Dr. Estelle Anne Ostgard, MD

Family Practitioner

W3275 Wolf River Dr Keshena WI, 54135 Show map

About
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About

Dr. Estelle Ostgard is a Family Practice physician practicing at the Menominee Tribal Clinic in Keshena, WI and as a Hospilist at ThedaCare Shawano, Shawano Wisconsin. Dr. Ostgard specializes in the comprehensive medical care of outpatient and inpatient patients. As a family practitioner at the clinic, Dr. Ostgard Works on adult medicine, Pediatrics, Prenatal care, some dermatology, Mental health issues, Gynecological issues and contraception, and outpatient acute care. Procedures performed outpatient include joint injections, scalp injections, skin biopsy, skin tag removal, incision and drainage, Nexplanon Insertion, IUD insertion, Colposcopy, and splint/cast placement. As a hospitalist, Dr. Ostgard manages the clinical problems of hospitalized patients and the acutely ill For adults and pediatrics. She also works in the birth center and nursery for prenatal care, Obstetrics, Post partum care, And newborn care. Procedures performed inpatient include vaginal delivery, assistance with Cesarean delivery, neonatal resuscitation as needed, Circumcision, Joint injections, Bedside incision and drainage, and Wound care. In both locations Dr. Ostgard Collaborates with an array of professionals in Medicine and works closely with various surgeons and other medicine specialists, referrals are made accordingly and appropriately to facilitate good comprehensive medical care to her patients. The Menominee Tribal Clinic services the members of the Menominee Tribe but also other native populatian peoples as well as other local patients. She accepts all forms of insurance including medicare and medicaid at MTC. Dr. Ostgard also works at both sites on committees and projects to improve the performance and quality of care including Infectious disease prevention, medical Pharmacology interactions, And now has been placed on the medical executive committee as one of the officers At the local hospital Theda Care Shawano.

