Blood is an essential part of how our body works, and it snakes its way through our circulatory system providing nourishment, electrolytes, hormones, vitamins, antibodies, oxygen, and heat wherever it's needed. It is made in our bone marrow and is composed of plasma, red and white blood cells, and platelets....
In healthy doses, blood sugar (blood glucose) is a vital way for your body to get the fuel it needs for many things to function. When you eat foods like carbohydrates, your digestive system turns it into sugars, which are released into the blood and move into your cells, providing energy. Your...
As recently as 2020, hypertension is still a common, dangerous, and preventable condition, affecting about 116 million adults in America (about half of the population) and in one year led to the deaths of over 600,000 people. Only about one in four people have the illness under control while 45%...
From accidentally cutting your arm to scraping your knee, skin trauma like cuts and lacerations are incredibly common, and many are bad enough to warrant medical attention. In one year, 17.2 million people sought medical or emergency care for cuts, lacerations or other wounds, and many were bad enough to...
The weather is starting to change, and that means dealing with the familiar issues with colds and flu as well as getting the flu vaccine. Between October of last year and this past January, there were 13 million people sick with flu, over 6 million doctor visits, and up to...
Our bodies need fuel to move and function. We can compare it in some ways to machines needing gas, batteries, or other forms of energy to work. Our bodies need fuel for its cells, and blood glucose, or blood sugar provides it through what we eat and drink. But what...
Pharyngitis, or sore throat, is one of the common reasons for people to visit their physician, as well as a common reason for people to stay home from work. There are a wide variety of reasons for a sore throat, and one possible cause is strep throat. Although strep throat is...
Blood is vital to carrying important oxygen, nutrients, and other chemicals throughout your body, but how does it do it? Well, this is thanks to blood pressure, the force that moves your blood throughout your circulatory system from your heart. Your veins, blood vessels, and arteries are essentially a plumbing system...
Type 2 diabetes is a common, worldwide health condition, affecting 37.3 million people in America and 415 million people globally. This condition affects your body’s ability to produce insulin and regulate glucose, which when left untreated can lead to complications like cardiovascular disease, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and damage to your nerves, kidneys,...
The challenges to stay healthy continue throughout our lives, as every age group has separate challenges to avoid injury and illness. Children often find themselves dealing with problems like sore throats, coughing, ear pain, and the common cold, while teens struggle with anxieties, asthma, colds, flu, tetanus, and other conditions....
To move blood through your body, your heart beat creates pressure that pushes its way through your blood vessels, arteries, veins, and capillaries. This method of circulating blood throughout your body is known as blood pressure, and we need blood circulation to work properly to live. Nearly half of the...
If you’re getting a physical or need to be tested for a specific condition, there’s a good chance you’ll be getting a blood test. A blood test can help determine the state of your health in a number of ways, and with over 7 billion of them being done annually,...
Influenza (known more commonly as the flu) is a viral respiratory condition that people get as frequently as the cold, which has many similar symptoms. Like the cold, it often resolves on its own with a combination of bed rest and over-the-counter medications, but unlike the col,d there is a...
Your blood is a vital way your body receives nutrients and oxygen to cells throughout your body, which makes a healthy cardiovascular system vital to an active and robust lifestyle. Your blood pressure helps to regulate the flow of blood in your cardiovascular system, so anything that affects it can...
From minor scrapes to major accidents, millions of people find themselves getting injured and in many cases needing medical attention. With 97.9 million people seeking emergency room help for accidental injuries and about 25 million people going to their doctors for the same in 2018 alone, it’s no wonder different...
Your skin is your first line of defense against disease and injury, and because it is the first part of your body with which the outside world comes in contact, people find themselves dealing with cuts, scrapes, and scratches all the time. Many wounds are minor and require little attention,...
As we approach the end of the year and colder weather arrives, many upper respiratory illnesses will become more prevalent, such as the common cold, influenza, and strep throat. Unlike most of the others, however, strep throat is caused by a specific bacteria (group A streptococcus) that can lead to...
With over 7 billion lab tests performed annually in America, clinical lab tests are an essential way to get information to help patients. Lab screenings and tests are a routine part of disease prevention and examining symptoms to find a problem. Whether you’re getting a physical or being diagnosed for...
