February is American Heart Month! Did you know that approximately every 38 seconds an American dies from cardiovascular disease? It's a sad statistic that will only get worse if we ignore the problem. Cardiovascular disease is not only the leading cause of death in our nation, but globally as well. A large number of these deaths could be prevented through education and lifestyle change.

Serving the medical needs of a small town can often be challenging – especially for a non-profit hospital like Orchard Hospital. With the addition of Camp Fire Survivors over the past year and the establishment of the FEMA community within the Gridley area, Orchard has continued to live by its mission to provide quality health care to residents.

Most people don’t like the idea of getting older, and in part, this could be because it means you’re more susceptible to getting the flu. As we get older, our human immune defenses become weaker, which means that people 65 years and older bear the greatest burden during flu season.

Flu season is a confusing term. The flu isn’t just a season, and there isn’t one catch all flu shot. If you’ve forgotten to get your flu shot you’re probably wondering if it’s too late. The answer? Nope! It’s not too late to get a flu shot.

Sitting down at Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and pumpkin pie starting back at you is no time to decide you’re going to be healthy. But, you’d also like to avoid the food coma that inevitably happens each year and lands you on the couch, groaning from discomfort for the rest of the night.

Fall is here and the holidays are just around the corner. Most American holiday traditions involve food, and fall and winter foods tend to be more calorie dense "comfort foods." We stuff ourselves during the fall while also being less active, staying indoors out of the cold. Then January 1st rolls around and we have to make a new year's resolution to get healthy again. It's a vicious (yet delicious) cycle, full of candy, pies, breads and smoked meats.

What can be done to avoid the classic fall weight gain? It's not as bad as you might think. Avoiding overeating and making some subtle changes to your holiday recipes can go a long way. Also, don't forget to stay active during the fall and winter. Find ways to get outside when the weather permits, bundle up and go for a walk, just keep moving! A more active lifestyle will keep your metabolism burning through some of those extra holiday treats. The website Livestrong.com provides us with some healthy eating tips to avoid fall weight gain.

Have you ever left a doctor's appointment feeling frustrated? Like you didn't get answers to your questions, or even worse like the doctor wasn't really listening to you? It's a common problem for patients to walk away from an appointment feeling passed over and unheard.

At Orchard Hospital we want our patients to have the best experience possible and leave feeling understood and empowered. Our fantastic staff help make that happen every day. There are also steps a patient can take to make their experience better. Below are some tips on how to turn a potentially frustrating experience into a successful one and get the answers you're looking for.

There are two main types of diabetes, known as Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is far more rare and results from the pancreas ceasing to function. Usually Type 1 diabetes will appear in a child by age 5, but in some cases it's onset can be delayed until adulthood. There is no "cure" for Type 1 diabetes, there is only treatment and management of the condition.

Type 2 diabetes on the other hand often does not appear until adulthood, most commonly in the 45 - 64 age demographic. For this reason, Type 2 diabetes was often referred to as "Adult-Onset diabetes," a term that is being used less now that Type 2 diabetes is on the rise in children and teens. Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 95% of all diabetes cases in the US. 

So what exactly is Type 2 diabetes? What causes it and how can it be prevented or managed? Harvard Medical School lays it out very clearly in the article below.

The term "Flu" is used to describe a range of influenza viruses that cause contagious respiratory infections. The symptoms also include headache, muscle soreness and fever. There are actually 3 different types of flu viruses, A, B and C.

Types A and B are the most common and are the cause of the influenza epidemics that flare up at certain times. Flu vaccines are formulated to protect against both type A and B viruses and are your best defense against infection. So what are the major differences between types A, B, and C?

Now that the kids are back to school that can mean only one thing...flu season is coming. Yep, that's right, there is a spike in flu in the fall that coincides with back to school, but don't despair, there is still hope!