I am sure all of you who are out of school & off work today have one thing on your minds…playing in the snow!!

We want you to enjoy your day off but also want you to take precautions while being out in this type of weather! 

I know I know I always give tips on how to do something but trust me, you never know when you might be put in a situation where you might need to remember some of my helpful tips

I found 12 really great tips from Reader’sDigest.com about staying safe and warm when out playing in these conditions:

1. Apply a Vaseline sheild: apply a thin coat of Vaseline to any exposed skin.
2. Don’t walk with your hands in your pockets: You need them out and ready in case you accidentally slip & fall! (trust me, it happens!)
3. Snow’s first cousin is ICE: It will help to wear rubber sole boots, walk slowly, take extra time to make it to your destination & don’t carry anything that’s very heavy.
4. Be weary of white, pale grey or waxed texture skin:  These are the first signs of Frostbite.
5. Put large rubber dish washing gloves over your wool mittens: I know, it sounds silly but this will help keep the moisture out!
6. Make sure your boots aren’t too tight: if they don’t fit just right your blood won’t circulate regularly and will cause your feet to chill.  Good sock options; polypropylene or wool.
7. Apply sunscreen, SPF chap-stick & sunglasses: a sunny day in winter is often brighter due to the glare of the snow & ice.
8. Dress in layers: make sure your first layer is made of synthetic microfiber fabric, which will rid your sweat, allowing you to stay warm.  Avoid cotton; once wet it will stay wet.  Your next layer should be something like a fleece or hoodie topped with a windproof jacket.
9. Don’t go out on an empty stomach: eat something rich in protein or fiber before venturing out in these conditions.
10. Prepare your car for winter conditions: stock it with snow tire chains, shovel, tow rope, rubber gloves, blanket, flashlight, etc.
11. If you are not in the best of shape or health: hire a kid to do the snow shoveling.
12. Those who should avoid shoveling; history of heart disease, heart attack, or high blood pressure. (refer to my other blog; Safety tips on snow shoveling for more helpful advice)

Now that your are more prepared for the snow go out and enjoy your day off!!!

Just in case you happen to get hurt Family Medical Walk-In Clinics are open late and on weekends!!  For more information: (417) 890-5550.

Sources:

http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/stay-warm-and-healthy-in-the-snow/article16155.html

Alright everyone here we go again, another round of winter weather is set to hit the Ozarks starting this Wednesday through Friday.

Family Medical Walk-In Clinic wants you to take precautions before the storm this time around!  We have provided a few helpful tips to make sure you are fully prepared for whatever type of winter weather the Ozarks may receive.

What you should have at your home:

• An emergency supply kit
• Flashlights with extra batteries
• Weather radio
• Food & water (high protein bars, peanuts, canned food, etc.) FYI: you should have at least 3 gallons of water per person!
• Extra medicine
• If you have a young child, double up on what you would usually keep in the diaper bag
• Emergency heating source
• Fire extinguisher

If you lose heat:

• Stay inside (make sure you use proper ventilation if you are using an alternate heating unit)
• Close off unneeded rooms
• Stuff towels and rags under doors
• Cover windows at night

If you get caught in the storm away from home:

• Find shelter A.S.A.P.
• If you can’t find shelter put your back towards the wind, try and build a fire & do NOT eat snow!!  It lowers your body temperature.
• Avoid over exertion (sweating could lead to chilling & hypothermia)
• Wear loose fit clothing, apply layers
• Keep your clothes dry
• Understand the actual meaning of wind chill

For more helpful winter storm precaution tips visit:

http://www.readypa.org/potentialemergencies/winterstorms/

For more winter weather safety tips read our other blogs on Hypothermia and Frostbite!!!

Stay informed with 417Health.com!!!

Sources:

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/oax/safety/beprepared.php

http://www.co.grand-traverse.mi.us/departments/Emergency_Management___Homeland_Security/PREPARING_FOR_A_WINTER_STORM.htm

We will be extending our hours at our Ozark location beginning January 30, 2010.

We will now be open late seven days a week!
Monday-Friday: 8am.-8pm.
Saturday: 9am.-5pm.
Sunday: 11am.-6pm.

For more information, please feel free to call: (417) 890-5550

Welcome to all of our new readers that learned about this site from our sponsorship of the Tournament of Champions and good morning and welcome back to our existing group of readers.  We appreciate your time and interest in our site and we welcome your comments and suggestions. 

This site is dedicated to providing useful information regarding your health and on occasion to provide information on how our clinics can be of service when you need non-emergent care for unplanned illness and injury.  Today I want to tell you 10 reasons to consider us when deciding where to go for Urgent Care:

1. Urgent Care is our specialty.
2. We have brought our services away from the hospital campus to your communities.
3. We are open seven days a week.
4. We are an independent facility, not owned by the hospital, and can tailor our services to meet your needs.
5. We are a full service facility that can manage all of your Urgent Care needs (labs, x-rays, IV’s, meds, stitches, etc.).
6. We accept all forms of payment for our services (Medicare, Medicaid, Self Pay, Worker Comp, and Commercial Insurance).
7. If you don’t have insurance, we have a flat rate that covers everything you may need during your visit; you will know exactly what your total bill will be at the time of service (this fee is much less than the same service at a hospital based urgent care clinic or emergency department).
8. If you have an insurance outside of the Cox Network, we have a low flat rate that is all inclusive – one fee covers all service in our clinic.
9. For the 13 years we have been open, the average time a patient is in our clinic is 60 minutes.
10. We truly care about the quality of your experience in our clinics.  We will call you two days after your visits to ensure you are getting better and answer any question you may have.

For all of you that have used our clinics, we appreciate your patronage and hope we have met your expectations of quality, accessible, and affordable care.  For patients, not yet familiar with our services, please learn more about us @ http://www.fmwic.com and then give us an opportunity to earn your business as well.

Get healthcare news & information you can TRUST @ 417Health.com!!

417health.com

If you are visiting 417Health.com for the first time we would like to welcome you to our site and hope that you find some pertinent and useful information here. 

We want to write about topics that interest you, so if you have any request, please feel free to let us know!  We write about health, fitness, safety tips, H1N1, seasonal flu, illness, injury, etc.

To learn more about Family Medical Walk-In Clinics visit our main homepage at http://www.fmwic.com or call (417) 890-5550.

Family Medical Walk-In Clinic is sponsoring the Tournament of Champions this weekend at the JQH Arena here in Springfield.  We will have a booth set up there on Saturday and will be giving away t-shirts, bandage holders, pens, etc.  So stop by our booth and say hi and also sign up for our blog and newsletter!!  Come out and support your local teams and welcome those from out of town!

Continue following 417Health.com for local health news you can use & trust!!!