DR SUGAR 's Medical Inspiration: Colds / Virus

The Common Cold part I
HELLO I AM DR. SUGAR, YOUR INTERNET DOCTOR, HERE TO GIVE YOU YOUR DOSE OF MEDICAL INPIRATION FOR THE DAY. OUR TOPIC IS the Common Cold - - SO LETS GET STARTED SHALL WE... If you ask ten different people what to do to overcome a cold or flu, you’ll get 10 different answers. Grandmas will say chicken soup. Moms will say get some rest and don’t go out into the cold if your hair is wet. Friends will say take some over-the-counter medication. In the old days some doctors might have said take an antibiotic to prevent complications from setting in. Researchers will say why didn’t you wash your hands and change your toothbrush? And the FDA says only time is a sure cure.

What we refer to as the “common cold” is an illness that is caused by a virus – well I say A virus but to be more accurate it can actually be caused by any one of over 200 different viruses that all can lead to a “cold.” These viruses cause over one billion colds in the United States each year. Most of the time when you get sick it is likely that you have a cold, as this is one of the most common illnesses around for both adults and children. Kids can get as many as 3 to 8 colds every year throughout their childhood. And adults who are around children can catch these colds as well. So if you have kids or if you work with kids, you are likely to continue to get more colds even in adulthood. Colds are the most common reason that children miss school and parents miss work. It’s true that viral infections that cause the cold and flu are often self-limiting which means that they die out on their own. But getting the cold or flu every month or so can lead to some 15 million days lost from work, and that may mean less income for that person’s family since most of us have limited sick days.

How do you tell the difference between the cold and the flu? A cold usually starts slowly with a scratchy sore throat. The next symptom is sneezing and then a runny nose follows. Sometimes you will also experience coughing, headache, muscle aches, decreased appetite, or other symptoms, but for the common cold, the most severe symptoms will be in the nose. Body temperature is normal or slightly elevated in a cold, although infants and young children can run a temp up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

The flu signs are different. Flu symptoms occur suddenly and often there is a headache, cough and chills that are more severe than what you experience with a cold. You may feel severe muscle aches in your legs and back, and a fever is usually higher, sometimes as high as 104 degrees. That fever seems to dwindle away by the second or third day and the fever is soon replaced by a stuffy nose and sore throat. The fatigue and weakness goes on for longer than a week and sometimes it’s still there weeks later. If you haven’t already seen it be sure to read the entire blog series on influenza for much more in depth information on the flu.

These signs and symptoms don’t always mean it’s a cold or the flu. These signs and symptoms are also common with measles, chickenpox, allergies and strep throat so if you have unusual or severe symptoms it is a good idea to get in and see your healthcare provider.

I am Doctor Sugar - - Be sure to catch part 2 of our blog series on the common cold. In the next section, I will go into a lot more detail on how you catch a cold and what can be done to prevent it. I’ll see you there!!
Giving You Your Dose of MEDICAL INSPIRATION,
Dr. Sugar
TO YOUR TOTAL WELLNESS!!

References:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov
Long, SS, Pickering, LK, and Prober, CG, eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Elsevier; 2003.
Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles of Infectious Diseases. 5th ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 2000.
Noble J, ed. Textbook of Primary Care Medicine. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2001.

The information contained in this blog is not medical advice.
Please consult your medical doctor before making any decisions
or taking any actions on your health or the health of your family.

The Common Cold part III
HELLO I AM DR. SUGAR, YOUR INTERNET DOCTOR, here to continue our discussion on the common cold. I will go into a lot more detail on what the traditional and the alternative treatments for these viral illnesses are. - - so if you are ready, let’s get started with a dose of MEDICAL INSPIRATION.

So you have a runny nose and a lot of sneezing, a scratchy throat and congestion – now what? Should you go to the doctor or try to doctor yourself? If you have a cold, symptoms may worsen for the first few days. Sometimes the clear runny nose may get thicker and even turn yellow or green – that is ok – and normal for a cold – the old idea that if you have green stuff coming out of your nose that you must get an antibiotic has been shown to be false – so you usually do not need an antibiotic even if this starts to happen. The entire cold is generally over all by itself within a week or so. If you are still having symptoms after a week, consider seeing your doctor to make sure you don’t have something else going on like a sinus infection or allergies. And like I said before if anything out of the ordinary or worrisome happens - like shortness of breath, abdominal pain, etc, get in to see your doctor right away.

