Having a dedicated pediatrician for your child is essential for annual wellness visits, vaccine updates, and medical needs during normal hours. But when your child needs medical attention in the evening, on the weekends, holidays, or if your pediatrician is not available, where should you go? Should you take your child to an urgent care? For many childhood illnesses and injuries, an urgent care that specializes in pediatric urgent care, like IEP Urgent Care, can provide t

You can count on at least two things this time every year: the return of the pumpkin spice latte and the return of school buses on our roads. Suddenly, the drive into work isn’t as smooth as it was last week, which can lead to impatience and frustration. Your first school bus safety tip is: try and leave home a bit earlier so that when a traffic snarl pops up, you can take a deep breath and relax. As summarized by Michigan.gov, here are the most important guidelines to foll

Summer in Michigan is definitely too short! The new school year is right around the corner, and for some it’s already started. Before we get back to a family schedule packed with events, school assignments, and deciding how to decorate for Halloween, take a moment to go over this checklist to help get your kids off to the best start to a new school year. Help your child get a good night’s sleep Getting a good night’s sleep is a foundational key to good health at every age.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human services is now reporting that cases of cyclosporiasis are declining in our area, and the overall guidance to avoid bagged salad mixes is no longer in effect. However, now there’s a new concern about salmonella-tainted jalapeño peppers that were served in restaurants across the country. People who became ill reported eating at Mexican restaurants such as Chipotle and Qdoba. Both have stopped serving jalapeño peppers for now. Here ar

Summer is a glorious time in Michigan and we’ve got a pretty spectacular week in store for us! Many of us pack these warm weather days with swimming, hiking, playing sports, gardening, skateboarding, and climbing trees. Well, some of us climb trees. All of this activity can sometimes lead to burns, cuts, bruises, insect/tick bites, poison ivy exposure, sprains, dislocations, and possibly worse. Having a well-stocked home first aid kit is a great way to be prepared for minor i

You may have seen recent headlines about a sudden, unusually large spike in severe stomach illnesses in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has reported more than 700 cases of cyclosporiasis since late June 2026—mostly concentrated right here in Southeast Michigan. To put that into perspective, Michigan usually averages only about 50 cases in an entire year. If you or a family member develop prolonged or severe watery diarrhea, stay well-

As summer rolls into full swing, there is nothing quite like a Michigan evening. Whether you are spending it up north at the cabin, relaxing near a Great Lake beach, or hanging out in your own backyard, summer in the Mitten is spectacular. But as the holidays approach, our quiet summer nights are bound to get a lot louder. While it can be tempting to pick up a few boxes of consumer-grade pyrotechnics to put on your own neighborhood show, the reality of DIY fireworks often inv

June is Men’s Health Month and it’s a good reminder for men of every age to be proactive about their physical and mental health. The most important thing every man (and woman) can do is schedule a complete annual physical with a primary care physician. This is something many of us tend to ignore, especially when we are younger. But scheduling an annual physical is the best way to spot any early signs of trouble. Your primary care physician will make sure that your vaccinati

If you are a dog owner, you already know the pure joy of coming home to a furiously wagging tail. But beyond the unconditional love and the occasional chewed-up shoe, owning a dog delivers some seriously heavy-hitting health benefits. Science backs up what dog lovers have always felt: adding a pooch to your life is a massive win for both your body and your mind. Here's a look at some of the health benefits of dog ownership: Your Heart’s Best Friend Living with a dog can quite

Ticks, and the diseases they carry, have become more of a health concern in our area over the years, and now we're starting to see cases of tick bites in our offices even earlier in the Michigan tick season. Here’s a quick guide to help keep you, your family, and your pets safe from tick bites this summer. Ticks are parasites that feed off the blood of humans and animals. They prefer to live in warm humid conditions, and they die off in the winter. Our changing and warming

Exercising your core muscles at any age is one of the most important things you can do to maintain good health, avoid back pain, and maintain a good posture. Your core muscles refer to those muscles around your abdomen, back, hips and pelvic muscles. If you don’t have a strong core, it could affect your balance. It also causes the other muscles in your body to compensate for a weak core, which could lead to back pain. If you are a casual athlete, working on your core muscle

We’ve all heard the phrase "sitting is the new smoking." For years, the conversation focused on our hearts and waistlines—warning us about cardiovascular risk and metabolic slowdown. But new neurological research in early 2026 has shifted the spotlight to a different organ: the brain. Recent imaging studies have confirmed a startling link: prolonged sedentary behavior is associated with thinning in the medial temporal lobe (MTL), the brain region responsible for forming new m

Even before we put away our shovels, it’s time for those of us who suffer from spring allergies to get prepared for what is just around the corner. Forecasters are generally predicting a stronger and longer spring allergy season in Southeast Michigan this year. If you suffer from spring allergies, it’s a good idea to start taking your prescribed allergy medications right now. Early tree pollen starts to appear in our area sometime around early to mid-March. Starting your t

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month , and if you’ve noticed people wearing dark blue ribbons lately, there's an important reason why. Here's why it's so important to understand the early warning signs of colorectal cancer. For decades, colorectal cancer (CRC) was considered a disease that only affected older generations. But the landscape of this disease has drastically changed. Today, the medical community is sounding the alarm: colorectal cancer is rising at

We’ve written before about the proven health benefits of taking a peaceful and undistracted walk in nature. A walk through the woods, with or without or dog, helps improve everyone’s mood, so it makes sense that studies now tout similar health benefits of going to an art museum and getting completely absorbed in the art. No phone distractions—You are in a quiet and peaceful space, filled with interesting, beautiful, thought-provoking art. It makes sense that a place like thi

IEP Urgent Care’s two Jackson-area offices now offer patients the opportunity to schedule a Virtual Urgent Care (telemedicine) visit. “We’re glad we can now offer the Jackson community a new and easy way to connect with an experienced IEP provider and receive care for a variety of health issues from the comfort of their homes,” said IEP Urgent Care medical director Dr. Nick Dyc. Most visits are completed quickly, and prescriptions can be sent to your pharmacy when clinically

During the cold winter months, the last thing you’d think to do is open up your windows and let cold air blast through your house. Modern homes are well insulated to keep the cold out and the warm air in, so it doesn’t seem to make much sense to open the windows when its freezing outside. But in many parts of Europe, and especially in Germany, this is not only a normal and accepted practice, but it is actually mandated by law. It’s called “Lüften” which means “airing out” y

If you’re struggling to manage your blood pressure, the problem might be sitting right in your pantry. We’ve been conditioned to look for "low-fat" or "high-protein" on the box, but these health claims often distract us from a dangerous reality: hidden sodium. From the rotisserie chicken you grab for a quick dinner to the cottage cheese in your breakfast bowl, your favorite "safe" foods could be the reason your numbers won't budge. Here are five healthy-looking foods that are

Michigan's little warm spell this week is coming to an end with the arrival of an Arctic cold front, bringing freezing temperatures and high winds and turning all the week's rainfall into ice. Following this forecast, the National Weather Service has issued Winter Weather Advisories for 25 counties in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. This is bad timing going into the busiest travel season of the year - add distracted driving into the mix, and you've got a recipe fo

Prebiotic sodas are exploding in popularity, suddenly flooding the shelves of grocery stores and tempting us with promises of improved gut health. Brands like Olipop, Poppi, and Popwell are marketing themselves as a gut-friendly alternative to traditional sugary drinks, but are they really? The short story is that prebiotic sodas are definitely a step up from full-sugar sodas and can be a decent way to boost your fiber intake, but they're not a substitute for a diet rich in