News and Updates

Dr. Ana Varela Windemuller, Galen East Internal Medicine & Pediatrics Immunization saves millions of lives every year and is widely recognized as one of the world’s most cost-effective health interventions. Did you know 14 diseases can be prevented by routine childhood vaccines? These include tetanus, polio, measles, as well as pneumonia and rotavirus diarrhea—the biggest killers for children under the age of 5. Many of these diseases—which were more common before vaccines—are spread person to person through the air by coughing, sneezing, or just breathing. At Galen, we want to make sure your children are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases. Our

At Galen Medical Group, we seek to provide our patients and community with a full scope of both preventative and specialized medical care. In a compassionate environment focused on the patient experience and convenient care, we work toward achieving ongoing education for patients and providers alike while also providing the best care possible across the board. When you’re a Galen patient, you can rest assured that you are in good, capable, and caring hands and feel secure and supported in all areas of health— from your yearly medical exams to immensely specialized care in a variety of areas.  A Full

Staying healthy during the winter months can be trickier than at other times of the year. When it’s colder outdoors, we tend to spend more time inside and in closer proximity to other people, which can increase the spread of germs. The dry winter air can also lead to irritated nasal passages and increased mucus production, which can turn into sinus infections or sinusitis. All this being said, there are ways you can actively work toward better overall wellness, especially during this time of year, and the following tips are sure to help. Get Vaccinated ‘Tis the season for viruses,

Reviewed by Dr. Melanie Blake, Galen Lifestyle Medicine Shopping, cooking, planning, and sometimes forced merriment–the holiday season can be hectic to say the least. So, it’s not uncommon to start to feel overwhelmed, drained, or burnt out at this time of year. That’s why our Galen team has rounded up a few tips sure to help you manage your holiday stress throughout the frenzied final days of the year. Go for a Brisk Walk A quick-paced, half-hour walk each day can work wonders not only for your body, but also for your mind. The repetitive motion and rhythm of your

Reviewed by Dr. Sue Gouge, Galen Mountain View Medicine Flu prevention is always incredibly important, but this year it’s especially necessary. According to the CDC, both the flu and COVID-19 will be more prevalent than in past years. That’s why we want you to be armed with what you need to help you protect yourself and your family against the flu this season. Get a Flu Shot The single best way to avoid getting the flu is to get vaccinated each year. Influenza is a potentially serious disease with the power to lead to hospitalization or even death if not

November is National Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Awareness Month, and our team at Galen wants to shed some light on this illness while trying to raise local awareness. This month marks a unique opportunity for the COPD community to band together to help educate others about the disease, bring greater visibility to its effects, and to encourage people to recognize its symptoms and seek early diagnosis and treatment. Learn More, Breathe Better is a national health education program dedicated to raising awareness about lung health, while supporting further research to inspire both public and professional education programs. Galen also

November is American Diabetes Month, a time set aside to increase education and raise awareness surrounding risk factors of this disease, making information and resources readily available to our patients and community. For those living with diabetes, November marks an opportunity to tell your story, to share with others what it’s really like to live with this disease. For the rest of us, it’s time to learn more about diabetes, its risk factors, and how we can make lifestyle choices to help safeguard us from its effects. The first step to effectively fighting diseases like diabetes is to make sure

October is Liver Awareness Month, so in effort to help promote a deeper understanding, we’d love to share with you some information about liver disease, and how to promote liver health. There are more than 100 different types of liver disease. According to the American Liver Foundation, at least 30 million Americans– or 1 in every 10– have some form of liver disease. Liver cancer is on the rise in the U.S., with approximately 21,000 Americans being diagnosed with primary liver cancer each year. Liver disease can be caused by infections, viruses like Hepatitis A, B, and C, immune system

Galen Medical is now offering FibroScan, a newer diagnostic procedure for diagnosing fatty liver disease. We are the only private practice in the Chattanooga area currently offering this service to the medical community, and we are excited to work hand-in-hand with other local medical providers to utilize this amazing tool to more effectively treat liver conditions. Fibroscan vs Liver Biopsy FibroScan is a quick and non-invasive procedure used to assess the overall health of the liver. In lieu of the more invasive biopsy method, FibroScan uses a combination of an elastic wave and ultrasound technology to assess the stiffness and