Blog Archive
While you may not always be able to prevent stressful times from coming, there are things you can do to get through them as calmly as possible. One thing that has helped many people is psychotherapy. Our psychiatry specialists at Alpha Care Medical are experts in providing psychotherapy, which can...
You might think of an annual wellness exam as just another box you need to check on your to-do list for the year. While getting to your wellness exam might feel like a tedious task, it won’t seem so inconvenient once you learn its true importance. The multidisciplinary experts at Alpha...
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is a leading treatment for all things menopause. Menopause is a natural part of a woman’s life cycle that marks the end of your menstrual cycle: This means no more ovulation and no more monthly periods. However, the transition isn’t particularly smooth for all women. Most women...
Chronic pain affects more than 20% of adults in the United States. Beyond the pain, sufferers can also experience secondary problems, such as insomnia, immobility, and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Due to opioid addiction and related issues, many people are seeking more natural forms of pain management. And one way that has been gaining traction is...
Depression is a condition that affects more than 20 million adults in the United States. Life with this condition may make you feel like it’s not worth living and that it’ll never get better. You may struggle to find joy in activities, and you may feel tired all the time and anxious. ...
In the time leading up to menopause — and for some time after — hormonal imbalances can cause a host of symptoms. During this time, your periods slow to a stop, and you might experience a variety of symptoms, such as hot flashes, anxiety, and pain during sex. While the...
Anxiety disorders affect almost 6.8 million adults in the United States, but only around 43% of them receive treatment. While certain factors, such as a lack of insurance coverage, can contribute to this low percentage, many people simply don’t realize that effective therapies can significantly reduce their symptoms and improve...
Panic attacks are events that stem from high anxiety and can happen when you least expect them. Some of the worst episodes can be mistaken for more dangerous medical events because of their physiological symptoms. Additionally, your racing mind might tell you that a panic attack won’t end or that...
Primary care providers are the central hubs for medical care. For example, you can go to them with your questions and concerns and get personalized answers. And, they can track your health over time and monitor trends, take proactive measures to help keep you from getting ill, and treat you when...
Many people who experience anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), have regular panic attacks as a symptom. For many people who suffer from them, panic attacks can occur at any time, and they can interfere with their health and well-being. If you suffer from panic attacks, our providers...
Recent research suggests that more than 16 million individuals worldwide and 3 million people in the United States live with opioid addiction. For many people, getting treatment can seem daunting, because they may not know how to get started. Or, they may worry about being judged for seeking help. Here...
Menopause is the time in your life when your ovaries stop releasing an egg once a month and you stop getting periods. Both ovulation and menstruation are driven by certain hormones, and the levels of these hormones drop when you reach menopause. This can lead to a wide array of...
Visiting your primary care provider for a wellness exam every year might seem unnecessary, especially if you feel perfectly healthy and don’t have any discernible symptoms or concerns. Yet, there’s a reason most primary care providers recommend them to their patients. Even if you feel fine, your body might show...
You might feel anxiety or anticipation regarding your upcoming psychiatric evaluation at Alpha Care Medical. However, our providers in Seaford, Millsboro, Harrington, and Dover, Delaware, specialize in psychiatry, and we can ease your mind, help you feel relaxed, and explain the ultimate benefits of getting evaluated. There are many reasons why your...
The way you think affects everything in your life. If you’re feeling down, this can color what you think about yourself, others, and other aspects of your life. While everyone can be affected by sad thoughts and feelings from time to time, if these thoughts and feelings are chronic, it’s...
Unfortunately, where there are cars, there will be car accidents. However, being prepared can help you stay in control of the situation as much as possible. And, if you get injured, knowing what to do can help you get the care you need and also help you recover as quickly as...
Do you wish you had health care that didn’t just treat your symptoms, but it helped you get well? Functional medicine does just that. Functional medicine is customized to you. It takes all aspects of your life into account to target the root causes of your acute or chronic illness. And by...
Roughly 11% of people living in the United States experience a panic attack each year. Of these individuals, up to 3% will develop a panic disorder. Panic attacks don’t usually come out of nowhere. In fact, they’re usually linked to an underlying anxiety disorder, and the path to relief usually involves treating the condition that’s...
If you have diabetes, you’re not alone. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are more than 37 million people in the United States who have this condition. And although diabetes can present many health challenges, the good news is that research and technology have steadily advanced...
Our bodies can do some amazing things, but some unfortunate things can happen to our bodies as well. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic conditions affect as many as six in ten adults in the U.S. Furthermore, the CDC states that chronic conditions are the...
When many people think about depression, one word usually comes to mind: sadness. While sadness is certainly a symptom of depression, much more is actually involved in the condition. An estimated 6% of people in the United States live with depression. Unfortunately, many people don’t get a diagnosis and struggle...
According to The World Health Organization, hundreds of millions of people around the world live with mental illness. If you think you might be one of them, going to your primary care doctor is a good place to start. However, your doctor may recommend that you see a mental health...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 19% of Americans sought treatment for mental health conditions in 2019. From phobias and panic attacks to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, a broad spectrum of mental health issues affect people of all ages and backgrounds. Only 9.5% of...
