Strep Throat- Symptoms, Causes and Complications

Medically, strep throat is a bacterial infection which causes pain and inflammation in the patient’s throat. It is a contagious disease and should be given prompt care to prevent its complications. 

What Are The Causes of a Strep Throat?

The primary cause of strep throat is a bacteria- Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as group A streptococcus. This bacteria is highly contagious. It can get passed on to you through airborne droplets when someone who is already suffering from the infection sneezes or you share food/drinks with them. These bacteria can also get transferred when you touch some surface and then use the hand on your face or mouth. 

What are the Symptoms of Strep Throat?

•    Painful swallowing

•    A headache

•    Body ache

•    Fever

•    Rash

•    Throat pain

•    Red and swollen tonsils. In some cases with white patches or streaks of pus)

•    Swollen, tender lymph nodes in your neck

•    Nausea or vomiting, especially in younger children

•    Tiny red spots on the area at the back of the roof of the mouth

Who Is Likely to Suffer from Strep Throat?

Young children and adolescents are likely to suffer this disease. Sometimes toddlers and adults also get affected by this illness. People suffer strep throat usually during the winter season. Experts suggest that not everyone experiences same symptoms to strep throat and it varies from person to person and age to age.

What are the Complications of Strep Throat?

If you start the treatment within one week of its symptoms, then you can overcome the disease. Else, if left untreated or if treated after a long period of suffering, then it can lead to severe complications which include:

•    Sinusitis.

•    Peritonsillar abscess- it is a pus-filled infection which develops in the back of the tonsils.

•    Ear infection.

•    Guttate psoriasis- it is a condition that causes small, red teardrop-shaped spots on the                body.

•    Rheumatic fever- it is an inflammatory disease that affects the heart, joints, and the skin.

•    Mastoiditis- it is an infection of the mastoid bone in the skull.

•    Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis- it is inflammation of the kidneys.

•    Scarlet fever- it occurs when toxins created by the strep infection cause a rash (scarlet-colored) to develop on different body parts.

Strep Throat Urgent Care

If you observe symptoms of strep throat happening with you, then immediately consult at Gonzaba Urgent Care Center for prompt treatment. They provide the best care in San Antonio for medical needs, and you should not miss the opportunity getting consulted with an experienced doctor.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - Capturing What's Inside You!

The internal design of a human body is complicated, and hence, an X-Ray examination cannot reveal everything. To understand the minute insights better, doctors instruct MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). An MRI machine is a tube-shaped device which creates detailed images of tissues and organs of a human body under the influence of magnetic field and radio waves. When a patient lies inside an MRI machine, his body's hydrogen atoms are realigned by the magnetic field. Then, the radio waves in parallel produce faint signals to develop cross-sectional MRI images. The images can be created either in two dimensions or three dimensions as per requirement. 

Why is MRI done?

MRI is a noninvasive method of capturing high-resolution images of internal organs, tissues and skeletal system to diagnose the problems happening inside the body. 

MRI of Spinal Cord and Brain

Often patients undergo this examination for brain or spinal cord to diagnose:

• Spinal cord injuries
• Tumors
• Multiple sclerosis
• Aneurysms of cerebral vessels
• Disorders of the eye and inner ear
• Brain injury from trauma 

Apart from these variants, a particular type of MRI known as function MRI (fMRI) is done to measure the metabolic changes occurring inside the brain. It examines the brain's anatomy and determines how the parts of the brain are functioning. fMRI is also used to determine the damage caused due to head injury or diseases like Alzheimer's disease. 

MRI of Internal Organs

Medical science has earned numerous advantages since the launch of MRI technology. It can be used to identify abnormalities prevailing in body parts like:

• Ovaries
• Liver and bile ducts
• Spleen
• Prostate
• Kidneys
• Uterus
• Pancreas 

MRI of Heart and Blood Vessels

• For heart and blood vessels this technique can assess:
• The thickness and the movement of heart's walls.
• The structural problems of the aorta.
• The functions and size of the chambers of the heart.
• The blockage and inflammation in blood vessels.
• The seriousness of damage caused by heart disease or heart attack. 

MRI of Bones and Joints

• Here, this magnetic technology helps to evaluate:
• Disk abnormalities in the spine
• Bone infections
• Tumors of the bones and soft tissues
• Joint defects caused by traumatic or repetitive injuries 

Radiology Service Centers in San Antonio

If you want to undergo MRI or any other radiology procedure, then reach out to the experts of Gonzaba Medical Group. They are one of the leading providers of Diagnostic Imaging Services in San Antonio.

Does Arthritis Require an Urgent Care?

