Entries Tagged as ‘Common Illnesses’

September 30, 2009

How to Treat Warts: Head to the Hardware Store for Some Duct Tape

In my book, warts are one of the more annoying realities of life.  Though they are harmless–they generally don’t itch or hurt except for some deep warts on the feet—warts are quite a nuisance.   They can be unsightly and uncomfortable.  And they are usually very difficult to get rid of.

September 3, 2009

Ear Hygiene 101: Cleaning Your Kids Ears–Are Q-Tips Safe?

A friend once told me with great disdain, while watching me wiggle a cotton swab deep in my ear canal with great satisfaction, “I never use Q-tips to clean out my ears.” Apparently a doctor once told him never to put anything smaller than his elbow into his ear, and he took these words as [...]

August 5, 2009

Hacking Up a Lung: What is the Best Cough Medicine for Kids?

Coughing children are a big problem.  They can’t sleep.  They keep their parents awake.  They sound dreadful.  They cough so hard they barf (ick).     Every parent, at some time, comes to me desperately seeking a cure for their child’s cough.  The children are usually desperate too, though after his mom told me that [...]

July 16, 2009

Is Milk Harmful During an Illness?

As the ad jingle goes, milk it does a body good.  But many parents ask me if they should stop giving their sick child cow’s milk.  Myth or truism?  Here’s the lowdown. Snotfest:   It is true that milk may increase the thickness of mucous during a cold or other respiratory infection.  It will not, [...]

May 16, 2009

Drool Factory: Is My Baby Teething?

When is my baby going to teeth? Nearly every parent begins to wonder if their four month old child is going to get a tooth *any minute* now.   Well, don’t hold your breath!

May 11, 2009

Humor in Chaos: Watching The Swine Flu Epidemic Evolve

As I said in a previous post, being on the front line of a potential global pandemic is fascinating and not a little scary.  Since I shared my thoughts about swine flu, it appears that though the disease continues to spread, it is currently neither as contagious nor as deadly as experts feared.  We will [...]

May 4, 2009

Top Child Health News of 2008, Continued

Part 2:  Here is my synopsis and opinion on the 2nd half of the top 10 most read online pediatric and adolescent medicine stories of 2008.  The previous post is here. When Are Temper Tantrums in Preschool Children Cause for Concern?  Most toddlers and pre-schoolers have the occasional, or even frequent, tantrums but are generally healthy. In [...]

May 1, 2009

Nearing Global Pandemic: What You Need to Know About Swine Flu and Children

  What do you do when you hear “global pandemic?”  Is it time to build a bunker?  Should you and your family lock yourself in with enough PB&J for weeks of sustenance? With swine flu creeping towards meeting the definition of global pandemic, everyone is in a flutter.  Parents especially are wondering how to protect their [...]

April 28, 2009

Top 10 Child Health Articles of 2008: The Science of Medicine

Physicians are always trying to stay abreast of the latest news in order to provide excellent care for their patients.  Parents, too, can learn from cutting edge medical news.   Do you want to know what your child’s doctor is reading about?  Here is my take on the first five of top 10 most read online pediatric and [...]

April 10, 2009

The Best Cough Medicine? A Spoonful of Honey

Home remedies are often more effective than expensive medications.  A recently published study showed that honey provides better control of cough in children over the age of 1* compared to common over-the-counter and prescription medicines!  In fact, several studies have shown that cough medicines do not work at all, either to decrease the cough or [...]