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1. Teach them how easily germs are passed around. Like with many things in life, children often think of germs as “out of sight, out of mind.” They do not always realize that just because it isn’t visible doesn’t mean it isn’t there! A great way to demonstrate this is to get some cornstarch (representing germs from the stomach virus) and apply a small amount to a child’s hand. Have them turn and shake someone else’s hand, and work your way down the line. When it reaches the end of the line, explain that your family has now officially passed on the stomach virus that started with just one person! You can also have the children grab door handles, light switches, etc. to see how much of the germs pass on to inanimate objects that they touch all the time!

2. Show them the importance of washing their hands. After they’ve been playing outside, give them a slice of white bread and have them touch it all over before they wash their hands. Seal this piece in a bag and label it “Not washed.” Have the children apply Germ-x or another hand sanitizer and do the same with another slice of bread (touch, seal and label). Finally, have them wash their hands with soap and water and do the same to a third slice of bread. In a few days time, mold will begin to grow on the bread, and they can visually see what the bread with no washing did! They may feel differently about dirty hands from here on out!

3. Grow your own cultures! This is a fun way to teach your children about what kind of microscopic yuck is lurking around everyday objects. Using cotton swabs, go around and swab items. Get creative! Use vending machine buttons, toilet seats, fridge handles, the bottom of a shoe, etc. Place these swabs in a petri dish and see what develops! Before anything starts to grow, let the kids pick which they think will be the worst. Here are the complete steps!

These are great ways to teach about germs and have some science fun! Who knows? This may drastically cut back on the number of sick days your family uses this year!

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Don’t believe us? Here’s a real-life DPC success story from our team:

“One of my super sporty mothers called me worried. Three days prior she was playing kickball and slid into 3rd base (nice!). She had scraped up her leg and ankle pretty badly. She’s had scrapes like this before but this one worried her because it was getting hot, painful and swollen. She texted me a picture but from the story alone I knew this was cellulitis. It’s a bacteria infection of the tissue below the skin. I sent out an antibiotic to one of the 24-hr pharmacies. She was so grateful that she didn’t have to go to the ER. We agreed that over the next few days, she would text if her symptoms get worse.”

Visit our website and discover the Voyage DPC difference.

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“He who takes medicine and neglects to diet wastes the skill of his doctors.” — Chinese Proverb

While there are many things in life that you may not have control over, you can have control over how you treat and care for your body. Developing a healthy lifestyle that will take good care of your body requires paying attention to both diet AND exercise.

In light of this dual focus, perhaps the Chinese proverb ought to read, “He who takes medicine and neglects his (or her) body wastes the skill of his doctors.” While medicines can be an important part of treating conditions and getting and staying healthy, if you aren’t also actively taking care of your body, you’re missing out.

This article will help you focus a bit more on the exercise side of this equation. The truth is, exercise is different for everybody. The type, duration, and intensity of your particular exercise depends on your goals, your passions, your current level of health and what you enjoy—which is exactly how it should be!

The most important thing is not to compare where you are right now to where someone else is or to where you want to be in six months or a year. These kinds of comparisons will only lead to discouragement. Instead, know where you want to go, set achievable goals, start where you are, and be consistent.

It really can be that simple.

Regardless of whether you decide that basketball, hiking, biking, walking, running or pickleball is your “thing,” remember that stretching and strength training are essential components to integrate into any exercise routine. Whether you’re already active or just starting to develop an active daily lifestyle, here are two thoughts to consider:

• Pick activities that YOU find fun and enjoyable and start slow. If you’re not sure what to try, we’re happy to recommend our favorites, such as hiking, biking, running, basketball, and… you guessed it… pickleball. You are far more likely to stick to a routine if you’re doing something that you can look forward to.

• If you want to prevent injuries that will sideline you from your daily activities, proper stretching and strength training will help ensure you’re ready to hit the court (or gym, or road) strong day after day.


Since proper form in any strength exercise is important to maximize the benefits of that exercise and guard against injury, here are some tips from Dr. John on the correct form of some of his go-to exercises for strength and agility.

• Squats: The first thing to remember with squats – DON’T start too heavy. It’s a surefire way to get injured fast.

• Dragon Ups: This exercise is both hard and awesome. While dragon ups primarily work your core muscles, they also engage the hip flexors, adductors, deltoids, quads and hamstrings.

• Planks: Planks are a great choice for protecting your spine and strengthening your abdominal muscles. They are super straightforward and have a number of variations.

• Hammer Curls: Strong arms are important for maintaining a good pickleball swing as well as performing most of your daily activities. While curls are also pretty straightforward, good form is still important.

Don’t feel limited to these four exercises; they are merely a taste of some of the easy activities you can include in your daily routine to stay strong and injury free. The most important thing is to get outside and move. And be sure to have fun while you’re at it. For more healthy living tips to help you lead your best, most beautiful life, check us out on YouTube and be sure to Subscribe.

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SEPT 29 – OCT 20
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What is a first aid kit?

