Safety & Prevention

A drug allergy occurs when your immune system mistakenly identifies a drug as a harmful substance, similar to how it attacks invading viruses or bacteria. When your immune system fights back, a series of chemical steps in the body produce an allergic reaction to the medication. The first time you take a medication, you may have no complications. However if your immune system is sensitive to the medication, it will produce antibodies.

Although the month filled with heart-shaped candy boxes is coming to an end, there is still time to raise awareness about heart disease. February is commonly known as the month of love, but it is also deemed American Heart Month by the American Heart Association. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among both men and women in the United States, accounting for nearly 600,000 deaths each year.

Preventative care is extremely important. These 3 ways will help you make sure you are properly paying attention.

Someone is diagnosed with diabetes every 23 seconds. One in 11 people in the U.S. have diabetes, and 86 million more are at risk for developing diabetes. Diabetes is the seventh-leading cause of death with more deaths a year than breast cancer and AIDS combined.

People often use emergency rooms when they don’t actually have an emergency. While you will be treated eventually, it can take a very long time if you don’t actually have an emergency. Emergency rooms are also very expensive. While the answer of whether or not you should rush to the ER is not always clear, knowing the difference between emergency care and urgent care could save a life, time, and money.

To quote the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “hand-washing is like a do-it-yourself vaccine — washing your hands will help reduce the spread of illness so you can stay healthy this winter. Regular hand-washing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others. It’s quick, it’s simple, and it can keep us all from getting sick.”