If all you have is the common cold you may very well feel pretty crummy but you can probably do just fine on your own at home. Here are a few tips to get you through. Make sure you are getting extra rest and drinking plenty of fluids. I think vitamin C and zinc are beneficial although the studies do not always agree on this. I think it helps me so I always do it if I feel I am coming down with something. The latest studies on Echinacea show that this is probably beneficial so go ahead and try it if you want to. And even though this is JUST a cold and the doctors aren’t going to be able to do much to “fix it”, that doesn’t mean that you don’t feel bad – so it is ok for you to consider some over the counter treatments to decrease your symptoms. They won’t make the cold go away any quicker but you will probably feel better and function better while you have it. And again, antibiotics should not be used to treat a common cold. They will not help and may make the situation worse.

The FDA recommends only three categories of over the counter medications that are okay to use when you have a cold or the flu. The three categories are expectorants, cough suppressants and decongestants. Expectorants are the cough syrups that help loosen mucus and help eliminate the phlegm. The second is cough suppressants that are called anti-tussives. These are great when you can’t seem to control coughing episodes and especially if you’re planning on being around a lot of other people. This category includes throat lozenges, drops to add to the vaporizer, and also ointments that are rubbed into the chest. The third category is nasal decongestants. These open up blocked nasal passageways. You can spray them into the nose or take them orally. One other thing that could be used is an over the counter pain reliever like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) which might help with the general aches, fever and chills.

Medical experts now agree that using cough medicines and cold drugs should not be used in children under age 6. If your child is ill, talk to your doctor before giving them any over the counter medicines in this category as they may have serious side effects and will probably not be beneficial. If your child is over the age of one, consider giving them honey for their cough. Just don’t give it to babies under age one because of the risk of botulism.

Chicken soup has been used for treating common colds at least since the 12th century and it really may help. The heat, fluid, and salt may help you fight the infection. My dear grandma made chicken soup whenever we were sick growing up. But her chicken soup wasn’t ordinary chicken soup out of the can. She packed all kinds of things into the soup that we know now have antiviral activity, such as onions and garlic, sweet potatoes, and chicken … and don’t forget the noodles. She put thick noodles into the soup and it was always fun to eat it, even when we were sick. That chicken soup got me through dozens of colds and flu throughout dozens of years. Maybe it will also work for you, but in the meantime consider the other recommendations I’ve given today.

I am Doctor Sugar - Cheers to chicken soup for your next cold or flu! Thanks for checking in and If you haven’t already done so be sure to read all of the medical inspiration blogs on The Common Cold. Thank you for your interest in Total Wellness. Simply click on my picture and go to my profile to see the latest medical blogs on a wide variety of topics. I’ll see you there.

Giving You Your Dose of MEDICAL INSPIRATION,
Dr. Sugar
TO YOUR TOTAL WELLNESS!!

References:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov
Long, SS, Pickering, LK, and Prober, CG, eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Elsevier; 2003.
Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles of Infectious Diseases. 5th ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 2000.
Noble J, ed. Textbook of Primary Care Medicine. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2001.

The information contained in this blog is not medical advice.
Please consult your medical doctor before making any decisions
or taking any actions on your health or the health of your family.

The Common Cold part II
HELLO I AM DR. SUGAR, YOUR INTERNET DOCTOR, HERE TO continue our discussion on the common cold. I will go into a lot more detail on how you catch a cold and how you can prevent it. So if you are ready, let’s get started with a dose of MEDICAL INSPIRATION.

Children are usually infected when they are around other children at school or in daycare. And once one of these viruses hits an area, it will spread quickly - - every time someone sneezes or coughs droplets of virus come pouring out into the air. Other children catch this if they are nearby and breathe in the droplets. It can also be spread when the virus lands on surfaces. A person touches the contaminated surface and then touches their mouth, nose or eyes and boom the virus is in. People are very contagious for the first couple of days of a cold, and usually not contagious at all after a week or so. Colds are most prevalent in the winter or in the rainy season but can occur year round.

