News & Announcements

Oct 10

There’s no denying it: Women’s bodies are more complex than men’s bodies. That’s in large part because of women’s reproductive systems. Women can develop several conditions that men cannot, such as cervical cancer. Additionally, women are at a greater risk for numerous conditions like autoimmune conditions, hormonal issues, and several others.

At Capital City Primary and Immediate Care, our Dr. Fernando Porter and his staff know that your women’s health exam is probably at the bottom of the list of things you want to do. But, we also know how important it is and want you to know, too! Sometimes knowing why something uncomfortable is necessary makes it easier to do.

The name doesn’t matter: the goal is the same

You may have heard it called a pelvic exam, or a well-woman exam, or some other name, but a women’s health exam is the same, regardless of what it’s called.

One of the important aspects of a women’s health exam is that it happens when you aren’t seeking treatment for some other illness. It gives Dr. Porter a baseline view of your health.

Most women have their first women’s health exam around the beginning of puberty, then annual visits thereafter. As you become sexually active, have symptoms, decide to start a family, or enter the various stages of life, the focus of your visits may change.

What to expect during your exam

No matter your age or stage of life, you can expect about the same thing during your women’s wellness exam. Usually your visit will begin with our staff recording your height, weight, and vital signs. By tracking your vital statistics our staff and Dr. Porter can spot trends in your health over time.

Seeing Dr. Porter annually gives you an opportunity to develop trust and a strong relationship. When patients and doctors have a good rapport, it’s easier for your doctor to spot variations or notice unusual variations that could indicate a problem.

The next part of your exam is most likely going to be a discussion of your health over the previous year. Changes in your life or changes in your living situation could be important.

Depending on your age and lifestyle, your women’s health exam may include information about vaccines or sexually transmitted diseases. For example, when his patients are around the age of 14, Dr. Porter may suggest the HPV vaccine.

Your stage of life guides your exam

Once you’re sexually active, your women’s health exam includes information about birth control, safe sex, family planning, and STD testing. If you want to become pregnant, we can offer advice on improving fertility and answer your questions if you have any.

If you don’t want to become pregnant, we can help you make decisions regarding birth control. For some women, permanent birth control is the best option.

Eventually, you may have questions about perimenopause or desire to discuss any symptoms you’re experiencing.

Your overall health

You’re more than your reproductive system, of course, and your women’s health exam includes aspects of your general health.

For example, Dr. Porter can advise you when it’s time to have various health screenings, such as a mammogram or colon cancer screening.

If you have questions about anything that you may encounter during your women’s health exam, feel free to call, and we’ll do our best to answer them. If it’s time for your women’s health exam, don’t put it off any longer. Call and make an appointment today.

Oct 9

You’ll do anything to protect your family, especially the most vulnerable members; and we believe vaccinations are one of the best ways to ward off the most dangerous diseases. Unfortunately, vaccines are constantly threatened by a slew of misinformation regarding their efficacy and their safety for children.

Dr. Fernando A. Porter and our team at Capital City Primary and Immediate Care in Wheaton, Maryland, are here to draw the line between fact and fiction when it comes to vaccinations.

The basics of vaccinations

Before we address the common vaccine myths, we want to establish exactly what vaccinations are and what they aren’t.

Vaccines are either a shot or a nasal spray that gives your body the instructions for fighting off contagious diseases before you ever come into contact with them. Vaccines contain inactive viruses, weakened forms of the virus, or biosynthetic materials, but they aren’t made of full-strength live viruses.

If a live virus is used in the vaccination, it’s an attenuated (weakened) version, so you don’t get sick.

The vaccine introduces these germs into your body and tells your immune system to start building immunity against the disease. Your body creates antibodies which are the specially coded organisms that defend your body against disease.

It might sound like a no-brainer: get a shot, be protected from disease. But we want you to be equipped with the best information when making decisions about your and your family’s health. Here are three of the most common vaccination myths.

Myth 1: Vaccines cause autism

This myth is often the number one reason parents delay or refuse to vaccinate their children. But the link between vaccines and autism isn’t rooted in truth.

This myth started in 1997 when Andrew Wakefield, a British surgeon, published his research on MMR vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella, suggesting that they directly correlated with an increase in autism in children.

