration medical exam near me.

What Is The Immigration Medical Exam?

The immigration medical exam consists of several parts. It must be performed by a doctor (Civil Surgeon) who is certified by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. During the exam, the Civil Surgeon will:

Review your vaccination records and medical history
Perform a mental and physical examination
Perform drug and alcohol screening
Test for various illnesses and diseases

The purpose of this exam is to make sure that you don’t have a health condition that could make you “inadmissible” to the United States. If you are inadmissible to the U.S., then you cannot receive a green card.

Although it is normal to feel nervous during this step of the immigration process, there is no need to worry. If you are adequately prepared, it can help you avoid issues that could delay or deny your application. Even if you do have a condition that could make you inadmissible, you might be able to request a waiver.

The Immigration Exam Process

The immigration examination takes place over two visits. Avoid immigration doctors who tell you that you can get the exam done in one day. It takes at least two visits. Here is what to expect at each visit.

1st Visit

Quantiferon test blood draw
Gonorrhea urine test
Syphilis blood draw

Patients under the age of 15 are not required to complete gonorrhea or syphilis tests.

Things to Bring To The First Visit

Government-issued identification or passport. Children under the age of 14 can present an alternative form of I.D. It must have the child’s name, date of birth, and parents’ full names.
Medical records from your previous doctor.
Prior chest x-rays if you have them.
Payment for the medical exam (Just $129).
All vaccine records.

Other Helpful Tips

Here are some other helpful tips for your first visit.

If you need someone to translate for you, ask them to come along to your first visit.
Make sure you schedule your examination before your scheduled interview date, otherwise, it could hold up your visa application.
Starting on November 1st, 2018, the medical exam results form (I-693) must be signed by a civil surgeon no earlier than 60 days before your green card application is submitted. So, don’t schedule your medical examination more than 60 days before you plan to submit your green card application.

2nd Visit

During your second visit, a physical exam will be performed by one of our immigration doctors.

This can only be completed if all vaccines are up-to-date and records have been collected. The doctor will:

Ask about your medical history, including all hospitalizations, drug and alcohol use and will review any previous chest x-rays.
Perform a mental examination.
Conduct a physical examination of your heart, lungs, stomach, skin, eyes, ears, throat, and nose.

Exam results are valid for two years. Contact us at (917) 310-3371 to schedule your immigration exam today. We are open 7 days a week and have offices in Brooklyn, Queens, and more. Schedule an immigration medical exam near me.

By:Sandeep Jain, MD
October 30, 2018
0

8 Reasons To Go To Urgent Care /wp-content/uploads/shutterstock_279985280.jpg 1000 697 Sandeep Jain, MD Sandeep Jain, MD https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f9741f92d515361dcc78e01c56b173f3?s=96&d=mm&r=g October 30, 2018 June 26, 2019

8 Reasons To Go To Urgent Care

Statcare Urgent Care prides itself on offering a variety of medical services that New Yorkers need including remote televisits from the comfort of your home. Statcare Urgent Care offers far more services than primary care physicians or even other urgent care facilities. Patients who visit an urgent care often have a variety of symptoms and need a multitude of health treatments. We wanted to ensure that our urgent care locations could help as many of those people as possible. From testing to treatment, we have doctors available 7 days a week, including holidays, to help you with almost any medical concern you may face.

We encourage you to come to urgent care any time you have a medical concern you think needs treatment. Sometimes you simply need peace of mind to get through the night when your primary care doctor is unavailable during evening hours. Other times it is urgent to get treatment as soon as possible. No matter what reason you come to Statcare Urgent Care, we’ll provide the best possible treatment. If you’re still unsure whether you need to visit one of our locations, read through some of the most common reasons people come to our urgent care locations.

Treat Illness at Urgent Care

The most common reason patients end up in urgent care is an illness they need treatment for right away. Because of our efficiency and expertise, we can take care of you quickly and comprehensively. Our extended hours of service and quick triaging ensures that you can get relief any time of the day – even when you get sick in the middle of the night, or can’t afford to miss hours at work during the workday. At Statcare Urgent Care, people can work their full day, come to urgent care, get medicine and get back to work the next day on the right treatment plan. For those who cannot make it to our office, we can do a televisit on the phone so you get the same high-quality care from the comfort of your home. Your insurance covers your televisit with us. All you need is a smartphone, iPad or a laptop/desktop with a camera and a wifi connection.

Our trained medical staff will take time to listen to your symptoms, diagnose you and prescribe you medicine as needed. Come to Statcare Urgent Care for quick, attentive, complete care for your illness or do a televisit with us anytime!

Use Urgent Care for Minor Injuries

People who experience sudden injuries are most likely to come to urgent care than the emergency room. Especially if the injury isn’t life-threatening, urgent care offers a more cost-effective treatment than most emergency hospitals. Urgent care is also ideal for those injuries that happen outside of business hours when you can’t make an appointment with your primary care doctor — which happen to be most injuries.