Diabetes is a disease that continues to affect millions in the US, with 1.5 million new patients being diagnosed every year. Of the 10.5% of Americans dealing with this condition, 7.3 million people don’t even realize they have it. If left untreated, diabetes can lead to many terrible complications, such...
Children are getting less exercise, and it’s starting earlier than you think. A recent study reveals that children engage in less physical activity as early as age 8, with a larger decrease in exercise around age 11. In addition to building strong bones and muscles, physical exercise is important for...
Doctor visits are essential for millions of Americans to help in understanding their health issues, catching early signs of conditions, and making changes to live healthier lifestyles. Lab testing is a vital way for doctors to get information about your health, and blood tests are an extremely common and important...
Physical inactivity is a major concern for many in the US. Did you know that 25% of adults and 20% of high school students are not getting enough physical activity to stay healthy. Lack of exercise can increase the risks of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. A great...
The Influenza vaccine, generally known as the flu shot, is common in the fall and winter months, also known as cold and flu season. And millions of people go to get their flu shots every year. In fact, recent studies from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show that the...
Lack of energy, or fatigue, can be caused by any number of normal activities, like manual labor, intense physical activity, and even lack of activity. Chronic fatigue is finding yourself exhausted frequently and can be linked to bad lifestyle habits, as well as a number of serious conditions. One treatable,...
You get the dreaded sore throat. With it comes that scratchiness and irritation that only seems to get worse when you eat, drink or swallow. And if your voice is hoarse when you speak, you just know something is wrong. You wonder if you have a cold, flu, or something...
According to an annual report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease and cancer continue to be the top two causes of death for men and women in the US, with conditions like diabetes and stroke also affecting millions. Many of these conditions are not just...
Hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure, is a condition that currently affects millions of adults. Roughly 37 million people deal with uncontrolled hypertension, and it caused or contributed to nearly half a million deaths (494,873) in 2018 alone. Hypertension increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, and...
Cardiovascular disease, more commonly known as heart disease, is the leading cause of death in the US. A person dies from the condition every 36 seconds, which roughly averages to 655,000 American lives lost annually. Heart disease covers a range of conditions, including coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, congenital heart defects,...
Even though many families won't be doing as much traveling this year for the holidays, people will still be gathering with loved ones locally to celebrate. This will, no doubt, lead to big meals, comfort foods, and risk for people with diabetes. Many common holiday dishes are not good for...
Botox injections have gone from being used to treat crossed eyes (strabismus) in the 1970s to a variety of uses in medical and cosmetic applications. From wrinkle filling, migraine treatments, bladder dysfunction, to eye twitching, Botox seems to be everywhere, treating patients for any number of conditions. Over the years,...
Cuts and scrapes are among the most common injuries people can get, and they can happen just about anywhere. Anything from landing on something with a sharp edge, breaking something that causes a cut, or just having an accident with a sharp object. Most of the time, cuts and scrapes...
Originally approved by the FDA in 1989 to treat various eye problems and cervical dystonia (a condition in which your neck muscles twitch involuntarily), Botox® has gone on to be used for a number of different treatments both medical and cosmetic, including migraines, foot pain, overactive bladder, and stomach issues....
One in four deaths in the US each year are from some form of heart disease, making it the leading cause of death for men and women in most ethnic groups. This covers a range of potentially fatal heart conditions, many of which are survivable if caught early enough. For...
Though many people would like to simply enjoy the summer heat, some will end up with a summer cold. Additionally, many will end up dealing with one or more of many different allergies. Both are common, but there are enough similarities in the symptoms that it can be hard to...
Some form of medical care is an important part of everyone’s wellbeing. And in the US, with 139 million emergency room visits in 2017 alone, taking care of ourselves before things get that bad is vital. We can do many things to take better care of our health, and important...
Diabetes is a disease that affects over 10% of the US population in people of all ages. There are different types of diabetes, and any of them can cause more problems if untreated. Left unchecked, this disease can lead to complications such as heart disease, nerve and kidney damage, skin...
It’s that time of year again. The fall and winter weather gives us the dreaded cold and flu season. It is possible to catch these year-round, but this is the peak time for the symptoms to start getting people to race for home remedies and over-the-counter medicine. Although most colds...
High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is one of the most common health problems in America. Of the 75 million people that deal with it across the country, just over half (54%) actually have it under control. Left unchecked, hypertension can lead to serious complications, including stroke and heart...
