Allergies and asthma have been on the rise in the US for quite a while and figuring out which factors play a role has been a major push in research. The hygiene theory has been on the table for several years now and goes something like this: because our society has become so clean and … Continue Reading →
Ear infections are common in young children, and during cold and flu season these infections happen even more. Parents worry that an infection gone undiagnosed could result in undue pain or hearing problems for their infant, so they often bring their baby in to get his ears checked at the first sign of a possible … Continue Reading →
Influenza has hit early and hit hard. Your work colleagues are out sick, media reports tout the ERs are at capacity and you’re scrambling to minimize the chance that your children get sick with this year’s flu. First some facts: stomach flu is not the same as Influenza. Both are circulating now, but they are … Continue Reading →
Whooping cough claimed the life of a healthy infant earlier this summer and it was a terrible reminder of how devastating this illness can be. Infants, even vaccinated infants, are more vulnerable because of their size and relative weakness at fighting infection. Even with the help of some immunity that vaccination can provide, without completing … Continue Reading →
Sitting outside yesterday at dinner was heavenly. Until the bug invasion. Mosquitos and gnats and other flying creatures decided my table was the party place. We pulled out the citronella candles which helped, but by the end of the evening we all had a bug bite or two. Insect bites in children can result in … Continue Reading →
After a relaxing hike along the Michigan lakeshore, you return to your summer home with a collection of sea glass, a Petoskey stone, and a small brown bug on your arm. You’re not completely sure if it’s a tick since you haven’t seen one before, but you’re sure it’s a bug. It doesn’t hurt but … Continue Reading →
The blacklegged tick has found itself a new home. Formerly known as “deer tick,” the blacklegged tick used to reside primarily in the Upper Peninsula and the very northern parts of the mitten. Due in part to the unseasonably warm winter and in part to shifts in population home bases, southeast Michigan is seeing a … Continue Reading →
I have a patient who has had abdominal pain for 3 weeks. The child is 3 and has lost 5 pounds since it began. She’s been in the hospital once already and has had 2 ultrasounds and at least 2 x-rays of her belly without much found. She’s had labs to rule out gluten problems, … Continue Reading →
I know what you’re thinking: tampons cause toxic shock syndrome. Well you’re on the right track. But when I saw a 16-year-old boy in the office recently with this rare but serious condition I, too, was reminded that toxic shock syndrome isn’t just a problem for some tampon users. Toxic shock syndrome is actually caused … Continue Reading →
It’s been quite a year for mono. We’ve all heard of it, of course and the conventional wisdom is that teenagers and young adults are most likely to get it and will be down and out for weeks if they are infected. I’ve got some facts and myths about mono to share that will shake … Continue Reading →