His claims understandably triggered widespread panic, but the connection has since been debunked. The study lost its credibility due to procedural errors and conflicts of interest. The journal retracted the paper, and Wakefield lost his medical license.

Myth 2: You shouldn’t vaccinate infants

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that infant vaccinations are safe and even recommends vaccinating your children on a particular schedule.

Some parents fear that multiple vaccines at once might overload their baby’s immune system, but the CDC shows that the opposite is actually true. There are many benefits of multiple vaccines, including:

• Fewer doctor visits
• Fewer needle pokes, reducing stress for your baby
• Quick protection for your baby

Before a new vaccine is ever administered to babies, it’s tested for efficiency, safety, and how well it works with other vaccines.

Myth 3: Natural immunity beats vaccine immunity

There are some people who would rather take their chances with a virus or disease and build up immunity through their body’s natural immune system response. But receiving immunity from a vaccine comes with a big advantage compared to natural immunity, chief among them protection from complications associated with the disease.

For example, pneumonia and encephalitis are serious complications of measles. A measles vaccine (included in the MMR shot) protects you from unwanted and potentially serious complications, in addition to the disease itself.

Getting started with vaccinations

We want you to make informed decisions when it comes to your and your family’s well-being. From the traditional infant and child vaccines to the flu shot for adults and seniors, we can help you get back on track with your vaccinations.

If you’d like more information, don’t hesitate to call our office or request an appointment online today.

Oct 9

Almost all of your bodily systems rely on chemical messengers known as hormones. Hormones help your body and organs operate smoothly and affect functions like your metabolism, memory, sleep, body temperature, and sexual desire and performance.

Aging, stress, and some illnesses can put your hormones out of balance and lead to a variety of uncomfortable symptoms like hot flashes, weight gain, erectile dysfunction or vaginal dryness, fatigue, and irregular sleep.

If you’re experiencing unexplained symptoms like fatigue, poor libido, and brain fog and you can’t figure out why, visit Capital City Primary and Immediate Care in Silver Spring, Maryland. Experienced physician Fernando Porter, MD, evaluates your hormone levels and, if appropriate, offers customized hormone replacement therapy to help you feel like yourself again.

Here are five of the most significant reasons to consider hormone therapy.

You experience better sleep

When your hormones are disrupted, so is your sleep cycle. This is especially true for women going through perimenopause, which involves major changes in levels of estrogen and progesterone, and aging men with low levels of testosterone.

During menopause, night sweats and hot flashes can keep you up. During this transition, your body’s sleep rhythms also change and you get less REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Low testosterone can make your adrenal glands, which are important to the production of many hormones, fatigued — worsening insomnia in men.

Hormone replacement therapy brings your deficient hormones up to more normal levels so you get more restful sleep.

Your energy improves

Lack of sleep contributes to poor energy. Even if you don’t think your hormones are affecting your sleep, low estrogen in women or low testosterone in men can cause fatigue and lower than normal energy levels.

Hormone replacement therapy restores your hormonal balance and puts more pep in your days.

You have a better time in the bedroom

An imbalance in hormones can interfere with your libido. And, even if you are in the mood, men with low levels of testosterone can suffer erectile dysfunction and women with low levels of estrogen can experience vaginal dryness.

Achieving balance with hormone replacement therapy can make your sex life pleasurable again, which helps your overall health and your relationship.

You get your body back

Hormones have an effect on your metabolism and energy levels. When your hormones are out of whack, your metabolism can slow down, which makes it more difficult to lose weight. You may find the scale’s number keeps creeping up, despite your efforts to exercise and eat right.

Men may also find it more challenging to keep on muscle mass, and women start to develop a pooch around their belly. Balancing testosterone in men and estrogen in women — along with a healthy lifestyle — can help keep your physique in check.

Your mood and concentration are better

Hormonal imbalances interfere with your brain. You may feel irritable, moody, anxious, and depressed. You may find it harder to concentrate on important tasks, too.

Hormone replacement therapy helps stabilize your mood and cognitive functions so you feel more focused and in control of your emotions each and every day.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of hormone imbalance, make an appointment with Dr. Porter at Capital City Primary and Immediate Care. He evaluates your complaints and checks your hormone levels to determine if you could benefit from hormone replacement therapy.

Call our office today, or use our online booking tool to make your appointment.

