Hannah Hirst

For my report, I talked with Dr. Paula Haberman’s MA, Melissa from Cottonwood Family Practice in Salt Lake City, Utah. She identified the following top 5 public health trends affecting families in the Salt Lake area. 

1.     The number one issue affecting the health of families in the Salt Lake community has been the flu. This year’s flu outbreak has been one of the highest they have seen in years. It is also important to note that this flu season started earlier than usual. As a result, many people have been affected during this year. The population that has been most vulnerable to the flu has been toddlers and the elderly, many of which have had to be hospitalized as a result.

2.     Bronchitis has become another common issue within the Salt Lake community. Many of the cases of bronchitis that patients have come in with have been in relation to acute bronchitis, rather than chronic bronchitis. Acute bronchitis often starts as a virus, but sometimes is caused by bacteria. Acute bronchitis develops a few days after having an upper respiratory tract infection, like a cold or the flu. The prevalence of acute bronchitis is most likely related to the cold and flu season this year.

3.     The third trend affecting the Salt Lake area has been pertussis. This is also known as whooping cough. The name comes from the deep breathing that is often the result of coughing attacks. Despite the introduction of a new vaccine a few years ago, Utah has seen a spike in this infection. It has been estimated that there is often a spike in pertussis every 3 to 5 years.

4.     Pneumonia is the fourth top trend within the Salt Lake community. Causes of pneumonia can include excessive smoking, drinking, or having trouble swallowing. Often the cause of pneumonia varies. However, due to the increase of the flu, the most prevalent cause has been the flu. To avoid pneumonia it is best to wash your hands regularly, avoid close proximity to others that may have a cold or the flu, make sure that your vaccines are up to date, and consistently live a healthy life style.

5.     As the weather has started to get warmer, allergies have become a trend within Salt Lake as well. This is most likely due to the increase of pollen content within the air. Other causes that have worsened allergies and asthma within Utah have included bad air quality. This year, inversions within Utah have been some of the worst that the state has seen in many years. Ultimately, allergies and asthma have become a common trend within the last year due to large fluctuations in the weather.