We are almost through ragweed season but some of my patients are wondering what made this year's season so bad. Actually, a certain number of allergy sufferers experience a peak in their nasal symptoms every spring and/or fall season which may be worse than previous years. But the most common mid-season question I encounter is: "Why have my... Read more
Okay we know it's hard to get through a year without having one or more colds or upper respiratory tract infections (URI). If you have allergic rhinitis (hay fever) it may be difficult to tell when cold symptoms start and end. Some people are more prone to catch colds based on their health status, the existence of other medical conditions or job.... Read more
School may be out for summer, but so are the outdoor allergy triggers. The good news is many allergy medications are now available without need for a prescription from your doctor. But unfortunately the over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamines and antihistamine-decongestant combinations are very expensive and sold in less than 30-day packets in many... Read more
A parent of one of my 10 year old asthma patients found that the Phys ed teacher frequently assigned her son to the goalie position during soccer games because of his exercise related breathing problems. The child was embarrassed and discouraged by his being singled out because of his soccer field struggles. The problem here is mom was... Read more
Did you know the largest internal organ of the body is the liver? But the overall largest organ of the body is the skin. It’s no wonder the skin is involved with so many aspects of diseases: rash, itching, fever, external bleeding, swelling, pallor (turning pale), and cyanosis (turning blue). Doctors look for signs of hundreds of diseases by... Read more
