Pain in the Bite
A 14-year-old boy with no past medical history was brought to the ED in some distress by his parents. One hour earlier while looking for his baseball glove in the garage he had felt a small pinprick just above his right ankle. The patient, however, became increasingly uncomfortable and began complaining of diffuse abdominal pain.His initial vital signs were a temperature of 97°F, heart rate of 112 bpm, blood pressure of 151/91 mm Hg, and 98% pulse oximetry on room air. He appeared uncomfortable, was diaphoretic, and had a rigid abdomen. A small puncture wound with some mild erythema to the lateral right ankle was no...
Source: The Tox Cave - August 1, 2017 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
Over Reactions
I have no idea why my body has changed so much but it has. And I tend to blame chemo for the changes. Since chemo, I have reactions to tons of things. The list of things I am allergic to has grown immensely. I am even allergic to Benadryl....I will say its been a very long time since I was stung by a bee. That is approximately 1986 when I stepped on a bee that had come in through the wall of our kitchen in an apartment. I remember it as being extremely painful because there is no flab on your toe to absorb the venom. I ended up calling the pharmacist to ask for options.... But I also remember it going away mostly by the ne...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - July 10, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: allergens annoyance reactions Source Type: blogs
A Buggy Case
A 35-year-old man with a history of asthma presented with an exposure after spraying his garage with an insecticide he bought at the hardware store. Shortly after spraying the insecticide, he noticed eye itchiness, tingling, pruritus over his arms and legs, and shortness of breath. His blood pressure was 130/85 mm Hg, heart rate 70 bpm, respiratory rate 14 bpm, temperature 98.7°F, and SpO2 96% on room air.He was alert and anxious, his skin was warm with mild erythema, and he had urticaria over his forearms and ankles. His lung exam revealed diffuse wheezing bilaterally. His eyes were watery, and his pupils were 4 mm...
Source: The Tox Cave - July 3, 2017 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
Keep your seasonal allergies in check
Seasonal allergies can be frustrating. When spring crawls in, many people begin to experience all-too-familiar itchy and watery eyes, runny nose, and congestion. Symptoms of seasonal allergies are the result of an immune system in overdrive in response to pollen and other allergens. Those bothersome symptoms are intended to protect you from unwanted foreign particles, but in this situation they end up causing misery. There are quite a few options when it comes to controlling allergy symptoms, but we want to watch out for a few that can be quite dangerous when used incorrectly.
Nasal steroids
The first-line treatment for se...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - May 1, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Dominic Wu, MD Tags: Asthma and Allergies Ear, nose, and throat Health Source Type: blogs
Don ’t let allergy season catch you off guard
The woman next to me in the checkout line looked upset. Her eyes were red and her nose was running. My first thought was to give her privacy, until I saw her shopping basket filled with supplies to fight allergy symptoms, and then our eyes met. “I can’t believe how bad my allergies are this year!” she said, exasperated.
My fellow shopper isn’t the only one suffering. “Warm weather and a mild winter, as we’ve experienced this year, can stimulate trees to pollinate. The southern U.S., which has a warmer climate, is particularly susceptible to earlier allergy seasons. Other climate factors — such as cool evening...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 6, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Heidi Godman Tags: Asthma and Allergies Source Type: blogs
never a dull moment: the blood clot edition
On Monday, I got a call from the nurse who works with my oncologist. I had a CT scan last week, so the phone call made me I brace myself for the worst kind of news.Instead, she said " You have a blood clot on your lung. "What unfolded next is a bit blurry but I know that I asked if there was cancer on the CT (no), whether this was life-threatening ( " absolutely not " ) and what I should do next.I was instructed to get myself to a specific ER (at the General Campus of the Ottawa Hospital, which also houses the Cancer Centre). They would be told to expect me. Tim and I gathered up our stuff, made sure Daniel would be OK and...
Source: Not just about cancer - February 18, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: breast cancer cancer blog chronic illness CT scan health care metastatic pissed off Source Type: blogs
Nobody wants the flu. But what happens if you get it and you ’ re pregnant?
First…
It’s strongly recommended that pregnant women get the flu shot. The flu vaccine is safe throughout pregnancy and is the first step to protecting you and your baby from it.
Of course even if you get the vaccine it is still possible to get the flu so make sure to get plenty of rest and use your frequent trips to the bathroom to wash your hands often throughout the day.
Second…
If you think you have the flu contact your doctor right away. Most healthy adults with the flu become mildly ill, and start to feel better in 7 to 10 days. However, if you catch the flu early, your doctor can prescribe an an...