If your symptoms become severe or unusual or if you experience vomiting, stomachaches, coughing up blood, or even white patches on the throat, it’s time to see the doctor. So remember, if something unusual happens, get it checked out. It’s worth the trip because if you’re right, your child or you will recover sooner. If you’re wrong, you still learn from the experience. It’s never a good idea to take chances with your health.

So what can we do to decrease our chances of catching a cold? Well there are many small actions that we can take to build our immune system and decrease out contact with germs. One of the most important is good hygiene, so wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands – do this after you sneeze or blow your nose, before you eat or prepare food, after you go to the bathroom and before you touch your face. It is also a great idea to disinfect your home especially cleaning surfaces like light switches, doorknobs, sink handles and things that your family touches frequently.

Another key thing to keeping your immune system healthy is to avoid unnecessary antibiotics. The more people use antibiotics, the more likely they are to get sick with longer, more stubborn infections caused by more resistant organisms in the future. Also make sure that you are getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as yogurt since some studies have shown that there is benefit in eating yogurt due to beneficial bacteria in active yogurt cultures. Other things to keep your immune system healthy are getting regular exercise, avoiding unnecessary stress, and staying as far away from cigarettes and second hand smoke as possible. I also highly encourage breast-feeding for many many reasons but on this particular topic, breast milk has been shown to protect against respiratory infections and decrease the number of ear infections that kids get.

I am Doctor Sugar - - Be sure to catch part 3 of our blog series on the common cold. In the next section, I will go into a lot more detail on what the traditional and alternative treatments for these viral illnesses are. I’ll see you there!!
Giving You Your Dose of MEDICAL INSPIRATION,
Dr. Sugar
TO YOUR TOTAL WELLNESS!!

References:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov
Long, SS, Pickering, LK, and Prober, CG, eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Elsevier; 2003.
Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles of Infectious Diseases. 5th ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 2000.
Noble J, ed. Textbook of Primary Care Medicine. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2001.

The information contained in this blog is not medical advice.
Please consult your medical doctor before making any decisions
or taking any actions on your health or the health of your family.

Gastroenteritis (stomach flu) - part 1 - A Visit to my House
HELLO I AM DR. SUGAR, YOUR INTERNET DOCTOR, HERE TO GIVE YOU YOUR DOSE OF MEDICAL INPIRATION FOR THE DAY. OUR TOPIC IS a fancy thing called GASTROENTERITIS – more commonly known as “the stomach flu”- - So let’s get started shall we…
For the last 10 days or so we have been passing this bug around my house. It started with my one year old coming home from school with the diarrhea and then she started vomiting. Within 2 days, my husband had it and within 12 hours after that, I was having an intimate relationship with our commode. Then the next day, our 6 year old, who is always on the go was lying in the bed with fever, body aches and vomiting. Luckily it was all rather short lived with everyone recovering in about 48 hours. My son never got the first round and all was well for about 6 days. I even lost 4 pounds, which was kind of cool. Over the last 4 months or so, I have released 21 pounds but had been stuck there for about a month until the stomach flu hit and so now I am down 25 pounds. Not a great way to do it, but welcome none the less.

So a week goes by and all is well, then the day before Spring Break began I get a call from the school that the baby is vomiting again! By midnight that night, my son was vomiting and then within 24 hours my older daughter was vomiting as well. So we are only 24 hours out from her getting it but my baby and son are recovered and swimming in the pool having a great time. Mariah is lying in the lounge chair soaking in the sun, not as active as usual, but no vomiting today and this time… neither I nor my husband have caught it – at least not yet. So given what has happened in my house, I thought I would blog for a couple of days about VIRAL GASTROENTERITIS.

Every body has had it before: one day you wake up and you are feeling ill, you run a fever, and spend the rest of the day between bed and bathroom. You ask yourself what in the world is this? Did I eat something bad? Did I drink bad water? Where in the heck did I catch this - - oh my gosh - is this the stomach flu? This is certainly one of the worst feelings there is – those days when you have one end stuck to the toilet and the other end barfiing in the trash can – yuck – can it get any worse – how long is this going to last – what can I do to get better. Well lets spend a little time talking about this today. First of all the symptoms I described can be caused by a few different things so the only way to know for sure what is causing your symptoms, is to go to the doctor and have a stool ample analyzed. You are probably sitting there thinking “go to the doctor – I can’t even leave the bathroom for more than 5 minutes – how am I supposed to get all the way across town to see the doctor” well we will talk about some of the supportive care you can do at home to care for yourself but first back to the things that can cause this illness.

