Category: Private

The 5 Ws of Sports Physicals

Summer sports camps are kicking off, and the deadline for school sports physicals will be here before you know it – consider scheduling your child’s sports physical now! Coryell Health always has your family covered with physicals close to home. 

Any of your students that are athletes. Even if your child hasn’t participated in a sport up to this point, but may consider it during the school year, it’s best to schedule their physical sooner rather than later.

Sports physicals are an opportunity for physicians to make sure your child is healthy enough to play sports. They’ll check your athlete’s vitals, joints, flexibility and vision, alongside a short fitness assessment to diagnose and recommend any potential limitations on physical activity. n’t participated in a sport up to this point, but may consider it during the school year, it’s best to schedule their physical sooner rather than later.

At a minimum, six to eight weeks before the season starts. That said, the earlier, the better! Sports physicals are valid for one year, at which point a new exam is required.

You can schedule your athlete’s physical at your family medicine practitioner’s office at Coryell Health.

Texas requires that children and teens have a sports physical before they can start a new sport or begin a new competitive season. Scheduling their sports physical will ensure nothing holds your athletes back from participating in the sports they love!

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Medical terminology can be confusing and hard to understand. At Coryell, we want to make sure that our patients are well-informed and able to make the best decisions possible for their health. 

Today, we’re going to break down the difference between Gastroenterology and Hepatology. While those words sound very different, they’re actually more similar than you’d think! Hepatology is a subspecialty of Gastroenterology, meaning that often, physicians practice both. 

Gastroenterology is a branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. It encompasses the diseases that affect the organs along your gastrointestinal tract, including the liver, stomach, intestines, pancreas and gallbladder. Gastroenterologists are able to diagnose and treat digestive disorders such as liver disease, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome and some cancers. 

There are a few signs that you should seek help and make an appointment with a gastroenterologist, including: 

• Unexplained changes in your bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation and blood in stool
• Unusual bloating
• Frequent and severe heartburn
• Sudden and severe abdominal pain
• You’re due for a colonoscopy

If you’re having any of those symptoms, a gastroenterologist may be able to help you by performing an exam and potentially diagnosing one of the following:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Hemorrhoids
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Pancreatitis
• Ulcers

Hepatology is more specifically focused on the liver, gallbladder, biliary tree and pancreas. There are a few specific reasons you may be referred to a hepatologist, including:

• Drug overdose
• Gastrointestinal bleeding from portal hypertension
• Jaundice
• Ascites
• Enzyme defects
• Blood tests that indicate liver disease

A hepatologist will be able to diagnose disorders including:

• Hepatitis infections
• Fatty liver disease, alcohol-related and not
• Jaundice
• Cirrhosis
• Metabolic liver diseases
• Liver cancer

If you have health concerns related to Gastroenterology or Hepatology, Coryell can help. Dr. Nadege Gunn is Coryell’s new Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist who specializes in treating patients with chronic liver disease. She is also a Medical Advisory Member for the American Liver Foundation and the Fatty Liver Foundation. Call (254) 865-2166 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gunn today.