What is the difference between viral and bacterial infections?Ask Hanna

Microbes are microscopic living organisms, such as bacteria and fungi. Although often categorized as microbes, viruses are very different. In fact, since viruses are unable to grow or reproduce unless they enter a living cell, viruses are sometimes not considered …

Why are viral and bacterial infections treated differently?Ask Hanna

Last article, we looked at how bacteria and viruses differed. Some of these differences, such as viruses being unable to cause harm unless they invade a living host, have a bearing on the nature of the infections that they cause, …

What is Hantavirus and who is at risk?Ask Hanna

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently announced that up to 10,000 people who visited Yosemite National Park this summer were at risk for developing an infection caused by Hantavirus.  Most of these potential victims stayed in the Park’s tent-cabins …

Should antibiotics be used for respiratory infections?Ask Hanna

Recently, I wrote a Health Tip on the topic of “Summer Colds”.  That particular tip was actually inspired by the viral upper respiratory tract infections that both my wife and I experienced a few weeks ago. While I usually try …

Why do we get fevers and when are they dangerous?Ask Hanna

The idea of checking our temperature when we are sick is deeply ingrained in most Americans. Elevated body temperature most commonly occurs when the immune system is actively fighting off an infection (bacterial, viral, or fungal). However, fevers can occur …

What is shingles?Ask Hanna

I’m sure that most of you have heard of shingles, but you may not actually know that much about it.  Shingles is a rash which is a concentrated area of blisters that typically scab over in 7 to 10 days.  …

Should I get a Shingrix shingles vaccine?Ask Hanna