After the presents have all been opened and holiday parties ended, it’s the perfect time to plan you and your family’s yearly physicals. Dr. Rogers Walker and his caring team at Walker Urgent & Family Care in Little River, South Carolina help you give the gift of preventative healthcare to...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of Americans are living with a chronic disease, which is defined as a non-communicable disease that lasts more than a year and requires ongoing medical care. Some well-known chronic diseases are: Diabetes Asthma Arthritis Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Congestive...
Flu season is upon us. Running from October to May, most cases hit late December to early March. The best way to protect yourself against the flu is a flu shot, and the ideal time to get yours is during the early fall. But don’t worry, it’s not too late...
A lot has been said about Botox®. So is it any wonder that figuring out what’s true and what isn’t can be difficult with all of the information that’s available? At Walker Family Care in Little River, South Carolina, we want to make sure that you’re fully informed about your...
Stress, in and of itself, isn’t a bad thing. It can trigger your fight-or-flight response and enable you to avoid danger. It can spur you to avoid being hit by something or enable you to pull someone from danger. The problem arises when you feel stressed all the time. You...
While a diagnosis of diabetes can be life-altering, it isn’t a death sentence. After all, statistics show that 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4% of the population, currently have diabetes. And with 84.1 million Americans considered prediabetic, the burden of managing diabetes definitely isn’t lonely. At Walker Family Care, we’ve put...
If you or your child start having ear pain, especially after swimming in a pool or lake, it could be swimmer’s ear. The medical term for swimmer’s ear is otitis externa, and it’s an infection of the outer ear canal that goes from your eardrum to the outside of your...
Summer is finally here! You probably have plans to visit friends and family, go to the beach or an adventure park, or even fly to a far-off destination or another country. No matter what your plans are, make the most of your trip with these 10 tips for safe summer...
It doesn’t matter how old you are: No one likes to get a shot. The thing is, medical injections like vaccines are meant to keep us healthy, so even though there might be a bit of pain involved, it’s all for the good of your health. As an adult, even...
Hoarseness isn’t necessarily an uncommon health complaint, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously. Even though having a hoarse, strained or raspy voice isn’t a disease on its own, it can still be a symptom of a serious underlying problem. Knowing when to see a doctor is the...
What is a laceration? A laceration is a wound that develops when your soft tissues are torn. This type of wound is usually jagged and irregularly shaped. Lacerations can range in severity considerably, from small cuts to larger, open wounds that require stitches or other medical treatment. Factors to consider before...
Myth or Fact? You can tell if you have strep throat by how it looks. The truth is that not even your doctor can do that. Sore throats have many causes. Some resolve themselves, but others require medical intervention. Here's how to know when a sore throat warrants a trip...
According to the CDC, one out of every three adults has high blood pressure with another third in pre-hypertension, a stat in which blood pressure is higher than normal but not yet classified as hypertension. Managing high blood pressure isn't difficult, but it does take a commitment to making some lifestyle changes....
According to the CDC, over 30 million people in the US have diabetes. That's nearly 10% of the population. Somewhere around 90% of these cases are Type II diabetes, which is the kind of diabetes that people usually develop in adulthood as a result of diet and lifestyle. The CDC...
Seeing your doctor for an annual physical exam is a good way to ensure that you're in good health. Physical exams are designed to catch diseases and chronic conditions in their early stages. They also give you a chance to ask questions about your health and wellness. Some adults only see...
Botox is a popular neurotoxin that can safely reduce the signs of aging in the face. Although it gets a bad rap because it is made from the botulinum toxin — the same toxin responsible for botulism, Botox has few side effects and has been used safely for clinical applications since the...
If you’ve ever had the flu, you know it can be a pretty awful experience. It can take a person down for a week or more and keep them from work and other activities. The best way to fight the flu is to keep from getting it. Before flu season...
One of the best ways to safeguard your health is to take a proactive stance by visiting us regularly for a checkup. These all-important visits provide us with a glimpse at how your body is functioning and allow us to spot potential problems before they become serious, or even life-altering,...
Known as the “silent killer” because there are no symptoms, high blood pressure is a cause for concern when it comes to your health. Millions of Americans have high blood pressure and don’t realize it, so it’s essential to have your blood pressure checked regularly, as Dr. Rogers Walker and...