Oct 9

When it comes to protecting your health, the greatest step you can take is to start practicing preventive care. This means that you’re taking care of your health problems before they develop. And, with regular annual (yearly) physicals you can do just that!

Though you may be able-bodied, a regular exerciser, and a healthy eater, you still can have your health impacted by your family history and your environment. During an annual exam, we identify the signs of an illness that can progress into a serious health problem, like diabetes or heart disease.

At Capital City Primary and Immediate Care, Dr. Fernando Porter is here to cover all of your health care needs. That’s why we’ve compiled this helpful guide to all of the questions that you need to ask during your annual physical.

Question 1: Am I functioning optimally?

We can answer this question by easily checking all of your vitals. We use the latest tools to check that all of your body parts are functioning normally, including your:

• Ears
• Eyes
• Nose
• Throat
• Heart
• Lungs

We check your muscles and your joints too to make sure that you’re not experiencing any stiffness or pain that can impact your mobility.

Question 2: Are my vaccines up to date?

Vaccines keep you from developing serious illnesses. Some vaccines need to be administered more than once over time. So, at your physical, we make sure that you’re caught up on all of your necessary vaccines, including your annual flu shot, which is so important for keeping you safe during flu season.

Question 3: Do you know my medical history?

We cannot stress the importance of this one enough. We take a detailed record of your medical history, including that of your parents and grandparents. We want to make sure that we have all of the details of your family history so that we can know what to look out for when it comes to your medical care.

Question 4: Is my lifestyle healthy?

You’ll want to be as honest with us as possible about your lifestyle. Be sure to tell us about your diet and how often you exercise. We’ll also want to know how much you smoke, drink, and if you are a regular drug user.

This doesn’t penalize you in any way, but it does help us to figure out what may be causing any symptoms that you may be experiencing. So, be sure to be as honest as possible with us about your lifestyle and habits. You may be exposing yourself to health risks without even realizing it.

To learn more about why it’s important to schedule an annual physical, call us to schedule an appointment today.

Oct 9

Can you exercise away a slice of cake? You can, but it may take way longer than you think.

A thin slice of chocolate cake is 100 grams and has 340 calories. To burn these calories, you’d have to walk at least one hour. Imagine if you had a larger slice or seconds.

Most people find it easier to eat at a caloric deficit than to reach a caloric deficit through exercise alone.

To help you out, we asked our experts at Capital City Primary and Immediate Care about the roles that dieting and exercise play in your weight loss journey.

Losing weight through dieting

Cutting calories is by far the most effective strategy for fat loss. But your body is an intricate biological machine, so the concept of calories in, calories out is a bit more complicated than calorie counters make it seem.

Aside from how many calories you consume, what you consume and how the foods affect your hormones can also have an impact on your weight loss journey. For example, foods high in sugar and carbohydrates raise insulin, the fat-storing hormone, whereas whole foods high in protein and fats have little effect on insulin levels in the short term.

Protein-rich foods may help with satiety, so you might find it easier to lose weight when you add protein-rich foods to your plate. And compared to fats and carbs, protein requires your body to burn more calories for digestion.

Losing weight through exercise

You can definitely lose weight via exercise, although it isn’t the most efficient way to do it. That said, you shouldn’t brush aside exercise just because cutting calories is a better approach to fat loss.

Exercise leads to a more toned body, and gaining muscle allows you to look fitter even if the number on the scale is bigger. Also, even with a low body fat percentage, if your muscles aren’t developed, you may still look a bit flabby.

Exercise is also known to boost circulation, combat fatigue, and increase bone density.

Get help in your weight loss journey

If you’ve tried countless diets, none of which were sustainable in the long term, consider a medical weight loss plan. We can help you with the following:

• Appetite-suppressant medications
• Customized meal plans
• Customized exercise plans
• Q&A sessions
• Emotional support
• Chronic disease management

Before putting together the weight loss plan, we put you through comprehensive testing to determine whether you’re suffering from conditions that could prevent you from losing weight.

Contact us at our office to schedule an appointment and find out more about our weight loss plans.

Oct 9

The flu is a nasty bug that wipes you out for at least a week. Worse, it’s highly contagious, which means you can easily take down your family, friends, and coworkers with you with just one sneeze.