Source: Cord Blood News - February 15, 2017 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Maze Cord Blood Tags: babies pregnancy flu pregnancy health Source Type: blogs
10 Ways to Beat Insomnia and Get Better Sleep
Two-and-a-half years ago, I experienced a terrible case of insomnia. I took the sleeping drug Lunesta (eszopiclone), which afforded me a few wonderful nights’ sleep until I realized it substantially increased my anxiety during the day. Within a week on the drug, I became addicted, experiencing more and more withdrawal (anxiety) symptoms. Other sleep aids had the same effect — even over-the counter medications like Benadryl (diphenhydramine). So I was forced to figure out how to get my sleep back on track naturally.
I asked anyone I knew who had ever suffered from sleep problems for tips on catching some quality Z...
Source: World of Psychology - January 23, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Alternative and Nutritional Supplements Bipolar Depression Mindfulness Sleep Spirituality Chronic Insomnia Circadian Rhythm Melatonin Mood Disorder Sleep Aid Sleep Disorder sleep supplements Source Type: blogs
Preventing and treating colds: The evidence and the anecdotes
Oh, who doesn’t hate colds. You’re miserable, achy, tired, congested, and coughing. You may need to miss work, or go to the doctor. But it seems that no one really feels sorry for the person with a cold because colds are so common. “It’s just a virus, it’ll get better on its own,” says your doctor. “There’s no cure.”
Well, colds cost the U.S. an estimated 40 billion dollars per year considering lost financial productivity, plus spending on medical care, pharmaceuticals, and supplements (and that estimate is from 2003)!1 It’s just a virus? There’s got to be more we can do to effectively prevent and tre...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - January 12, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Monique Tello, MD, MPH Tags: Cold and Flu Health Prevention cold prevention Source Type: blogs
In a Word
My first published piece of creative nonfiction literature also happens to be quasi poetry. Here is me, in a word.As published in aptFavorite drug: OxyContin. Second favorite drug: Cinnabon. Most painful drug: chemotherapy. Second most painful drug: Cinnabon. Drug I consumed most: Benadryl. Person who has consumed most Benadryl in world history: me. Number of uses of Benadryl: infinite.Favorite food: pizza. Favorite topping: pepperoni. Practice never followed: kosher. Feeling experienced during bar mitzvah: nervousness. Substance wished knew about during bar mitzvah: whiskey.High school sport: tennis. Sport too short to su...
Source: cancerslayerblog - January 2, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: writing/speaking Source Type: blogs
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My first published piece of creative nonfiction literature also happens to be quasi poetry. Here is me, in a word.As published in aptFavorite drug: OxyContin. Second favorite drug: Cinnabon. Most painful drug: chemotherapy. Second most painful drug: Cinnabon. Drug I consumed most: Benadryl. Person who has consumed most Benadryl in world history: me. Number of uses of Benadryl: infinite.Favorite food: pizza. Favorite topping: pepperoni. Practice never followed: kosher. Feeling experienced during bar mitzvah: nervousness. Substance wished knew about during bar mitzvah: whiskey.High school sport: tennis. Sport too short to su...
Source: cancerslayerblog - January 2, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: writing/speaking Source Type: blogs
Spinning out of control: Vertigo
Vertigo isn’t just a catchy song by the band U2, but is also a common symptom that has multiple potential causes. Although most people think that vertigo has to involve a spinning sensation, vertigo is actually the sensation the one is moving or that one’s surroundings are moving in the absence of any actual movement. To understand vertigo, one must understand that our sense of balance comes from multiple different systems in the body.
A balancing act: processing system inputs
There is your visual system, which tells you where your body is in space and time in relation to your surroundings. There is the sensory system,...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - December 27, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Paul G. Mathew, MD, FAAN, FAHS Tags: and throat Brain and cognitive health Source Type: blogs
5 Self-Care Tips During Recovery from a Suicide Attempt
When the police and paramedics opened the door, they pushed through the lounger, the kitchen and coffee tables, and found my body there, in the hotel room. I was lying on my back, covered in vomit. There was vomit on the bed, on the floor, and it had projected up the wall behind me and covered a massive picture that hung behind the bed. Those who found me thought it was a murder scene. Apparently the pink Benadryl pills, along with the tens of thousands of other milligrams of prescriptions and over-the-counter medications I took, made it look like blood. They thought I was dead and I should have been. I wanted to be. I had...
Source: World of Psychology - November 13, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Steve Austin Tags: Depression Inspiration & Hope Personal Self-Help Boundaries Self Care Shame Suicidal Thoughts Suicide Attempt Source Type: blogs
