Health emergencies that should not be put on hold due to COVID 19
Fear of getting infected with the novel coronavirus and the need for
quarantine should not stop people from seeking medical help for
non-COVID 19 related chronic and acute health emergencies.
Every minute you delay, the likelihood of having a worse outcome
increases. For example, the sooner a person with heart emergency reports
to the hospital, faster the procedure can be done. Any delay can make a
difference of life and death.
We talked to Dr Anupam Sibal from Apollo Hospital to know more about the type of health emergencies that should not be ignored and how people can find the best hospitals for their treatment.
The emergency can be divided into two categories - chronic and acute. Chronic conditions include diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease and thalassemia. Acute conditions include paralysis, weakness, chest pain, bleeding, loss of consciousness and accident. All these conditions need immediate attention and cannot be ignored, says Dr Sibal
Diabetes and high blood stress
If someone has uncontrolled diabetes, which has been going up and down, the person needs rapid assessment and treatment. Talking about blood pressure, if someone has soaring high BP, one must consult a doctor immediately, as uncontrolled high BP can lead to many other serious health issues.
Dialysis and chemotherapy
A person on dialysis needs to get his dialysis done in the same way he did earlier. Not doing so can deteriorate the condition of the person. And the same is applied for patients who are on chemotherapy or a child who is thalassemic.
Acute conditions
Paralysis
If someone develops paralysis on one side of the body or face, the person needs to be rushed to the hospital immediately.
Chest pain
Acute chest pain can be anything from a heart attack, angina or an emergency angioplasty.
How people can be fear-free?
People first need to talk to their doctors about what all systems they are experiencing. It is important to ask your doctor where COVID 19 patients are being treated in that hospital and if rules of social distancing can be safely maintained on your visit.
If your doctor is not available, you can try contacting another doctor but any kind of health emergency should not be ignored, adds Dr Sibal.
In the last two-three weeks, there have been cases reported where
patients needing immediate medical attention very late to the emergency
due to the fear of COVID 19. This should definitely not happen, says Dr
Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director, Apollo Hospital.
We talked to Dr Anupam Sibal from Apollo Hospital to know more about the type of health emergencies that should not be ignored and how people can find the best hospitals for their treatment.
The emergency can be divided into two categories - chronic and acute. Chronic conditions include diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease and thalassemia. Acute conditions include paralysis, weakness, chest pain, bleeding, loss of consciousness and accident. All these conditions need immediate attention and cannot be ignored, says Dr Sibal
Diabetes and high blood stress
If someone has uncontrolled diabetes, which has been going up and down, the person needs rapid assessment and treatment. Talking about blood pressure, if someone has soaring high BP, one must consult a doctor immediately, as uncontrolled high BP can lead to many other serious health issues.
Dialysis and chemotherapy
A person on dialysis needs to get his dialysis done in the same way he did earlier. Not doing so can deteriorate the condition of the person. And the same is applied for patients who are on chemotherapy or a child who is thalassemic.
Acute conditions
Paralysis
If someone develops paralysis on one side of the body or face, the person needs to be rushed to the hospital immediately.
Chest pain
Acute chest pain can be anything from a heart attack, angina or an emergency angioplasty.
How people can be fear-free?
People first need to talk to their doctors about what all systems they are experiencing. It is important to ask your doctor where COVID 19 patients are being treated in that hospital and if rules of social distancing can be safely maintained on your visit.
If your doctor is not available, you can try contacting another doctor but any kind of health emergency should not be ignored, adds Dr Sibal.
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