MEDICAL MATTERS
General Health Information

For all Lakeside area
Medical Emergencies:

 speed-dial 065

or call THE RED CROSS

765-2553 or 765-2308

 

English /Spanish--

My name is Soy
My address is Mi domicilio es
My phone number is Mi teléfono es
Send an ambulance Mandar ambulancia
For a heart attack - Bring Oxygen Por attaque cardiaco - traiga oxigeno
For an asthmatic attack - Bring Oxygen Por ataque asmatico - traiga oxigeno
I fell and I am hurt Me cai y estoy herido
There is an auto accident at: Hay un accidente de autos en:
My blood type is: Tipo de sangre:
I am diabetic Soy diabetico
Allergies: Alergias:

Contact Us

The following information package has been put together with the most recent information available. The LCS makes no representation or endorsement of this information, nor should one be inferred. If, after reviewing the following information, you have any health or medical questions, please contact us at medical@lakechapalasociety.org Our former Medical Programs Coordinator, a physician, prepared monthly medical articles for our community.

Healthcare Information On-Line

LCS Resources

Immunizations

Health Care Plans

Stroke Awareness: What is a Stroke?

The Dreaded Amoeba

Sun Protection

Living Wills in Mexico

 

Healthcare Information On-Line

General medical information including medications:
http://www.medlineplus.gov

The Merck Manual is a standard for general medical information:
http://www.merck.com/mmhe/index.html

Disease issues & travel immunizations:
http://www.cdc.gov

Specific disease information:
http://www.emedicine.com/

Medications:
http://medlineplus.gov/
and http://www.mynetmeds.com

Nutrition:
http://www.principalhealthnews.com/topic/nutritiontoolbox

To learn more about specific cardiovascular conditions:
-- Angina (chest pain):
http://www.fda.gov/hearthealth/conditions/angina.html
-- Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries):
http://www.fda.gov/hearthealth/conditions/atherosclerosis.html
-- Congestive Heart Failure:
http://www.fda.gov/hearthealth/conditions/congestiveheartfailure.html
-- Coronary Artery Disease:
http://www.fda.gov/hearthealth/conditions/coronaryarterydisease.html
-- Heart Attack:
http://www.fda.gov/hearthealth/conditions/heartattack.html

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LCS Resources

The LCS maintains listings for:
  • emergency alerting systems
  • health insurance (including the
    governmental-supported IMSS)
  • travel insurance
  • prepaid outpatient medical plan

The Volunteer Health Resource Group Manual at the Information Desk maintains an up-to-date guide of local medical resources and practitioners. 

The LCS also provides a comprehensive preventative medical program of Blood Pressure Monitoring twice a week, Skin Cancer Screening twice a month, Diabetic Testing quarterly, Optometry Services, and weekly Hearing Testing and Hearing Aid repair. Refer to Daily Schedule on this website for exact times.    

The LCS also offers a quarterly Healthcare Week (January, April, July and October) during which there are various evaluations (i.e. Osteoporosis Screening, Blood Tests, Immunizations) and speakers on health-care topics. See the current ongoing medical schedule in the LCS Newsletter. A schedule of monthly events is posted on the Medical Affairs bulletin board outside the LCS office.

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Immunizations

Using the guidelines set down by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC.gov/travel) and Healthcanada, the LCS has scheduled immunizations against the Flu, Typhoid, Hepatitis A and B and Pneumococcal Pneumonia four times a year. All our vaccines are of US manufacture, given by a local contractor as required by Mexican law.
Diseases which are sporadic in the US and Canada are fairly common here, so immunizations are recommended strongly. The schedule for immunizations is given below under Healthcare Weeks. .

Health Care Plans

IMSS is operated by the Mexican government and is available to Mexican citizens as well as those with FM-2, FM-3, or Imigrado visas. In the case of pre-existing conditions, IMSS offers graduated coverage for the first two years of enrollment, and then full coverage thereafter.

There is a notebook marked “Insurance” in the medical shelf of the Reading Room.
Please note that companies based in Mexico have little regulation, so caveat emptor.
Medicare does not extend south of the US border.

For military retirees or for service-connected disabled veterans there is a special notebook of information in the same location.

The Maskaras Clinic in Riberas del Pilar (Chapala) has a pre-paid health plan covering routine medical treatment.
Check with your insurance provider if you are covered while in Mexico.

Buyer Beware

Recently one of the popular lakeside pharmacies dispensed the wrong medication for a written prescription to a patient. The personel at the pharmacies are not professionals but lay people. There is no malpractice or other means of accountability in Mexico if anything goes wrong. Therefore check what you receive from the pharmacy right away as it may be the wrong medicine and could do you great harm.

What is a Stroke?

Is It a Stroke? Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions: Ask the individual to smile. Ask him or her to raise both arms. Ask the person to speak a simple sentence. If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 065 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions. They presented their conclusions at the American Stroke Association's Meeting. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.

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The Dreaded Amoeba

Living in Mexico is vastly different from living in the US, Canada, and western Europe. Among other things, there are only minimal safeguards built into the food system. Soak fruits and vegetables which will not be cooked in an antimicrobial solution (five drops of Microdyne or similar product in about a liter of water) for at least 20 minutes. Check expiration dates on food like milk, juice, etc. Remember how dates work here in Mexico ...  Day/Month/Year!

Avoid amoeba infections by NEVER drinking water that you are not sure is pure. The water supply is suspect.  For health reasons, use bottled water only. NEVER eat uncooked fruits or vegetables out unless you are sure the restaurant observes the highest hygienic standards.

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Sun Protection

And especially here in the tropics, always protect yourself from the sun; remember we are at an altitude of 5000 feet and the UV rays are strong. Wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat with at least a 3-inch brim when outdoors for any length of time.

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