Education and Training

University of South Dakota MD 2012

Alverno College BA 1997

Board Certification

American Board of Family Medicine

Provider Details

Female English

Dr. Estelle Anne Ostgard, MD

Dr. Estelle Anne Ostgard, MD's Expert Contributions

My Answers

Should I take medications for seasonal allergies?
Yes, if seasonal allergies are bad enough that they are disrupting your life, then it is a good choice to try medication. But there are different types of medication. You can do nasal sprays, whether it's simple, saline sprays, Or ones like flonaze or nasonex. Sometimes, though, if the whole body is involved in the allergy, oral pills might be better and those include claritin, zyrtec, or allegra. These ones are Longer lasting meds that do not necessarily make you drowsy; versus benadryl, that you have to take multiple times a day and often will make you sleepy. All of these medications I have listed are over the counter and do not require any prescription from a physician. READ MORE
How long does pneumonia last?
Most pneumonias take up to 2 weeks to get over. That is because the nature of the illness is inflammation And irritation of the lung tissue within. This can happen with viral, Bacterial, Or fungal organism infection. Though in most cases it is considered to be treated as if it was bacterial, Unless viral test confirms active virus. That is because Most pneumonia are secondary infections after an upper respiratory and/or virus infection And therefore bacterial infections become more common. Most Antibiotics take about a week to work, But once the medication is done, the lungs still have to heal. That is where the two weeks come in. That being said, those who have a fungal infection could have substantially longer time to recover And might have anti fungal medication longer, But these are actually quite rare. It is also Noted that recovery time varies in people who have asthma, COPD, or restrictive lung disease; as their lungs are delicate and sometimes takes longer to heal. Recently with the covid 19 infections some people also have longer lung recovery times even if they do not have any prior lung disorders. READ MORE
Flu shot documentation
Any vaccine can cause a reaction that is in the mild sense. People need to understand that vaccines are Made up of either dead virus or bacteria, Mutated but live weakened Viruses, or a piece or fragment of a virus or bacteria. The 1st and last cannot give you the infection the 2nd could give you a mild one. The important thing is that you have an Immune response That means your body sees the foreign object of whatever type and reacts to it and starts making antibodies And it is the antibodies that save you from the worst infection that the vaccine is for. Now while your immune system is working to make antibodies you sometimes go through a flu like symptom pattern for 24 to 48 hours, That is not you getting sick that is your body's response to any foreign particle while it attacks the foreign particle. People feel fatigue, Have arm pain, Feel nauseated sometimes even vomit, Have mild fevers, And general feeling of unwellness. It always is recommended after having a vaccine to rest that night , eat a good dinner, Have lots of hydration, No strenuous exercise or heavy lifting, And pampering yourself is not a bad idea. Your body's working on the inside hard it doesn't need you to work so much on the outside Is that day. Most people don't have to have a note to go to work if they're post vaccine with feeling unwell they just bring in the evidence they have the shot. Most post vaccine fevers And body aches are treated well with Tylenol Or motrin READ MORE
Are blood pressure medications safe?
Absolutely!, There are many different types of blood pressure medications depending on what stage in the treatment of blood pressure that 1 has. One also has to consider other medications when prescribing blood pressure medications as well as the history of other chronic disorders. So no one medication fits all And even after starting one, close follow up With the PCP is recommended To make sure it is working properly as well as that there is no side effects or electrolyte changes. It is important to take your blood pressure medication every day , Because untreated blood pressure can lead to stroke, Heart damage and heart failure, Kidney damage, And general feeling of unwellness. READ MORE
Dog Licking in Mouth
1st of all after 30 years nothing's gonna be a problem for you if it didn't happen already, And an infection in the mouth from another animal in this situation would probably be more like a sore throat And less likely a dental problem unless you already had dental problems. In all reality a dog's mouth is probably cleaner than most humans Which is why sometimes treat dog bites differently than I do when a human bites another person.... The human bite gets more antibiotics. READ MORE
What pain medications can I take for chronic headaches?
This very much depends on the type of headache the location of the headache and the daily patterns of the headache. Other than a episode of headache, People who have reaccurrent headaches can classify into migraines, Tension headaches, Cluster headaches, and combination headaches. There's also a remote chance headache that's caused from something related to blood pressure or something inside the brain which is rare. Chronic reaccurrent headaches needs to be worked up to rule out obvious things like masses blood pressure issues electrolyte concerns or other medical problems that Have headaches as a side effect. Once the other problems are ruled out the classic 3 noted above of headaches have to be determined and then medication can be allotted depending on the type. Ideally Tylenol and motrin are options But sometimes too much of these meds can cause rebound headaches which makes them seem like they're not going away. Also people who are using too much caffeine can have rebound headaches as well and they need to wean off of the caffeine then. Highly recommend going in and getting the headaches worked up some stuff cleared off the list of options and looking at treatments. In more difficult migraines and treatment sometimes you need to see a neurologist but 1st you need to go through a primary care. READ MORE
Can I be put to sleep for an endoscopy?
They always put you to sleep during this. You will not be awake for them to do A-scope either in the rectum or the one that's down the throat. you must be asleep otherwise they cannot perform it. READ MORE
Are there any natural treatments for seasonal allergies?
I'm not sure if natural is the right word in treatment here. But for those with allergies and they do not want to take a Oral medications or nasal Inhaled medications, Then you need to do some household changes with Air filtration added to the air conditioning or heater, Some people add another air purifier in the home, Use hypoallergenic sheets, bedding, And soaps to clean them. Heavily consider whether or not having a pet in the home is necessary. Avoid going outside for long periods of time during days of poor air quality. And then some people find great benefit from flushing the sinuses with either a nettypot Or just saline nasal spray daily. But this all is dependent on how severe the allergies are and whether a person has asthma READ MORE
Can heart palpitations be managed with medications?