Over the years, modern medicine has delivered some amazing new technology and life-saving breakthroughs that have benefitted doctors and patients alike. But the model of health care has been stagnant for far too long. Most physicians focus primarily on identifying and reducing symptoms, and as they seek to streamline their...
If pain becomes a constant companion, it can change your life. You might stop doing the things you love, your weight might increase, and you might become isolated and depressed. These and other side effects can exacerbate your pain and trigger a cycle that can be tough to break. Our...
Any addiction, from gambling to overeating, can derail your life, but drug addiction — especially opioid abuse — can be fatal. But before it gets to that, opioid addiction often drags its victims through a long list of serious consequences, including some very dangerous circumstances and health issues. With four...
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 41 million people die every year due to chronic illnesses that are a direct result of chosen lifestyles and behaviors. Of course, advancing age is also a contributing factor, but the majority of culprits are elective behaviors, including tobacco, alcohol, sedentary lifestyle, stress,...
In school, you likely had a home room that served as the anchor for all your other classes. It’s where you started every day, established a routine, and learned important information you needed to navigate your education. Primary care is like the home room of the medical world. It’s the...
More than one-fifth of the American population lives with chronic pain. Pain is considered chronic when it lasts for three months or longer. Chronic pain may keep you up at night, keep you from work, or prevent you from engaging in the activities you love. Fortunately, our team at Alpha...
The COVID-19 pandemic preoccupies the news and has brought life as we knew it to a grinding halt. However, the opioid epidemic that had been raging long before the novel coronavirus appeared hasn’t stopped in the wake of the global pandemic. In fact, the opioid epidemic is still claiming lives...
When you think of therapy, you probably think of lying on a couch talking about your feelings, while a stoic doctor jots down everything you say and hands you a prescription on your way out. That might be what mental health treatments used to be like, but not anymore. At...
Everyone is wired differently, and personalities vary greatly, so the range of “normal” behavior is massive. This can make it tough to decide on your own whether your behavior, thoughts, and feelings are simply ordinary responses or signs that you have a mental health condition. That’s where we come in....
The health care system has become more and more compartmentalized, with specialties for every imaginable medical category and ever-emerging modes of care delivery. Some physicians narrow their care to one specific body part or condition, others branch out and embrace complementary fields, such as cosmetic treatments. Concierge medicine offers a...
The opioid epidemic has enslaved millions of Americans in a life of addiction and hopelessness. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nearly 30% of patients who use prescription painkillers end up misusing them, and up to 12% develop an addiction to them. Of those, about 4-6% switch to...
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered dramatic changes throughout everyday life — and in the medical community as well. Not only are providers across the country postponing elective procedures, but many are also encouraging people to avoid in-office appointments to reduce their risk of exposure to this highly contagious coronavirus.But what...
Specialized medicine allows doctors to narrow their focus and become experts at one thing. In theory, that sounds like a good idea. But there are times when that kind of laser focus may do more harm than good. When you have a chronic condition or are simply interested in optimal...
Accidents happen everywhere and all the time. In fact, there are 6 million car accidents, 8 million slip-and-fall accidents, and 2.8 million workplace injuries every year. Unfortunately, accidents are inevitable, and chances are you’ll have one at some point in your life. So the best thing you can do is...
What habits do you have? Smoking? Biting your nails? Binge eating? Or maybe you tend to close yourself off from friends and family or avoid confrontation at work. The things you do every day that you think are just personality quirks may actually impact your mental and physical health. The...
Whether you used a prescription drug to battle severe pain, or you experimented with an illegal drug like heroin and got hooked, opioid addiction doesn’t care how you started — and it doesn’t care how badly you want to stop. Once opioids get a hold of your life, it can...
From annual wellness exams to various injuries and illnesses, primary care is usually your first line of defense. If you need more advanced care, you probably expect to be referred to a specialist. But at Alpha Care Medical, you can expect comprehensive care for your chronic conditions right here in...
Drugs and alcohol can seize your life and turn it upside down. They can rob you of control, joy, and even hope. They affect the lives of nearly 20 million Americans, and countless more who love and care for them. And it’s not only physical — psychological, emotional, and social...
If you have, or think you have, COVID-19, you probably have a lot of questions and some serious concerns. There are so many conflicting reports, you may be wondering where to turn for information you can trust. At Alpha Care Medical, our team of experienced primary care physicians are equipped...
If you’ve ever been examined by a doctor, you’ve probably experienced the conventional approach to health care. And for many acute conditions, this tried-and-true method is very effective. But, when it comes to chronic conditions, the traditional approach often falls short. Our team at Alpha Care Medical embraces a more...
Once called combat fatigue or shell shock, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has historically been associated with combat, but it doesn’t take a war zone to cause it. PTSD can result from experiencing or witnessing a violent act, being in an accident, or repeated exposure to intense, traumatic events. In fact,...
Addictive drugs have always been a problem and have ruined and ended countless lives. But it was never a full-fledged epidemic until 1999, when doctors began prescribing opioids as prescription pain killers and their patients became addicted. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), even though overdose...
Do you avoid annual physicals? You’re in good company. Millions of people avoid going to the doctor, especially millennials. These people often think there’s no reason to see a doctor unless they’re ill. They’re pressed for time and money. And they don’t want to invest in an annual physical if...