Holly Springs, NC -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/09/2011 -- As the kids head back to school, moms do everything in their power to keep their families healthy. But moms often ignore themselves, not realizing kids bring home a “book bag full of germs” that send thousands of moms to the doctor each year. That’s why the local Doctors Express, the first nationally franchised urgent care, is offering local moms Top Ten Tips To Keep Moms Healthy - to keep them standing even when the family gets sick.

“Moms are so worried about taking care of their families when school starts, they forget to take care of themselves,” says Doctor Scott Burger, co-founder of Doctors Express. “We definitely see an increase of moms coming into our health centers right after the first few weeks of school and we hear time and time again from these busy moms that they don’t have time to get sick. That’s why we recommend moms follow our Top Ten Tips To Keep Moms Healthy so moms can keep standing when the troops go down.”

Top 5 Sicknesses That School Children Bring Home
(Source: Mayo Clinic)

1. Common Cold (roughly 22 million school days lost each year to the common cold)

2. Stomach Flu

3. Ear Infection

4. Pink Eye

5. Sore Throat

Doctors Express “Top 10 Tips To Keep Moms Healthy”

1)Get early flu shots – Unlike other medical facilities, Doctors Express offers flu shots for the entire family (children age 4 and up). Otherwise, mom often has to travel to the pediatrician for child flu shots and to a separate doctor for herself. Everyone gets their shots in one place at one time with no appointment necessary!

2)Bring your own pen – to the bank, the grocery store, even to touch the ATM. Anything a sick person touches can get infested with germs, including money, mail, ATM keypads, elevator buttons, etc.

3)Use paper – replace hand towels in bathrooms with paper towels. While not as “pretty”, paper towels can help get rid of a ton of germs that live in towels.

4)Wash hands – Use soap, warm water and rinse long enough to say the alphabet or sing “Happy Birthday”. Recent studies show plain soap and water works just as well, if not better than antibacterial soaps.

5)Get Your Zzzs – The more you sleep, the better your immune system works to fight off illness. Adults need seven to nine hours a night.

6)Exercise…but not too much - 30 – 75 minutes of moderate activity can boost your ability to fight off germs, but long, hard work outs can tire out your immune system so it becomes less effective. One study found that women who walked for 45 minutes, five days a week suffered half as many sick days as couch potatoes.

7)Use a proper hand sanitizer – (at least 60% alcohol) anytime you touch anything someone else might have touched. Make sure you use sanitizer, even under finger nails where germs hide.

8)Clean everything with a disinfecting cleaner – Viruses and bacteria can live up to two hours or longer on doorknobs, toys, TV remote controls, keyboards, mouse pads, refrigerator handles, counter tops, railings, faucets, bathroom floors and more.

9)Wash small cuts and scrapes with soap and water – Apply an ointment, put on a bandage and change the bandage every day until the wound heals. Never touch someone else’s wound and wear gloves if you help dress a cut- even if it’s your own child.

10)Use toothbrush sanitizer – Studies show the mouth is the number one place for germs. Sanitize your toothbrush daily to eliminate this often overlooked threat.

The Doctors Express Difference

•All patients are handled in a single visit: initial doctor’s exam, lab work, x-rays, minor surgical procedures and in-house medication dispensing.

•Every patient is seen by an experienced physician.

•Services are affordable and most insurance, including Medicare, is accepted.

Did You Know?

•Roughly 22 million school days are lost each year to the common cold.

•Moms who walk 45 minutes, 5 days a week, suffer half as many sick days as couch potatoes.

•A study from NC State University finds that kids of working moms have a 200 percent increase in the risk of experiencing overnight hospitalizations, asthma episodes and injuries or poisonings.

Currently, there are 40 Doctors Express centers up and running throughout the country. A total of 113 franchises have been awarded in 23 states and 56 will be operating by the end of this year. The long term goal is to have 1,000 Doctors Express centers across the nation, so that a recognizable, reliable healthcare option is available wherever you travel in the U.S.

About Doctors Express
Doctors Express was founded in Baltimore in 2005 by an emergency room physician and two business executives in Towson, Maryland, seeking a more efficient, affordable and personable system for urgent care patients. Doctors Express walk-in medical centers are sweeping across the country as America’s first nationally branded urgent care centers. Doctors Express provides state-of-the-art, non-emergency treatment for acute illness, trauma and sports injuries (including minor surgical procedures) and has on-site laboratory and digital x-ray service. Pre-employment physicals, drug screening and treatment of work related injuries are also available to local employers. Visit DoctorsExpress.com.