The short answer is... It depends on what is causing the heart palpitations. Sometimes a heart palpitation can be a cardiac arrhythmia and therefore needs either medication and/or procedures to fix this or treat this. Sometimes heart palpitations are because a person is depressed or having anxiety and therefore needs a mood med. And sometimes heart palpitations are just during certain activities because their heart is moving more with exercise or Exertion And in that case the patient should be cleared for good exercise and given good guidance on how far they should push themselves until they are ready to go to a higher exertion level. The last common thing we see with palpitations is when people who are under a lot of stress but yet are not necessarily depressed or anxious. And in that case we recommend doing stress relieving activities whether it's exercise , yoga, meditation, getting massage, breathing exercises or just doing something fun Daily for at least 30 minutes. As you see this is not a straight answer and why often I will have people come in and get checked out and we discuss what it may or may not be, Work it up, And offer recommendations/suggestions READ MORE
Can general anesthesia for liver surgery cause any damage?
General anesthesia has the same risks for everybody across-the-board no matter what surgery. The risk are minimized if the person is healthy , young, And has less comorbidities. The Is risks for general anesthesia in liver surgery will be the same as those for removing a gallbladder or having your tonsils out. Now that being said a person should have a pre operative appointment with either that surgeon or your primary care physician within 30 days of the surgery date. Then any concerns whether it's about anesthesia or other outcomes with surgery or after surgery with respect to your overall health and the problem at hand can be addressed. And that's the time you can to ask all these questions as well READ MORE
What treatments are available for type 1 diabetes?
Type one diabetes is always treated with an insulin of some sort. That is not to say that they don't use additional medication that might be oral but insulin is necessary for type one. With type one the B islet cells In the pancreas have been attacked and destroyed. Therefore those cells cannot make insulin any more. This is a different thing where type 2 does not have this. And if your body cannot make insulin it cannot take the sugar from the bloodstream and put it into the cells of the body. Therefore type one has to have supplemental insulin given. And I understand that the idea of giving insulin to children or anybody for that matter makes someone worried because too much is bad and too little can cause problems. It's a balancing act of managing diet glucose readings and insulin every day for the rest of that person's life.... The good thing is after the diet improves and the insulin is stabilized in treatment so that similar doses are given throughout the day it will get better.... And we have new monitors to make life easier as well As some people get pumps for insulin application. READ MORE
Is acupuncture safe for your health?
Studies have shown that acupuncture does help people with chronic fatigue and chronic pain , How exactly this works is rather uncertain in the fullest sense. But physicians nowadays have approved or allowed for their patients to try this therapy to see if it gives them any benefits. Not everybody has a benefit but some do. It is a safe practice with a reputable practitioner. In this country we have licensing for therapy of all kinds, Whether it's physical therapy occupational therapy speech therapy massage therapy... Acupuncture is a therapy as well that should have a license. A reputable practitioner will use sterile technique to maintain skin cleanliness and use the actual fine needles only once And dispose To avoid infection. These needles are so fine they're like the width of a hair, And they do not go deep Therefore the risk of injury is miniscule. But on the 1st visit with an acupuncture provider I do recommend you discuss the benefits and the risks with that provider and have them walk you through what it entails As well as how often you need to go to see benefits. READ MORE
What is causing a lump on my breast?
You need to go to the doctor right away. This could be simply a skin infection that's gotten worse but given the location and the duration you must have a rule out for cancer. READ MORE
Are the COVID vaccines safe for children?
The short answer is yes. Consider them as safe as any of the other vaccines you gave for childhood vaccine course. By now we have done all the studies needed for both adult and children to deem these safe and actually they are far more effective than even the flu shot READ MORE
Do you need general anesthesia for a tonsillectomy?
Yes, That is the recommendation and it has been for decades. READ MORE
What activities to avoid with high blood pressure?
Blood pressure 1st needs to be treated properly with medication although diet and exercise helps. To avoid blood pressure we recommend healthy diet and exercise... We recommend lots of normal water intake less caffeine less salt While eating a low fat and sensible carb diet. Once you get blood pressure though you need the medications in addition to those things. There's no real activity to avoid with high blood pressure history Although it's best that the medication's on board so your blood pressure is controlled While exercising so it doesn't go any higher. That being said sometimes people who are on Beta blockers like metoprolol Might have some symptoms With aerobic activity And might need to go a little slower pace. But there really are no limits placed on people with blood pressure with respect to Exercise Especially if they're already well treated and have no other concerns. READ MORE
Will I get general anesthesia for an endoscopy?
Yes you do but there are very different types of medications used so they are not necessarily the same as those for a larger surgery because endoscopy usually takes no more than 30 minutes READ MORE
What makes hearing bad?
At that young of an age one should have their ears checked to make sure they do not have infection, Persistent otitis media infections Could lead to hearing issues and affect speech Development. READ MORE
Can I use multivitamin supplements during pregnancy?
Highly recommend to use a multi vitamin in pregnancy, Pregnant people should take prenatal vitamins though because they have extra supplements for the baby including folic acid and iron. READ MORE
Fell on my knee & have been vomiting since
Personally I have no idea if the knee and fall situation is related to your vomiting but given your history I do think the vomiting should be worked up. I would highly recommend seeing your primary care physician, ER doctor or at least your renal doctor when you go to Dialysis. Discussing it with them will warrant probably some more imaging and/or labs which would help With understanding more of what it could be. A person with dialysis cannot go days and days with poor oral intake and ongoing vomiting. The electrolytes are too sensitive and part of the dialysis deals with electrolyte management as well as removing waste, So it's important that you have this looked at right away. READ MORE

Areas of expertise and specialization

Prenatal careAdult medicinePediatricsAcute care

Faculty Titles & Positions

Medical executive officer/committee member Theda Care Shawano 2022 - 2025
Family Medicine staff Menominee Tribal Clinic 2015 - Present
Hospitalist Theda Care Shawano 2015 - Present

Awards

Madison 360 top Native American leaders of Wisconsin 2021 2021

Professional Memberships

Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Medical Association

Professional Society Memberships

Aafp, ama

Teaching and speaking

Teaching Medical school students and residents that come through our facility on rotation, I've done speaking engagements For various colleges and organizations on Health equity in native populations