A bruise forms when a blow breaks blood vessels near your skin’s surface, allowing a small amount of blood to leak into the tissues under your skin. The trapped blood may cause a bruise that at first looks like a black-and-blue mark and then changes color as it heals.

Normal hemostasis is dependent on a complex and balanced process of clot formation and clot lysis. A number of congenital and acquired conditions can produce disruption of this process, resulting in spontaneous, excessive, or delayed bleeding and bruising.

Likely causes:

• Trauma
• Blood-related disease
• Blood-clotting problem

How we can help:

Consult with us if you:

• Notice very painful swelling in the bruised area
• Are still experiencing pain three days after a seemingly minor injury
• Have frequent, large or painful bruises, particularly if your bruises appear on your trunk, back or face, or seem to develop for no known reasons
• Have easy bruising and a history of significant bleeding, such as during a surgical procedure
• Notice a lump (hematoma) form over the bruise
• Are experiencing abnormal bleeding elsewhere, such as from your nose or gums or in urine or stool
• Suddenly begin bruising, but have no history of bruising
• Have a family history of easy bruising or bleeding

Yermiyahu Clinic is at your service at any time for initial emergency care. Dr. Sunny Sapir, an experienced physician with an expertise in family medicine, will be glad to assist you with professionalism and utmost empathy. After a careful examination of your personal situation, Dr. Sunny will provide you with the most appropriate medical solution.

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Back pain is pain felt in the lower, middle or upper back. It is very common and most people have suffered from back pain at some point of their lives.

In fact, even children and teens can develop back pain, although it is more common as we get older: starting around the age of 30.

Causes of pain include injuries caused by sports or other physical activities, poor habits such as bad posture, muscle strains and various conditions of the spinal cord, the ligaments around it and the discs between the vertebrae.

Certain factors may contribute to a greater risk of developing back pain, such as lack of exercise, excess body weight, smoking and various psychological conditions such as depression.

Very often even severe back pain goes away on its own in four to six weeks. If you’re very uncomfortable, you can rest in bed for a day or two, but longer than that does more harm than good. Over-the-counter pain medications often help reduce back pain, as does the application of cold or heat to the painful area.  

Treatment of back pain which lasts longer than 6 weeks will depend on its cause and may include stronger painkillers and physiotherapy.

Symptoms of back pain:

• Continuous pain in the middle or lower back which grows worse after prolonged periods of standing and sitting
• Stiffness and persistent pain anywhere along the spine
• Sharp, stabbing or shooting pain
• Pain that radiates down the leg
• Limited range of motion and flexibility of the back
• Muscle ache
• Numbness or tingling

How we can help:

Call us if your back-pain hasn’t improved after a week of home treatment or if your back pain:

• Is constant or intense, especially at night or when you lie down
• Radiates and spreads down one or both legs, especially if the pain extends below your knee
• Causes weakness, numbness or tingling in one or both legs
• Increases when you bend forward or while coughing
• Occurs with unintended weight loss
• Occurs with swelling or redness on your back
• Occurs with a fever

Yermiyahu Clinic is at your service at any time for initial emergency care. Dr. Sunny Sapir, an experienced physician with an expertise in family medicine, will be glad to assist you with professionalism and utmost empathy. After a careful examination of your personal situation, Dr. Sunny will provide you with the most appropriate medical solution.

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Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, irritability and feelings of stress.

Anxiety disorders are medical illnesses that can affect approximately one in 13 adults globally. In fact, anxiety disorders as a group are some of the most common mental conditions in the world and they can affect adults, children, and adolescents.

These disorders fill people’s lives with overwhelming anxiety and fear. Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event such as a business presentation or a first date, anxiety disorders are chronic, relentless, and can grow progressively worse if not treated. People who suffer from anxiety disorders typically struggle with difficult symptoms such as agitation, feeling “uptight,” worry, and apprehension on a daily basis.

These disturbing symptoms can become so severe that they interfere with normal daily activities. Sometimes anxiety disorders lead to restlessness, poor sleep and insomnia, trouble concentrating, feeling tense, a sense of dread, chest pain, lightheadedness, trouble breathing, hyperventilation, and even overwhelming panic with a feeling of losing control.

Symptoms of anxiety:

• Stomach cramps and intermittent aches
• Sudden and severe stomach pain
• Mild continuous aches
• Bloating and gas
• Diarrhea
• Heartburn
• Constipation
• Pain radiating to the back, flank or genitals

How we can help:

You should come see us right away if:

• You feel like you’re worrying too much and it’s interfering with your work, relationships or other parts of your life
• Your fear, worry or anxiety is upsetting to you
• You feel depressed, have trouble with alcohol or drug use, or have other mental health concerns along with anxiety
• You think your anxiety could be linked to a physical health problem
• You have suicidal thoughts or behaviors — seek emergency treatment immediately

Your worries may not go away on their own and they may actually worsen over time if you don’t seek help. Come in for a checkup or contact a mental health provider before your anxiety gets worse. It may be easier to treat if you get help early.

Yermiyahu Clinic is at your service at any time for initial emergency care. Dr. Sunny Sapir, an experienced physician with an expertise in family medicine, will be glad to assist you with professionalism and utmost empathy. After a careful examination of your personal situation, Dr. Sunny will provide you with the most appropriate medical solution.

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Anemia is a condition of having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or lower quantity of hemoglobin; hence it diminishes the capacity of the blood to carry oxygen. Patients with anemia may feel tired, fatigue easily, appear pale, have a faster heartbeat, develop palpitations, and become short of breath. Children with chronic anemia are prone to infections and learning problems.