Fortunately, flu shots are an effective way to prevent the malady from infecting others, wrecking your plans, and making you miserable, but only if you get the right one. That’s right: There are shots that work and shots that don’t, depending on the seasonal circumstances and the most prevalent flu viruses you’re likely to come into contact with.

At Capital City Primary and Immediate Care, Dr. Fernando Porter knows exactly what you need to keep flu-free in Silver Spring, Maryland and Washington, DC. He keeps close track of the various flu viruses in the area and stocks exactly what you need to keep from contracting the latest bug. And understanding the latest bug is the key.

Why a new flu shot each year?

The flu virus is not just one virus. It’s an ever-changing agent that defies a single antidote. Each season, a new strain wreaks havoc on the population, attacking the young, the old, and the weak or compromised. Even if you’re strong and healthy, the flu can take you down quickly and leave you fatigued and run down.

That’s why it’s important to get a flu shot every year and make sure it’s formulated for this season’s most prominent virus.

Which flu shot is most effective?

Knowing which flu shot to give (if you’re a doctor) or get (if you’re a patient) is tricky. And the answer is complicated. More than 100 different countries and their best researchers are dedicated to formulating the right solution every year.

All over the world, scientists test and research all the various strains of the flu virus to determine which are the most likely to attack which region. More importantly, they make recommendations for the proper vaccine to fight those viruses and prevent people from falling ill and spreading the disease.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration makes the final decision. Dr. Porter monitors these reports carefully and knows exactly which vaccine to give you.

Why are some flu shots ineffective?

Despite advanced technology and the best efforts of highly qualified researchers across the globe, the flu can still spread quickly throughout a population and seem resistant to vaccines. Although many variables come into play, two of the most common reasons have to do with science and timing.

How flu vaccines are formulated

The method for producing a vaccine has been the same for many years. Generally, it’s injected into a chicken egg and grown there until it matures and becomes viable for use in a vaccine. It’s then injected into your bloodstream in a very small dose that allows your body to fight it using its natural immune system. Then if you come across the virus again, your body recognizes it and knows exactly how to fight it before it takes full effect and makes you sick.

But there are many strains of the flu virus that don’t grow well in the chicken egg, and, therefore, scientists are unable to create an effective vaccine for those types of viruses.

The timing of the virus

Vaccines take time. From the detection process to the lab work to the growth procedure to the formulation and mass production, the vaccine needs a lot of people and time before it gets to your doctor’s office.

If for some reason, this year’s virus comes late in the season, there may not be enough warning to get the vaccine produced and distributed. If an unexpected strain of the virus hits at any time, that, too, makes it difficult to develop a successful vaccine.

In most instances, though, the seasonal flu shot is very effective and is your best bet for preventing influenza.

What you should you do if you have the flu

If you did not get a flu shot this year and now you find yourself suffering from the evil virus, we can still help you at Capital City Primary and Immediate Care. While there’s no instant remedy, there are some medications that can help battle your virus and ease your symptoms. Call our office immediately so we can get you feeling better as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, here are some things you can, and should, do at home:

• Stay away from people because you’re highly contagious
• Keep the liquids coming: broth, water, fruit juice, and sports drinks
• Ease your pain and fever with ibuprofen or acetaminophen
• Run a humidifier to keep the air from getting too dry

Whether you’re looking to prevent or treat the flu, we have you covered. Call today or request an appointment online.

Oct 9

Telemedicine, also called telehealth or virtual medicine, delivers medical care to patients right in their homes. While convenient, telemedicine can’t meet all medical needs, but for those it can, telemedicine can save you time and money.

Board-certified family physician Fernando Porter, MD, and our team at Capital City Primary and Immediate Care offer virtual walk-in telemedicine care weekdays with no appointment necessary.

To make a diagnosis or develop an appropriate treatment plan, we need to do a physical exam for some health concerns. But telemedicine is an option for many health issues. To help you decide if telemedicine is right for you, we put together this list of situations when you could consider a virtual visit.

What is telemedicine?

Telemedicine is a secure way for you to receive virtual care from a medical professional. Instead of driving to the office for an in-person appointment, you request a telehealth appointment through the online tool or use the option for a virtual walk-in session.

You use your phone, tablet, laptop, or computer to meet with your provider face-to-face via video conference.