One possibility is that you have ingested a bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

Another possibility is that last weekend while you were out for a lovely hike in the mountains, you may have had a drink of unfiltered mountain spring water and brought home a very unwelcome guest in the form of a Giardia infection. This is a parasite that is common in open water sources in certain areas.

A third possibility is of course that you might have the stomach flu, this is what viral gastroenteritis is usually called.

So what is the difference between food poisoning, a parasite infection and viral gastroenteritis (the stomach flu)? In food poisoning you ate something that was contaminated with live bacteria, which can cause a bacterial infection. E coli, and salmonella species often cause this type of illness. Cooking food kills most of these bacteria so a good way to avoid these food-borne illnesses is to avoid undercooked and raw food.

An easy way to avoid Giardia infections is to avoid drinking untreated water when camping or hiking in the mountains. Water treatment can be filtering, adding special water treatment tablets or just boiling the water.

So what is the stomach flu, and what can you do about it?

I am Doctor Sugar and I want to invite you to join me for part 2 of my medical inspiration blog series on Understanding the stomach flu. In the next section, you will learn what causes the stomach flu and what to do if you catch it? Make sure to check it out. I’ll see you there!!
Giving You Your Dose of MEDICAL INSPIRATION,
Dr. Sugar
TO YOUR TOTAL WELLNESS!

References:
National Institute for Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases : http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/viralgastroenteritis

Center for Disease control: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/viralgastroenteritis/

The information contained in this blog is not medical advice.
Please consult your medical doctor before making any decisions
or taking any actions on your health or the health of your family.

HELLO I AM DR. SUGAR, YOUR INTERNET DOCTOR, HERE TO continue our discussion on the stomach flu. I will go into a lot more detail on what causes the stomach flu and how do you catch it. - - so if you are ready, let’s get started with a dose of MEDICAL INSPIRATION.

The stomach flu is caused by viruses, - - just like the real flu, and that makes it very contagious. According to the Centers for Disease control, stomach flu can be caused by an infection with a variety of viruses and the results are similar to food poisoning - - you end up in the bathroom with one end on the commode and one end in the trash can - - you get the picture - - vomiting and diarrhea. Even though it is called the "stomach flu," it is not caused by the influenza viruses which causes the FLU - - if you haven’t already done so make sure to catch all of the medical inspiration series on influenza – the flu so you know exactly what I am talking about. The stomach flu is an entirely different illness and it can be caused by a number of different viruses that we can talk about. It can also be spread by contaminated food or water, and also by direct contact with an infected person.

What type of viruses can cause viral gastroenteritis?
•Rotavirus is the leading cause among children 3 to 15 months old and the most common cause of diarrhea in children under the age of 5 years. Symptoms of rotavirus infection appear 1 to 2 days after exposure. Rotavirus typically causes vomiting and watery diarrhea for 3 to 8 days, along with fever and abdominal pain. Rotavirus can also infect adults who are in close contact with infected children, but the symptoms in adults are milder. In the United States, rotavirus infections are most common from November to April.
•Adenovirus occurs mainly in children under the age of 2 years. Of the 49 types of adenoviruses, one strain affects the gastrointestinal tract causing vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms typically appear 1 week after exposure. Adenovirus infections occur year round.
•Caliciviruses cause infection in people of all ages. This family of viruses is divided into 4 types, the noroviruses being the most common and most responsible for infecting people. The noroviruses are usually responsible for epidemics of viral gastroenteritis - - you may remember a few years ago when they were having large outbreaks of the stomach flu on cruise ships – well this was the guy responsible. Norovirus occurs more frequently from October to April. Infected people experience vomiting and diarrhea, fatigue, headache, and sometimes muscle aches. The symptoms appear within 1 to 3 days of exposure.
•Astrovirus also infects primarily infants, young children, and the elderly. This virus is most active during the winter months. Vomiting and diarrhea appear within 1 to 3 days of exposure.
So those are the big 4 – the most common viruses responsible for your misery – In kids we worry most about rotavirus – but be aware there is a relatively new vaccine out to prevent rotavirus. In adults, the worst symptoms usually come from the norovirus.

