Posted by: drmolly in vaccines, pertussis, cough on
Sep 01, 2010
Whooping cough is in the news again. In Michigan, health officials are urging vaccines as a way to stop the spread of the illness. And California has declared that the illness has now reached epidemic proportions in that state and shines the spotlight on this vaccine preventable illness.
I suspect that a large part of the reason for this eruption of illness in California is due to the large number of undocumented immigrants who cannot access
Posted by: drmolly in cough, allergies on
Aug 31, 2010
Everyone suspects allergies are a problem when your child is sneezing a lot with a clear runny nose and itchy eyes, but not all kids with allergies have such clear cut symptoms. Here are some less common presentations of spring allergies:
- Coughing: Coughing alone in an otherwise healthy kid who isn't sick is often a symptom of allergy. The cough is usually moist sounding but can be barky at times and occurs day and night. The cough is most often
Iinfluenza has really started to hit our area hard. The following Q&A will help you understand who needs to be seen, when testing should be done and who needs Tamiflu treatment:
Q: When do I suspect my child has influenza? What are the symptoms?
A: Fever higher than 101.5 degrees along with sore throat and body aches is the first sign followed by headache, congestion and cough. The kids look very sick, down and out and are not interested in
Posted by: drmolly in croup, cough, breathing problems on
Jan 17, 2010
It is 2 a.m. and you hear your 3-year-old in her bedroom awake and coughing. This cough doesn't sound like any cough you have heard before.
Your child is agitated, sounds like she is gasping for air and even when she is just breathing you can hear her air moving in and out. When you look at her chest and neck they seem to cave in oddly as she tries to breathe more deeply. Her voice is hoarse and she may even have a fever. The amount of
In my office I have had a lot of families very willing and eager to have their kids get the seasonal flu vaccine but questions and concerns linger about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine (aka swine flu) and whether it is really necessary given the mild nature of this strain of influenza thus far. There is a lot of misinformation and fear-mongering about this year's vaccine and I hope to set the record straight.
Q: I've heard this swine flu
Wondering when to take your sick child to see her doctor and what kind of treatment to expect? Here are a few cases of flu-like illnesses and how they turned out.
Case 1
Otherwise healthy 8-year-old came in with a one-day history of fever up to 104 degrees, mild headache, head congestion, cough, fatigue and body aches. Dad is concerned this may be the swine flu and wants him assessed. This child's exam is consistent with a flu-like illness
We all know that the H1N1 virus is ramping up. School is back in session and kids clustered together means germs spread. Parents (and teachers) are worried about this novel virus and as such the phone calls and e-mails to my office are on the rise. The challenge is that many illnesses with fever will not be H1N1 influenza - so how is a parent to know? Here are some tips:
H1N1 influenza, commonly known as the swine flu, presents most often
Posted by: drmolly in Influenza, cough, antibiotics on
Apr 28, 2009
More cases of swine flu have been identified in the last day or so and there will undoubtedly be more to come. A couple of probable cases have been found in Michigan and even in my little office, I have sent cultures on two people who have been in contact with others from Mexico who had symptoms.
I have had a ton of questions from patients and Detroit News readers about the swine flu and here are the most frequently asked with answers:
Q: My
Posted by: drmolly in pneumonia, Influenza, illness, cough on
Apr 26, 2009
Starting in early April this year, several cases of swine flu were reported in Mexico and the illness has slowly but surely been making its way north and now east. Swine flu is a strain of influenza virus that normally only infects pigs, hence the name. Tons of pigs get this illness each season and transmission to humans is very rare. Like avian flu, which is a strain of influenza virus that normally infects birds but has been on rare occasion
Let's face it, none of us likes having a cold. The drippy nose, scratchy throat, coughing and body aches are enough to put a grown-up in bed for the day. Many of us reach for some over-the-counter medications to help us feel better as we ride out the storm. We used to reach for these same medications for our young children, but growing evidence suggests not only are they unsafe for some kids, they aren't even effective!
Many parents already