When is telemedicine appropriate?

Here are some of the common issues that we can address with telemedicine.

Chronic condition management

Chronic illnesses like high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, and congestive heart disease may benefit from telemedicine monitoring. We can discuss your symptoms and see whether your current treatment plan is working.

Follow-up appointments

If you recently visited us at Capital City Primary and Immediate Care for an acute health condition, infection, or injury, we can follow up with a telemedicine appointment to check on your progress.

Follow-up appointments allow you to ask questions or discuss any concerns. They give us the opportunity to make additional treatment recommendations, based on your progress. We can hold most follow-up appointments via telemedicine.

Medication management

If you take medication regularly and need a refill or adjustment, telemedicine appointments are a quick and convenient way to discuss this with your provider.

Contagious illnesses

If you think you have a cold, the flu, COVID-19, or any other contagious illness, telemedicine allows you to get medical help while limiting the spread of the virus to others.

During your telemedicine visit, we can determine whether we need to see you for an in-person appointment, but you can receive effective treatment for most common illnesses through telemedicine.

Mental health care

If you experience a mental health or behavioral health condition like anxiety or depression, telemedicine is an option for meeting with your provider for follow-up visits and medication management.

If you want to learn more about the available telemedicine services at Capital City Primary and Immediate Care, call our Silver Spring, Maryland, or Washington, DC, office today.

Oct 9

It’s normal to feel nervous or restless before a big test or when dealing with a difficult problem at work. Your anxiety is how your body reacts to this stress, increasing your heart rate, tensing your muscles, and making you more alert.

In short bursts, anxiety is good. However, ongoing anxiety may cause a chronic stress reaction that affects your body and your health.

At Capital City Primary Care and Immediate Care in Silver Springs, Maryland, and Washington, DC, we understand how anxiety affects your physical and emotional well-being. Life in the Capital is hectic and stressful. We do our best to provide flexible primary care services so we can give the care you need when you need it, including 24/7 telemedicine appointments.

Anxiety may feel like the norm when working and living near Washington, DC, but it takes its toll. Here, we want to share how anxiety impacts your physical health.

Physical symptoms of anxiety

Heart palpitations, sweaty palms, and shortness of breath are some of the physical symptoms you may experience when feeling anxious.

If you have an anxiety disorder, which causes excessive feelings of fear and unease about everyday things, then you may experience even more extreme symptoms. Your anxiety may cause chest pain, dizziness, and paralyzing fear. If you have these symptoms, you’re having a panic attack.

Your anxiety may also be the underlying cause of some of your other ailments, such as your:

• Stomach pain
• Heartburn
• Headaches
• Chronic fatigue
• Unexplained aches and pains
• Insomnia

Anxiety also affects your emotional well-being, causing you to feel restless and irritable.

Chronic anxiety and physical health

When dealing with stressful situations, your body releases hormones that trigger all the physical symptoms you feel when you’re anxious. These hormones trigger what’s known as the “fight or flight” response.

When you have chronic anxiety and stress, your stress hormones are always elevated. Over time, your ongoing anxiety, stress, and elevated hormone levels damage the body, putting you at risk of developing health problems like:

High blood pressure

The stress hormones also cause an increase in blood pressure. If you always feel anxious and stressed, your blood pressure remains elevated, leading to high blood pressure.

Gastrointestinal problems

There’s a strong connection between the brain and the gut. Anxiety triggers the release of hormones and chemicals that affect digestion and the balance of microorganisms that live in your gut, leading to digestive problems such as heartburn, diarrhea, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Weight challenges

Anxiety may increase or decrease your appetite, affecting your ability to maintain a healthy weight. Weight challenges may affect your energy levels, affect your ability to fight off infections, or put you at risk of developing chronic health issues.

Taking care of your anxiety

Ongoing anxiety is bad for your health. But there are steps you can take to improve your anxiety and your overall sense of well-being.

For our patients, we may recommend finding healthy outlets for your stress such as exercise or journaling. We may also provide medications to reduce your ongoing anxiety and make a referral to psychotherapy.

Making time for self-care is one of the best ways to improve anxiety and your health.

With our flexible schedule, we can help you get the medical care and support you need when you need it. Call our office to schedule an appointment today.

Oct 9

It’s not unusual for kids to have bouts of constipation on occasion. However, when left untreated, constipation in kids can get worse.