How exactly is it transmitted?
Viral gastroenteritis is highly contagious. People with unwashed hands commonly transmit the viruses. People can get the viruses through close contact with infected individuals by sharing their food, drink, or eating utensils, or by eating food or drinking beverages that are contaminated with the virus. I can vouch for this highly contagious part - it spread through my casa like wildfire!!

People who no longer have symptoms may still be contagious, since the virus can be found in their stool for up to 2 weeks after they recover from their illness. Also, people can become infected without having symptoms and they can still spread the infection.

Outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis can occur in households, child care settings, schools, nursing homes, cruise ships (you might have see that on the news, every now and then), camps, dormitories, restaurants, and other places where people gather in groups. If you suspect that you were exposed to a virus in one of these settings or by foods prepared on the premise of places such as a restaurant, deli, or bakery, you may want to contact your local health department, which tracks outbreaks.

I am Doctor Sugar and I want to invite you to join me for part 3 of my medical inspiration blog series on Understanding stomach flu. In the next section, you will learn about treatment of the stomach flu and also a bit about dehydration – the worst complication of the stomach flu . Make sure to check it out. I’ll see you there!!

Giving You Your Dose of MEDICAL INSPIRATION,
Dr. Sugar
TO YOUR TOTAL WELLNESS!!

References:
National Institute for Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases : http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/viralgastroenteritis

Center for Disease control: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/viralgastroenteritis/


The information contained in this blog is not medical advice.
Please consult your medical doctor before making any decisions
or taking any actions on your health or the health of your family.

HELLO I AM DR. SUGAR, YOUR INTERNET DOCTOR, HERE TO continue our discussion on stomach flu. I will go into a lot more detail on treatment of the stomach flu and also talk a bit about dehydration – the worst complication of the stomach flu. - - so if you are ready, let’s get started with a dose of MEDICAL INSPIRATION.

What can you do, if you get the stomach flu, and is it serious?
Most cases of viral gastroenteritis resolve over time without specific treatment. Antibiotics are not effective against viral infections. The primary goal of treatment is to reduce the symptoms. Sometimes prompt treatment may be needed to prevent dehydration.
Your body needs fluids to function. So if you have a lot of fluid coming out of both ends of your body – we worry about the possibility of dehydration. Dehydration is the loss of fluids from the body. Important salts or minerals, known as electrolytes, can also be lost with the fluids. The worst complication from diarrhea and vomiting is this risk of developing dehydration.
The symptoms of dehydration are
•excessive thirst
•dry mouth
•little or no urine or dark yellow urine
•decreased tears
•severe weakness or lethargy
•dizziness or lightheadedness

If you or your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor. Drinking liquids can treat mild dehydration. Severe dehydration may require intravenous fluids and rarely even hospitalization. Untreated severe dehydration can be life threatening. Be especially careful, if your kids have gastroenteritis. Because of their smaller body size, infants and children are at greater risk of dehydration from diarrhea and vomiting. Oral rehydration solutions such as Pedialyte can replace lost fluids, minerals, and salts.

I am Doctor Sugar - - If you have Gastroenteritis the following steps may help relieve the symptoms of viral gastroenteritis.
•Allow your gastrointestinal tract to settle by not eating for a few hours.
•Sip small amounts of clear liquids or suck on ice chips if vomiting is still a problem.
•Give infants and children oral rehydration solutions to replace fluids and lost electrolytes.
•Gradually reintroduce food, starting with bland, easy-to-digest food, like toast, broth, apples, bananas, and rice.
•Avoid dairy products, caffeine, and alcohol until recovery is complete.
•Get plenty of rest

Thanks for checking in and if you haven’t already done so be sure to check out all of the medical inspiration blogs on gastroenteritis or the stomach flu. Thank you for your interest in Total Wellness. And when you have a medical question, be sure to check the video content library for many more medical topics. I’ll join you soon for your next dose of medical inspiration.

Giving You Your Dose of MEDICAL INSPIRATION,
Dr. Sugar
TO YOUR TOTAL WELLNESS!!

The information contained in this video is not medical advice.
Please consult your medical doctor before making any decisions
or taking any actions on your health or the health of your family.


References:
National Institute for Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases : http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/viralgastroenteritis

Center for Disease control: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/viralgastroenteritis/