A first aid kit is a collection of supplies and equipment that can be used to provide medical treatment in the event of an injury or illness. First aid kits typically contain items such as bandages, gauze, scissors, tweezers, adhesive tape, antiseptic wipes, cotton balls, safety pins, latex gloves, a thermometer, etc. Most first aid kits also come with a first aid manual that provides instructions on how to use the items in the kit.

While first aid kits can be purchased pre-assembled from many different retailers, it’s also possible to create your own custom kit. When creating your own first aid kit, be sure to include items that will be appropriate for the type of injuries or illnesses that you’re likely to encounter. For example, if you live in an area with a lot of allergies, you may want to include antihistamines in your kit. If you live in an area with a lot of snake bites, you may want to include a snake bite kit. If you have children in your home, stock up on those bandages!

Important items in your first aid kit

Some items should always be stocked in your first aid kit. For example, reusable bandages, gauze, and tape are used to treat cuts and scrapes and hold ice packs in place to reduce swelling. Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, are great to have on hand, and you may want to include antihistamines in case of an allergic reaction. It’s also a good idea to keep a list of emergency numbers, such as the number for poison control or your local hospital.

Many first aid kids contain antiseptic wipes, which are good for cleaning surfaces such as countertops or door handles, but we don’t recommend using antiseptic wipes for wound cleaning. Nor should you use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. The best thing for cleaning a wound is actually tap water and lots of it, with a little soap if needed. To prevent infection after cleaning and dressing a wound, we recommend bacitracin, not triple antibiotic ointment.

In addition to these common essentials, we recommend benzoin tincture to protect wounded skin from irritation and infection, as well as steri-strips for closing/bandaging wounds. Vaseline or aquafor are great for keeping the wound area moist and helping it to heal with minimal scarring.

What common injuries should you be prepared for?

There are a few different types of injuries that you should be prepared for when assembling your first-aid kit, including cuts and scrapes, burns, insect bites and stings, and sprains and strains.

When is it time to call for more help?

There are certain situations when you should definitely call 911, such as:

-If someone is unconscious or not breathing
-If someone is having a seizure
-If someone is bleeding heavily
-If someone has a severe allergic reaction

If you’re unsure whether or not you should call 911, it’s always better to err on the side of caution. When in doubt, call for help!

A first-aid kit is an essential part of any home, and it should be well-stocked and easily accessible. By keeping a few key items on hand, you can be prepared for minor injuries and illnesses, and potentially save a life. Be sure to keep your first-aid kit updated and check expiration dates regularly.

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Transcriptions
Dr. Sanders: Hi, Dr. Sanders of Voyage Direct Primary Care. Today I wanted to talk about colds. It’s cold season right now, it’s in the middle of February, and we’ve got a lot of people out there with runny noses and congestion and sore throats and all that stuff and I want to talk about today what common recommendation that I have to folks that get colds, and then how to kind of avoid other things and whatnot.

So, number one: cold. You have the typical head congestion, lots of mucus, lots of mucus. Things you can do with that mucus, I like to do 1200 mg of mucinex, plain mucinex, just gyphenicen. There’s a lot of combo meds over there, and you don’t often need all the different various combinations. Those just add lots of side effects to your stuff and make you feel groggy and sometimes really dizzy and funky, so just plain mucinex, 1200 mg twice a day. Mucinex breaks up the mucus, makes it more like water, so doesn’t pull in your sinuses or in your ears or in your lungs, and predispose you to “opportunistic infections,” we;ll talk about that in a minute. 

The other one is sudafed if your blood pressure will tolerate that, another reasonable thing to do. Again, plain sudafed, it will dry up the mucus in your nasal terminix so you don’t create as much mucus and I just like those two medicines, honestly. There’s dexomethorphan, Sudafed DM, again that’s a cough thing, I like people to cough. Certainly if there’s a cough that’s keeping you up at night and all that then maybe you can add some of those things, but honestly there’s things I can add to your regimen that will be better than that stuff anyway. 

So, opportunistic infection. The average cold lasts three to seven days, usually. So that’s very common and you’ll eventually kick it, lots of water, lots of rest, lots of fluids and sudafed and mucinex, and most people just kind of, the virus will run its course and your immune system will kill it. However, sometimes that mucus pools, and it will pool in your sinuses, and it will pool in your ears, it might even pool in your lungs and will create what’s called and opportunistic infection. That’s when I want to hear from you. 

So if you’re past that seven day mark, and you’re having ear pain or you’re having sinus pressure, again past the seven day mark, so I’m ten days in and I’ve got this sinus pressure. Now you have a sinus infection. Well what about in the first three days and I get sinus pressure? Well that’s all viral, lots of mucus and it’s still pooling in your sinuses and causing pressure, but the chance of that being bacteria are much less. If you’re past that seven day mark and it’s starting to hurt, then yeah you probably got an opportunistic bacterial infection. Also you can have pneumonias in that same time frame. Kids get otitis, maybe like an ear infection, very very commonly as an opportunistic infection as well.

So be on the lookout for those as well, and I think that’s it. Dr. Sanders with Voyage Direct Primary Care, trying to teach the masses and talk about colds today. Thanks, bye.

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