At Capital City Primary and Immediate Care in Silver Springs, Maryland, and Washington, DC, Dr. Fernando Porter specializes in pediatrics and helping parents get the immediate help they need when problems like constipation arise.

Here, we want to share with you some things you can do at home to remedy your child’s chronic constipation.

1. Develop a bathroom routine

Bowel habits vary from person to person. Some people have a bowel movement several times a day, while others only go a few times a week. In kids, constipation occurs when they pass large, dry stools and have fewer bowel movements than normal.

When kids have large and dry stools, they may find going to the bathroom painful and withhold stool or ignore the urge to go. If your child is withholding stool, developing a bathroom routine is essential for remedying their constipation.

Start by having your child sit on the toilet for 5-10 minutes after meals. Eating stimulates bowel movements, and this routine may trigger the bowel reflex that promotes regularity.

2. Add fiber

Getting kids to eat a balanced diet is challenging, especially if they’re picky eaters. But finding ways to add more fiber to their diet is one of the most effective tools for treating and preventing constipation.

Fiber softens stools, making them easier to pass. Kids need 10-25 grams of fiber a day depending on their age. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans are excellent sources of fiber.

Making a few changes to their diet may help you boost their daily fiber intake to improve bowel movements. For example, adding a fruit or vegetable to each meal, using whole-wheat bread for toast and sandwiches, or adding beans to soups and salads.

When adding fiber to your child’s diet, go slow. Too much fiber too fast may exacerbate the situation. If your child starts to complain of belly pain or bloating when adding fiber, go a little slower.

3. Drink more fluids

Drinking more fluids like water and juice makes it easier for poop to travel through the intestine. How much fluid your child needs depends on their age and activity. School-age kids should drink 3-4 cups of water a day.

Making sure your child is drinking enough is especially important when adding more fiber to their diet. Too much fiber and not enough fluids can make the constipation worse.

When home remedies fail to ease your child’s constipation, we can help. We provide recommendations to treat your child’s constipation, while you help normalize bowel habits by creating a bathroom routine, adding more fiber, and encouraging more fluid.

Our providers are available 24/7 through our telemedicine service. Let us help you fix your child’s constipation. Call our office or book an appointment online today.

Oct 9

Polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS, is a common health issue that affects about 1 in 10 women of childbearing age. You may first suspect you have this disorder if you have irregular periods. Women with PCOS experience prolonged or infrequent menstrual cycles.

Other symptoms of PCOS include facial hair, body hair, acne, or male-pattern baldness. These symptoms are caused by an excess male hormone, androgen.

Dr. Fernando Porter at Capital City Primary and Immediate Care in Silver Springs, Maryland, and Washington, DC, can diagnose and treat this widespread condition so that you don’t experience complications. Here, they share six common complications you may experience if you don’t treat PCOS.

Infertility

If your period is infrequent or irregular, it can make getting pregnant problematic. In fact, many women first discover they have PCOS when they have trouble getting pregnant. It’s a common cause of infertility, but, fortunately, it is a treatable issue.

Type 2 diabetes

Women with PCOS also often have insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that helps break down glucose so that your body can use it for energy. If the glucose, or blood sugar, is not broken down, it builds up in your body and eventually can lead to type 2 diabetes.

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is when a person experiences sleep interruptions that they may or may not be aware of throughout the night. Women with PCOS are at higher risk of developing this condition, contributing to other PCOS symptoms.

Miscarriage

Because of the high levels of male hormones and perhaps insulin resistance, women with PCOS are at higher risk of miscarriage than women without PCOS. Studies show that women with PCOS are three times as likely to miscarry as are women without PCOS.

Metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a complex group of symptoms such as insulin resistance and obesity that overlap with common PCOS symptoms. Having metabolic syndrome puts you at higher risk of developing heart disease and diabetes, as well as other health issues.

Endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer is cancer of the uterine lining. Common PCOS symptoms, as mentioned above, such as ovulation irregularities, insulin resistance, and diabetes, are known to increase your risk of developing endometrial cancer.

Fortunately, many treatment options are available to help you manage PCOS, and you also can make lifestyle changes to help reduce your risk of developing PCOS.