The main causes of anemia are bleeding, hemolysis (excessive destruction of red blood cells), underproduction of red blood cells (as in bone marrow diseases), and underproduction of normal hemoglobin (as in sickle cell anemia and in iron deficiency anemia). Women are more likely than men to have anemia because of menstrual blood loss. In children, anemia most commonly occurs due to insufficient iron in the diet. Anemia may also happen due to gastrointestinal bleeding caused by conditions such as gastritis and hemorrhoids, as well as due to some medications, including such common drugs as aspirin and ibuprofen.

Symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Weakness and general feeling of easily becoming tired
• Pale skin
• A fast or irregular heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Cognitive problems
• Cold hands and feet
• Headache
• Hair loss
• Brittle nails

How we can help:

Make an appointment with us if you’re feeling fatigued for unexplained reasons. Some types of anemia, such as iron deficiency or vitamin B-12 deficiency, are common. Fatigue has many causes besides anemia, so don’t assume that you’re anemic simply because you’re tired.

Low hemoglobin may be a temporary problem remedied by eating more iron-rich foods or by taking a multivitamin containing iron. It may also be a warning sign of bleeding within your body that may be causing you to be deficient in iron. Please see us if you suspect you have anemia because it can be a sign of serious illnesses.

Yermiyahu Clinic is at your service at any time for initial emergency care. Dr. Sunny Sapir, an experienced physician with an expertise in family medicine, will be glad to assist you with professionalism and utmost empathy. After a careful examination of your personal situation, Dr. Sunny will provide you with the most appropriate medical solution.

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Vaginal bleeding is any bleeding from the vaginal area which is unrelated to menstruation. This type of bleeding may include spotting of small amounts of blood between periods — often seen on toilet tissue after wiping — or extremely heavy periods in which you soak a pad or tampon every one to two hours for two or more hours.

Normal vaginal bleeding, or menstruation, occurs every 21 to 35 days when the uterus sheds its lining, marking the start of a new reproductive cycle. A menstrual period may last for just a few days or more than a week. Your flow may be heavy or light and still considered normal. Cycles tend to be longer before age 20 and after age 40 and your flow may be heavier at those ages.

Abnormal vaginal bleeding can relate to an issue with your reproductive system (a gynecologic condition) or to other medical problems or certain medications. If you’ve gone through the menopausal transition — 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period — any vaginal bleeding is a particular cause for concern.

Likely Causes:

• Adenomyosis
• Cervical cancer
• Chlamydia
• Problems with the cervix, such as a cervical infection, inflamed cervix or growths
• Endometritis
• Fluctuating hormone levels
• Gonorrhea
• Intrauterine contraceptive device
• Miscarriage (before the 20th week) or intrauterine fetal death
• Ovarian cysts
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
• Pregnancy
• Stopping birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy (withdrawal bleeding)

How we can help:

If you’re pregnant, contact us immediately if you notice any vaginal bleeding.

In general, anytime you experience unexpected vaginal bleeding, consult a doctor. Whether or not vaginal bleeding is normal depends on your age and circumstances.

Watch closely for any changes in your wellbeing and contact us whenever you feel there’s reason to be concerned.

Yermiyahu Clinic is at your service at any time for initial emergency care. Dr. Sunny Sapir, an experienced physician with an expertise in family medicine, will be glad to assist you with professionalism and utmost empathy. After a careful examination of your personal situation, Dr. Sunny will provide you with the most appropriate medical solution.

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Abdominal pain, also known as stomach ache, tummy ache, gut or belly ache, can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious conditions. Making a definitive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain can be difficult without specific examinations, since many diseases can result in this symptom. It is common for people to complain about stomach ache and while most frequently the cause is benign more serious causes may require urgent intervention.

Everyone’s stomach hurts from time to time, however the pain has different characteristics. Abdominal pain can be mild or severe; it can be caused be a variety of conditions, such as Helicobacter Pylori – a bacteria which may cause infection of the stomach,  and it is often nonspecific and may appear at any part of the belly.  It is important to notice if the pain is sharp and stabbing or dull, cramp-like, twisting or of a different kind entirely.

The pain may be triggered by specific events, such as meals or bowel movements, or it may improve or worsen while resting or lying down. The duration of the pain is also important: while it may be short-lived and last for a couple of minutes, it may continue for several hours and longer. It may also come and go, ranging in intensity.

Symptoms:

• Stomach cramps and intermittent aches
• Sudden and severe stomach pain
• Mild continuous aches
• Bloating and gas
• Diarrhea
• Heartburn
• Constipation
• Pain radiating to the back, flank or genitals

How we can help:

Call us right away if you have abdominal pain so severe that you can’t move without causing more pain, or you can’t sit still and find a comfortable position. Seek immediate medical help if pain is accompanied by other worrisome signs and symptoms, such as:

• Fever
• Bloody diarrhea
• Trauma: such as an accident or injury
• Pressure or pain in your chest
• Pain is accompanied by bloody stools
• Persistent nausea and vomiting
• Skin that appears yellow
• Severe tenderness when you touch your abdomen
• Swelling of the stomach
• Pain lasting over 6 hours and worsens with time

Yermiyahu Clinic is at your service at any time for initial emergency care. Dr. Sunny Sapir, an experienced physician with an expertise in family medicine, will be glad to assist you with professionalism and utmost empathy. After a careful examination of your personal situation, Dr. Sunny will provide you with the most appropriate medical solution.

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