Are you suffering from severe joint pain problem? If so, then stay attentive and consult a specialist immediately because joint issues are an indication of arthritis. This problem of joints is said to cause permanent damage to joint bones if treatment is delayed.  

When to See a Doctor? 

If you face the following potential signs of joint problems, then see an arthritis specialist immediately: 

• Joint tenderness or stiffness 
• Pain in joints 
• Swelling of joints 
• Stiffness while motioning of joints 
• Redness or warmth in joints 
• Difficulty in moving a joint or while doing everyday activities 
• Joint symptoms that cause concern 
• Joint problems that last longer than two days 
• Several cases of joint issues in a single month

 

When is Arthritis Urgent Care Required? 

Arthritis isn't a diagnosis, and many people confuse it this way. It is a medical disorder which covers a hundred diseases and related conditions. If you are diagnosed with arthritis, then knowing the type of arthritis is the first step to getting the right treatment. 

Some types of arthritis like septic require treatment on a prompt basis. The reason is these conditions create permanent damage and getting an immediate treatment can bring the situation under control. Medications prevent damage to the functions of joints and other related problems. 

Experts suggest that infrequent or mild joint problems should be addressed on an urgent basis to keep damages out of the way. Additionally, it is advisable to discuss your bones with the specialist in your regular health check-ups.  

 

How to Ease Arthritis Pain? 

• Exercising- A body which stays inactive and sedentary while suffering from arthritis worsens the situation and invites other health issues too. Pool exercises, yoga or prescribed exercises keeps an arthritis patient physically fit. 
• Start Your Day with Warm Water and Stretching- Our body is tight when we wake up in the morning, therefore to loosen it up, take a shower with warm water to relax your muscles and then do some stretching. 
• Maintain your Weight- Researchers believe that excess fat tissues create a chemical that causes inflammation. To cure arthritis, you need to avoid inflammation strictly because it usually happens in joints due to the accumulation of weighty muscles. 
• Eat a Balanced and Low Cholesterol Diet- Some foods cause inflammation and extreme pain in joints. Avoid eating foods with high sodium content (salt), sugar, corn oil, fried or oily foods and processed foods. 

 

Arthritis Treatment in San Antonio 

Gonzaba Urgent Care Center is an arthritis treatment center also to other urgent care problems. They work seven days a week and treat conditions of people greater than two years of age. For more details book an appointment now.

What is Radiology? What are its Types?

Advancements in technology have invented numerous non-invasive methods which can minutely diagnose the activities happening inside a human body. Medical imaging systems have made it possible to generate the pictures of anatomic structures and organs of living organisms. The images produced by these methods are highly detailed, and these contribute to expanding the knowledge of physicians and other associated resources to further proceed with the required treatment.

Radiology is a branch of medicine which concerns the use of radiant energy in diagnosing and treating diseases. The physician who specializes in radiology is known as a radiologist. There are two types of radiology:

·         Diagnostic Radiology-It is also known as diagnostic imaging, and it uses radiations of low intensity to develop highly detailed images of the internal system. It is usually used in diagnosing the internal state of the body in case of broken bones, blood clots, heart conditions and gastrointestinal conditions. It is also used to monitor the outcomes of ongoing treatment and in the diagnosis of breast and colon cancer. The following are examples of diagnostic radiology scans:

o   Ultrasound- It is the most inexpensive technology which is majorly used in producing images of the foetus and pregnant mother. It applies acoustic energy at application area to create pictures. Technically, the frequency of energy is above the audible frequency levels of the humans.

o   Nuclear Medicine Scans- This scan includes the patient gulping pill which encapsulates a gamma camera and a few other components. This short-lived radioactive element takes continuous snaps as it passes through the oesophagus.  

o   Radiography/X-Rays- It is one of the oldest body scan methods which is primarily used in developing images of bones, joints, and ligaments.

o   Computed Tomography (CT) Scans- This scan uses high radiation energy to generate images of all possible orientations.

o   Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scans- It operates on magnetic field energy and is the most efficient procedure for producing two and three-dimensional images.

o   Interventional Radiology- It is a minimally invasive disease treatment procedure which uses diagnostic radiology scans (produced by CT scan, MRI scan and ultrasound to help guide medical procedures) to insert catheters, wires, and other incision tools. Doctors use stents, occluders and medications to cure conditions like cancers, back pain, blockages in arteries and veins and problems related to liver and kidney. 

Radiology Centers in San Antonio

For diagnostic imaging in San Antonio, Gonzaba Medical Group is the best place to visit. It is one of the chief providers of diagnostic imaging services and all under one roof.