If you have PCOS, Capital City Primary and Immediate Care can develop a personalized treatment plan to help manage and resolve symptoms.

For more information on PCOS and treatment options, call our office or book an appointment online today.

Oct 9

Our hormones dictate nearly every function in our body, from our metabolism to our sex drive. When our bodies produce too much or too little of these hormones, it can throw our natural processes out of order.

This can lead to a laundry list of symptoms, including fatigue, hair loss, and decreased libido. If you’re low on necessary hormones, replacement therapy can supplement your body and alleviate symptoms.

At Capital City Primary and Immediate Care in Silver Springs, Maryland, and Washington, DC, Dr. Fernando Porter can help identify hormonal imbalance issues and lay out a treatment plan to improve your hormonal health.

Common hormonal health issues

Many different diseases and conditions can lead to hormone imbalance. In some cases, your body produces too much of a certain hormone, while other times it doesn’t produce enough.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) aims to help those suffering from hormone deficiencies caused by:

• Low testosterone
• Adrenal disorders
• Menopause
• Pituitary gland dysfunction
• Diabetes
• Hypothalamus dysfunction
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Chemotherapy side effects

If your hormonal health issue hasn’t already been diagnosed, we can help determine what’s causing your symptoms.

Many hormonal imbalances have similar symptoms, such as:

• Irritability
• Unexplained weight gain
• Muscle weakness
• Fatigue
• Erectile dysfunction
• Decreased sex drive
• Vaginal dryness
• Infertility
• Thinning hair
• Dry, fragile skin

When to consider HRT

Hormone replacement therapy is a valuable treatment, especially for those suffering from imbalances. If you’re struggling to regulate your hormones through other means, it might be time to pivot and try HRT for yourself.

Here are seven reasons to consider starting hormone replacement therapy.

1.It can improve your mood, giving you the energy and inspiration to make positive changes in your life.
2.It can give you back your sex life, alleviating stress and helping you connect better with your partner.
3.It can help you sleep better, reducing night sweats and other sleep disturbances.
4.It can increase bone density, protecting you from osteoporosis and fractures.
5.It can encourage muscle growth, helping you strengthen your body.
6.It can stimulate hair growth, including facial and body hair in men.
7.It can help you conceive, reducing infertility in women with low estrogen and progesterone.

Hormone imbalances can cause you to feel uncomfortable and powerless in your own body, but HRT provides a new source of hormones. This gives your body a chance to equalize your hormone levels, alleviating symptoms and preventing further hair, muscle, and bone loss.

To learn more about hormone replacement therapy, call our office or book an appointment online today.

Oct 9

Fewer Americans are seeing a primary care provider (PCP) every year. Healthy younger adults are especially less likely to see a PCP, according to research published in JAMA Internal Medicine. This trend is dangerous to the health of millions of patients who could benefit significantly from receiving consistent quality care.

Dr. Fernando A. Porter and our team at Capital City Primary and Immediate Care in Wheaton, Maryland, believe regular visits with a great PCP are essential to your well-being, whether you have a pre-existing condition or you simply want to stay on top of your health.

Purpose of primary care

A PCP is often your first line of defense when seeking medical treatment. They provide comprehensive, personalized health care for individuals and families; you may even visit the same provider for years, because no one knows your medical history better than they do.

The services you should expect to get from a primary care provider include:

• Monitoring health risks
• Screening for chronic illness
• Educating patients on living healthy lifestyles
• Offering information on disease, chronic illness, and infections
• Diagnosing acute and chronic disease
• Providing treatment
• Arranging referrals to other providers and specialists

A PCP may be best known for performing an annual physical, which often includes checking your blood pressure and other vital signs and getting blood work. Your primary care team also provides treatments such as:

• Flu vaccinations
• Cardiology and cancer screenings
• Prostate exams
• Allergy testing
• Pregnancy testing
• Diabetes management
• Medication management
• Urinary tract infection testing
• Hormone disorder treatment

If it falls under the category of preventing, diagnosing, or treating disease, your PCP can help ensure you’re living the best life.

Benefits of great primary care

A primary care provider can be the most important source of health care service you receive regularly. Here are a few reasons why.

Prevents medical emergencies

Think of your PCP as your go-to medical treatment provider you rely on before you experience any condition that requires emergency care. Patients who wait until their condition becomes a critical risk to their health should expect significantly higher health care costs.