Whether you’ve got a burn, a broken bone, a minor cut or a sprain, our urgent care professionals can help treat the injury and get you on the road to healing again.

X-Rays at Urgent Care

Often people wonder if urgent care has all the necessary equipment to properly treat various injuries and illnesses. The answer is yes. While emergency rooms and hospitals will have more specialized equipment, we have everything you need for most minor injuries and illnesses.

Come to urgent care if you’re looking to get an x-ray and get the results fast. Our staff works to be efficient with your time so we won’t make you wait any longer than you have to. Don’t worry about spending your entire day waiting on results and treatment. Come to one of our locations to get treated quickly by an expert staff.

Urgent Care Physicals

Whether it’s for school, sports or a job, physicals are an important part of maintaining your health. Unfortunately, the time frame that most primary care physicians offer physicals often interferes with working hours. Get a proper physical without having to miss a day of work. Come into Statcare Urgent Care during our extended evening hours to get a physical exam by one of our doctors. Leave Statcare with your physical results or have us send them directly where you need them to go.

Concussion Testing at Urgent Care

When your child has a concussion playing soccer, football or Lacrosse, you don’t have to worry about what you need to do next. Statcare Urgent Care offers specialized concussion testing for all kinds of concussions. Did you know that childhood sports-related concussions are amongst the most undiagnosed medical conditions? Pediatricians, as well as Emergency Rooms, miss mild brain trauma because they fail to do Concussion EEG Testing as is now recommended. The CDC has a special initiative called Heads Up to raise awareness about sports brain injury. Next time you know someone who has a concussion from a car accident or a fall in a nursing home, let them know about Statcare’s Concussion program. At Statcare, we do baseline Brain Physicals for sports teams as well.

Pediatric Urgent Care

When your child is sick, the only thing you can think about is getting them well. Sometimes, that means getting them to a doctor immediately rather than waiting until their pediatrician opens their office in the morning. Urgent care offers immediate care for your child. Our doctors are trained to understand a child’s needs. We offer our patients a friendly staff who can ease the worries of your sick or injured child. We can also refer your child to the specialist you need if necessary.

STD Testing at Urgent Care

Getting tested for an STD can sometimes feel like an embarrassing process. If you’d rather not risk being seen walking into a clinic by your friends, family or neighbors, urgent care is a perfect alternative. No one will assume you’re coming in to be checked for STDs, but we can do a full screen for all sexually transmitted infections. We’ll report your results confidentially, and you can be safe without worrying about who you might bump into at your local doctor’s office.

Pregnancy Tests

Similarly, pregnancy tests can be a very private matter. If you’re unsure whether or not you are pregnant, we can administer a test at urgent care. When you come to one of our locations, you can be sure that the results are completely accurate, unlike an at-home pregnancy test. You can also be sure that no one who sees you will know why you’re at urgent care. If you want to keep your potential pregnancy a secret for now, this is the place for you.

Lab Testing at Urgent Care

Whether you need to get your blood checked or pass a drug test, urgent care is a quick, convenient place to get lab work done. You can come in at a time that works for you, get the right labs done and get back to your day. We not only deliver reliable results, but our doctors can help answer any questions you may have as a result of your test. While other testing sites might be less expensive, you can trust that our results are accurate, which is the most important factor when you’re testing for drugs or a disease.

Vaccines Available at Urgent Care

Get your vaccines done by a trained doctor at a time that is convenient for you. Statcare Urgent Care offers routine vaccines and all travel vaccines at all of our locations. Get a vaccine for tetanus, chickenpox, MMR, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, pneumonia and the flu. Whether you need Typhoid vaccine or Yellow Fever vaccine for travel, Statcare locations have them all in stock. Skip the long lines at pharmacy locations and come to urgent care during our extended hours. We’ll be ready for you.

Occupational Testing

Finally, many patients choose Statcare Urgent Care as their preferred place to take the tests necessary to do their jobs. Required exams like the DOT physical, FAA Physical, DMV Eye & Vision Exams, Drug Screenings and hearing tests are all available at our urgent care locations. We’ll administer the test, give you the results and notify the correct agencies if you’ve passed your test. Get all the certifications your job requires in a single place at a time that works for you. That’s the beauty of urgent care!

Reasons Not to Go to Urgent Care

If your medical concern is life-threatening, don’t come to urgent care. Go directly to the emergency room or a hospital to get the immediate, specialized care that you need. Urgent care should only be used for minor illnesses and injuries. Anything more serious than a broken bone or a fever should be treated by doctors in the emergency room.

Of course, there are additional reasons you might need to visit one of our urgent care locations. You might want to try our telemedicine, an online doctor that can do everything your urgent care doctor can do. This service allows you to take the appointment in the comfort of your own home! If you’re curious about the other medical services we offer, check out our comprehensive list of services. Or just stop by. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.

walk in clinic