Preventing, Maintaining and Treating Asthma Read on to learn about treating asthma including allergy prevention, asthma medications, methods for administering inhaled medications and which method is best for your child. Allergy Prevention Some forms of asthma, as described above, may be caused by allergies to substances in the environment such as: dust, mold, cigarette smoke, […]
Peak Flow Meter
What is a Peak Flow Meter? A peak flow meter is a device prescribed by your doctor to help you monitor your child’s asthma. It is a plastic tube about 8 inches long with a mouthpiece attached. Your child takes a deep breath, and then blows out as hard and fast as he can. This makes […]
Hives
An hour after dinner you are giving your one-year-old a bath. You notice a red and white, raised welt on her tummy. You find more on her legs. Fifteen minutes later she is practically covered in welts. What could this be? Should you rush her to the ER? Should you page your doctor? Relax and […]
Pneumonia
Dr. Sears Guide to Identifying If Your Child Could Have Pneumonia Your child has been coughing for several days. The cough then becomes deeper and junkier, and he starts having fevers. He (and you) are up all night, and cough medicine doesn’t seem to be helping. You begin to worry, “Could my child have pneumonia?” […]
RSV – Respiratory Syncycial Virus
PREMATURE BIRTH RATE SOARS MAKING AN INCREASING NUMBER OF CHILDREN AT RISK FOR SERIOUS RESPIRATORY SYNCYCIAL VIRUS Current reports show a significant rise in the number of preterm births over the past 20 years. These rates have risen from 9.4 percent to 11.9 percent, an increase of more than 27 percent between 1981 and 2001.1 […]
Breastfeeding Benefits from Top to Bottom
• Brain. Higher IQ in breastfed children. Cholesterol and other types of fat in human milk support the growth of nerve tissue. • Eyes. Visual acuity is higher in babies fed human milk. • Ears. Breastfed babies get fewer ear infections. • Mouth. Less need for orthodontics in children breastfed more than a year. Improved […]
Milk Allergies
I worry about allergies. We have a lot of allergies in our family and I’m concerned that my child may develop milk allergies. How common are these and how do I recognize them? Milk allergies are over-diagnosed by the general population and under-diagnosed by doctors. The real incidence of milk allergies lies somewhere between the […]
What are Food Allergies?
Food Allergies Approximately three to seven percent of children and adults have food allergies or food intolerance. Food allergies have been called the great masqueraders because they are a hidden cause of so many problems, ranging from mere annoyances to downright disease. Food allergies tend to be underdiagnosed by physicians and overdiagnosed by everyone else. […]
Common Signs of Food Sensitivities
SKIN RESPIRATORY PASSAGES INTESTINES BEHAVIOR hives red, sandpaper-like facial rash dry, scaly, itchy skin (mostly on face) swelling in hands and feet puffy eyelids dark circles under eye slip swelling tongue soreness and cracks sneezing runny nose stuffy nose wheezing watery eyes rattling chest persistent cough congestion bronchitis recurring ear infections burnlike rash around anus […]
8 Facts About Food Allergies
Here are some facts you should know about the subtleties of food allergies: 1. Food allergy symptoms vary in severity. While one mother may have to rush a wheezing child to the nearest emergency room within minutes after he eats a peanutbutter sandwich, another child may develop only a nuisance-like rash around the mouth. 2. […]
Life-Threatening Food Allergies
Some food allergies, especially to nuts and shellfish, can be life-threatening in very sensitive people. The windpipe may go into spasms or the cardiovascular system may go into shock (called anaphylaxis) within minutes after eating a particular food. If you or your child has had a serious reaction to a food, even severe hives or […]
How Your Immune System Works
The Immune System Army An army of millions of microscopic soldiers operates within you, each one ready to spring into battle against invading germs and to do sentry duty to prevent disease from occurring in the first place. How you feed these soldiers has a great influence on how well they protect you from germs […]