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Kids With Sleep Apnea Improve by Having Their Tonsils Removed

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:49:58 +0000

Many doctors are hesitant to perform tonsillectomies until they are absolutely necessary. The surgery is difficult for many to recover from and runs the rare but very serious risk of post-operative bleeding. However, a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that children with obstructive sleep apnea who had their tonsils and adenoids removed had significantly improved behavior and quality of life when compared to those who were treated with supportive care rather than surgery.

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Antibiotic Availability in Mexico Leads to Superbugs in U.S.

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:51:09 +0000

Subburaj Kannan is a scientist from Texas and he is very concerned about what antibiotics flowing in from Mexico are doing to border communities in the United States. Here, in America, you must obtain a prescription to get an antibiotic, and doctor's are stingy about writing those prescriptions unless they can prove that your illness is indeed bacterial. In Mexico, however, antibiotics are available over-the-counter to anyone, and many Americans living close to Mexico take advantage of this easy access. When people get sick, they just want to get better, and so for many, walking across the border to get an antibiotic is commonplace. Unfortunately, the misuse of antibiotics in border communities is breading of antibiotic resistant super bugs.

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Complications of Untreated Allergies

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:07:11 +0000

Allergies to pollen, pet dander, mold and dust are so common in the United States that few of us, including many doctors, fail to think of allergies as a serious illness. Truthfully, left untreated, or under treated, these types of allergies can lead to complications, including more serious illnesses. Documented complications of poorly treated allergies include: sinusitis, ear infections, nasal polyps, asthma and sleep apnea. Children with untreated allergies can even develop orthodontic problems or abnormal facial development. Furthermore, with so many allergy medications available over-the-counter, many adults are apt to self diagnose allergies when they in fact have another illness entirely or are already suffering from a complication such as chronic sinusitis. Studies continue to show that allergies should be treated early on and by a proper physician to prevent complications and to improve your quality of life. For more information read:

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Thyroid Cancer from Radiation Exposure Turns Out to be Very Treatable

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:16:53 +0000

A recent study published this month in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism followed children and teens who developed thyroid cancer as a result of nuclear fallout from the 1986 disaster at Chernobyl. The study found that of the 229 children and adolescents who were followed in the study almost every single one responded favorably to treatment: 64 percent were in complete remission, 30 percent were near complete remission, 1 patient died of lung fibrosis, and only two patients had experienced a recurrence of their thyroid cancer. This despite the fact that 97 percent of these patient's cancer had spread beyond the thyroid and in to surrounding lymph nodes, and 43 percent had cancer that had spread to their lungs.

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Why You Should Never Self Diagnose Allergies

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:01:31 +0000

In 2011 a study by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation found that 51% of people participating in that study had misdiagnosed themselves with allergies when they actually had chronic sinusitis. Chronic sinusitis is a condition that has very similar symptoms to seasonal allergies but requires a dramatically different treatment approach. Many of these people could have had their condition cured but failed to go to a doctor.

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Cold Medications Cause More Harm Than Good in Small Children

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:08:14 +0000

Multiple studies have shown that there is little to no benefit in giving young children and infants common cough and cold medications. Furthermore, dangerous or bothersome side effects often occur. For this reason the FDA stopped recommending the use of these products in children under the age of two. However, a new study from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital shows that 40% of parents continue to use these medications when their children come down with a cold virus.

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Scientist to Present New Research on Loss of Smell

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:51:36 +0000

Robert I. Henkin, founder of the Taste and Smell Clinic will present new research on the make up of mucous and it's relation to the loss of smell at a conference, Sunday April 21, 2013. Henkin, who has previously presented groundbreaking research on saliva as well as the molecular make up of mucous, will present his research involving cytokines and how they affect our olfactory senses at the Experimental Biology 2013 conference in Boston.

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Majority of Asthmatics Also Suffer From Allergies

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:38:17 +0000

Previous studies have shown that 60-80% of children who suffer from asthma also have an allergy, but new research also shows that a whopping 75% of adults with asthma also have at least one allergy. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology both the prevalence of asthma and allergies are on the rise. An estimated 50 million Americans suffer from allergies and 26 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma.

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Can You Get Cancer of the Sinuses?

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 15:50:57 +0000

Cancer of the sinuses is very rare in the United States, with only about 2,000 cases diagnosed each year, but it does occur. Because the paranasal sinuses are connected to the nasal passageways, individuals rarely get sinus cancer that does not also spread into the nasal cavity. Risk factors for cancer of the sinuses include working in a profession where you breathe in dust or chemicals, smoking, HPV infections, or a history of eye cancer (retinoblastoma). Symptoms are very similar to those of sinusitis.

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A Genetic Hearing Test in the Works

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 20:58:05 +0000

The American Hearing Research Foundation has offered a grant to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin to test a genetic hearing test. The test can identify congenital hearing loss that may be missed with standard newborn hearing screening. The goal is to make genetic hearing tests the new standard.

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