Provides holistic treatment

Your primary care doctor can help you through a number of different health conditions. Their scope is broad and holistic. While a specialist is trained to perform advanced medical procedures for a specific issue, your PCP understands how the rest of your body may be affected by a certain medication or treatment.

Refers you to the right specialist

If your condition requires attention from a specialist, your primary care provider can refer you to the specialist that’s best suited to help you. Patients who seek specialist treatment first may have to visit a number of different specialists before finding the right one.

Builds your trust

We believe our patients benefit the most when they continue to see the same primary care provider regularly. Your PCP can track your health and your body’s response to treatments over time.

The biggest difference between an adequate provider and a great PCP is whether you want to continue to visit the same provider. Capital City Primary and Immediate Care is proud to offer skilled, knowledge-based, patient-focused care for every member of the family, whatever your health needs.

If you’d like more information, don’t hesitate to call our office or request an appointment online today.

Oct 9

From a newborn completely dependent on mom to the talking, laughing toddler running through the house, babies grow and change dramatically in just a few short months. So how can you tell if your baby is growing on schedule, or if there’s cause for concern?

At Capital City Primary and Immediate Care in Silver Springs, Maryland, and Washington, DC, Dr. Fernando Porter understands your concern. To help ensure your baby’s health and catch any developmental issues early, when treatment is most effective, our practice offers well child visits.

Take a moment to learn more about how babies grow and how regular well child visits help keep your baby’s health on track.

Understanding how we measure babies’ growth

Like adults, babies come in all sizes and shapes. And all babies grow on their own unique schedule, at the pace that’s right for them. This can make it challenging to know if your baby is growing “on schedule” or not.

To help make sure your baby is on track, pediatricians use a special tool called growth charts. Growth charts compare your baby’s key measurements with other babies of the same gender and age, including:

• Length-for-age: Your baby’s height at the age of measurement
• Weight-for-age: Your baby’s weight at the age of measurement
• Weight-for-length: Your baby’s weight and length at the age of measurement
• Head circumference: Your baby’s head size measured around the largest part of the head at the age of measurement (used to gauge brain growth)

These measurements are plotted on a chart that contains measurements of babies of the same age shown in lines and different increments. These increments tell you the percentile of different measurements and how your baby compares.

For example, if your baby is in the 60th percentile for length-for-age, it means your baby is longer than 60% of babies of the same age and gender. It also means your baby is shorter than 40% of babies of the same age and gender.

Understanding normal growth

The percentiles on growth charts show typical growth patterns, from the lowest percentiles to growth well above the average 50th percentile. Normal growth doesn’t mean your baby falls into a certain percentile, since all babies grow at slightly different rates.

Instead, your practitioner at Pediatric Care of Four Corners looks to see that your baby follows a pattern as they grow, developing over the same or similar curved line on the growth chart as they develop. This means that their head, height, and weight develop in proportion to each other.

Keep in mind that babies have growth spurts, which happen at different times for different babies. This can affect how their growth fits on a growth chart. And babies may gain weight at different rates depending on whether they are breast- or formula-fed.

Other factors can also influence your baby’s growth, including genetics, activity levels, the presence of any health conditions, and even their environment. This is why where your baby’s measurements fall on the growth charts is only one piece of information used to ensure your baby is growing and developing on schedule.

The importance of well child visits

Well child visits allow your provider to monitor your baby’s growth over time, at crucial stages of their development. During your baby’s well child visit, your provider reviews your child’s measurements and discusses how they compare to typical growth.

Your provider also looks at other key developmental milestones to ensure your baby is growing on schedule. They address health and safety issues, preventing illness and disease, and other important topics like nutrition and physical activity as well.

Routine vaccinations are also an important part of your baby’s well child visit. Your provider addresses any questions or concerns you have regarding vaccines, and they administer these important health-protecting immunizations on a schedule that’s best for your baby.

We also want to hear from you during your baby’s well visit. It’s a time to ask any questions you have about your baby’s development, including issues with sleep, common childhood diseases, and concerns you have about motor skills, brain development, and more.

To learn more about how babies grow or to set up a well child visit for your baby, call our office or book an appointment online today.

Jun 17

As of month day, year, we are proud members of Privia Medical Group!