Local Physician Assistant Shares Spring Health Tips

Our Daily Show Interview! Getting Ready for Spring With OSF St. Anthony's!

GODFREY - A local physician assistant has some advice on how to manage your health this spring, whether you’re navigating allergies, experiencing increased stress levels, or simply trying to make the healthiest choices you can.

Lucas Edwards works for OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center at the OSF PromptCare center in Godfrey. He shared some tips on how to manage your health this spring and year-round.

When you’re completing your spring cleaning, Edwards suggests it’s a great time to go through your medicine cabinet. Not only can you stock up on all the over-the-counter meds you might need, like allergy medications, but you can also dispose of anything that’s expired.

Edwards said he can be “lax” about this, but generally, you should dispose of anything you’ve had in your medicine cabinet for over a year. This is especially helpful when the allergies hit in this spring weather.

“There’s a reason for the expiration date,” he said. “The longer you wait, probably the less effective it will be. It’s maybe not quite like milk where it sours in the next day or two after the expiration date. But it’s a good rule of thumb. If anything is older than a year, that’s typically when we say to pitch it and get a new bottle.”

Most pharmacies offer a medication drop box where you can dispose of any expired or unused medications. This is especially important for prescription medication, but even over-the-counter meds are best disposed of in this way.

Speaking of over-the-counter meds, Edwards suggests using these medications to manage the symptoms of colds or allergies. He noted that most of these symptoms can be taken care of at home, but there are a few instances when you should make a doctor’s appointment or stop in at the OSF PromptCare center.

For most illnesses, symptoms will “ramp up, hit a peak,” and then decrease, Edwards said. If your symptoms aren’t calming down after a few days, then it might be time to see a doctor. Additionally, a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more usually indicates that you are experiencing something more than allergies.

“I think a fever is kind of the telltale sign. If it’s just allergies, you’re probably not running a fever,” he said. “Some people come in the first few days because they want to get on top of it, and that's great. But generally, we recommend to try more of the over-the-counter stuff, try your allergy meds, try your Flonase, try your over-the-counter cough and cold meds. And if they’re not helping, things are getting worse, or if that fever pops up, that’s generally when we want to see you in the office.”

But there are a few ways you can take care of yourself to avoid illness in the first place. Edwards acknowledges that stress is an issue for a lot of people, and he suggests using the spring as a benchmark to take stock of what you’re doing. If you can delegate or dismiss a few responsibilities, you might notice your stress levels decreasing — and your health improving.

“Life doesn’t slow down ever. It can be easy to get overwhelmed or maybe put on your plate more than what you can really handle yourself,” he explained. “Try to keep it simple. Learn to say no to certain things. Trim the fat. Focus on what’s important, something that is going to fill your bucket, whether that’s physically, emotionally, spiritually.”

He also suggests loading up on fruits and leafy vegetables, especially as seasonal produce stands and farmers markets become more popular. He encourages his patients to get enough exercise and sleep, and to stay hydrated as the weather warms up. These habits can help you avoid getting sick and improve your feelings of wellbeing.

“Our body will only do what we fuel it to do,” he said. “If you fuel it with the right things, we can stay healthy and maybe not get some of those illnesses that we’re talking about.”

But if you do get sick, or if you need help managing your health, you can always reach out to OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center or the OSF PromptCare center where Edwards works. For more information, visit the official OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center website.

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