Scott Cason

Scott Cason

       I received my information from the following health care professionals Debra M. Cason R. N., Dr. Alan S. Cason D.C., Dr. Greg Jesteadt M.D., and Dr. Joseph McIntyre, D.D.S. all of these professionals practice in the Harrisonburg, VA area. They identified the following trends.

 1. Whooping cough has been on the rise in the city of Harrisonburg, Va, Doctors have been noticing an increasing trend with newborn exposure. The bacterium that causes Whooping cough is very common. Doctor’s in the area agree is does not take much for an outbreak to occur. Vaccines are recommended.

2. The community’s lack of Health Insurance and benefits. People in the community who cannot afford health insurance are using over the counter medications for illnesses that could be treated better with a visit to a doctor. Businesses are making it more difficult to allow their employees to make doctor’s appointments. If they leave their businesses for an hour they are asked to take off the whole day. In some cases they are asked not come back.

3. Turning to alternative health care. The increased awareness of the prevention of illness is becoming more popular. People are using alternative methods before using medicines and surgeries. They are eating foods that are rich in antioxidants and nutrients shown to support a healthy immune system. Local health food stores are increasing their sales. People are spending time researching remedies to treat sicknesses before they see a doctor.

4. Greater Aware of Oral Hygiene. There has been an increase in awareness for taking care of your teeth. People in the community are seeing the correlation of the health of the mouth and health of the entire body. People are trying to get regular teeth cleanings so that they can prevent certain plaques from affecting the heart. They are also finding more and more people would rather replace a tooth completely with an implant than to get a root canal fixed. This is the same case with patients getting implants instead of using dentures.

5. The use of Antibiotics is decreasing. Doctors are treating patients with steroids instead of using antibiotics. Doctors are trying to prevent the over use of antibiotics. They are trying to be more specific in their diagnosis. If someone has a viral infection they will recommend increased fluid intake and bed rest, instead of prescribing an antibiotic.