Author Archives: Hope Health

Should I take antibiotics before a dental procedure if I’ve had a hip, knee or other joint replacement?

Short Answer:  No. Long Answer:  There has been a fair amount of recent recommendations to take antibiotics before a dental procedure if you’ve had a joint replacement to prevent a hardware infection.  There have been very few reported cases of joint … Continue reading

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Practitioners at Hope Health Family Practice Encourage ALL Parents to Immunize Their Children

Imagine you are the parent of a newborn who is too young for a Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination.  A group in your community has decided not to immunize and an outbreak of Pertussis occurs and spreads rapidly throughout this group.  … Continue reading

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What Does “Gluten-Free” Really Mean? The New FDA Labeling Standard

Earlier this month the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that food claiming to be “gluten-free” must meet a new stringent standard:  Gluten is a protein found mostly in wheat but also is some other grains.  To comply with the … Continue reading

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Nurse Practitioners: Understanding and accepting all that we do

One of the biggest challenges our practice has is overcoming the perception that Nurse Practitioners can’t provide comprehensive primary care.   The health care culture in this country assumes that only MDs are qualified to provide this kind of care.   However, … Continue reading

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Sitting: Why it is Bad for Us

  Many people struggle with getting enough exercise to stay healthy and maintain a healthy weight.   Our days are often consumed with commuting, working behind a desk, doing school work, eating, watching TV or working on a computer.  If anything, … Continue reading

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Do You Know the Unique Heart Attack Symptoms in Women?

When someone is having a heart attack we often imagine someone clutching their chest and describing the sensation of having an “elephant sitting on their chest”.  While this is often the case, women may experience different symptoms causing a delay … Continue reading

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Smart Phone Apps can help you lose weight!

Weight loss apps made for Smartphones and other devices, and on-line food diaries have been shown to improve the chances of successful weight loss.   Why?  These apps and websites make tracking what you eat, ie keeping a food diary, much … Continue reading

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Why Sit When You Can Walk!

We all know exercise is a key component of overall health. Yet, most struggle to make it a natural part of our day. This three minute talk suggests an easy way to add exercise to our day and get all … Continue reading

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Lyme Disease Transmission

To follow up on the deer tick post from the other day.  Many people ask, “why wait for the tick to be on 24 hrs before being concerned about Lyme transmission?”  Well,  there is an enzyme conversion in the tick … Continue reading

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Deer Ticks…They’re Baaack!!

Hope Health Family Practice offers you some handy tips about how to deal with Deer ticks. Remember to cover up and apply tick repellent when going for hikes or being in fields and woods. Remember to check yourself thoroughly when … Continue reading

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