My kids all love to play with sparklers on July 4th. I have heard of people getting injured from them. Are they safe?
Almost everyone uses sparklers on July 4th; however, they are not as safe as you might suspect. The tip of the sparkler is actually very hot - almost 1,000 degrees. So it is easy for a child to be burned if you are not careful. Make sure to tell the children this information, so they can handle the sparkler appropriately. Also, with all of the recent wild fires, make sure you dispose of the sparklers in a
How to Drink More Water
by Louise June 28th, 2011 | Diet
For many of us (myself included), drinking enough water is not a natural habit. When I was in middle school, I often went up to a week without having a glass of any beverage at all. I never felt thirsty; I felt fine. I was very confused when I learned that humans can only last 3-4 days without water. If that was right, wouldn't I be dead? Of course not. My week without drinking wasn't actually a week without water; there was water in the food I consumed. Two obvious examples included the milk that soaked my breakfast cereal,
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Second Hand Smoke and Children
by Tom Seman MD FAAP June 27th, 2011 | Pediatrician on Call
My mother-in-law, who babysits my one year-old, smokes. Although she only has her cigarettes outside when my son is there, she smokes in the house the rest of the time. Should I be concerned?
Second hand smoke is increasingly cited as a causative agent for a variety of issues. Children in a household with a smoker are at greater risk for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), asthma, and ear infections to name a few. Although the greatest risk is when there is active smoking going on while the child is in the house, the literature shows that there is still
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Second hand smoke is increasingly cited as a causative agent for a variety of issues. Children in a household with a smoker are at greater risk for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), asthma, and ear infections to name a few. Although the greatest risk is when there is active smoking going on while the child is in the house, the literature shows that there is still
Aneurysm of the Aorta
by MPK June 23rd, 2011 | Ask the Doctor
My father has what they call an aneurysm of the aorta, where the walls of this major blood vessel bulge out, and apparently can rupture. Is there an alternative to surgery for this?
Great question. You are correct. This is a bulging of the wall of the aorta, which is usually weakened due to atherosclerosis, and is prone to rupture. While the treatment traditionally has been surgery, sometimes an aortic stent graft, which can be put in more non-invasively, can be helpful. In this procedure, doctors perform a stent graft, which is similar to stents that are put in the heart,
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Great question. You are correct. This is a bulging of the wall of the aorta, which is usually weakened due to atherosclerosis, and is prone to rupture. While the treatment traditionally has been surgery, sometimes an aortic stent graft, which can be put in more non-invasively, can be helpful. In this procedure, doctors perform a stent graft, which is similar to stents that are put in the heart,
Using Health Information Wisely
by Lori Sciame June 21st, 2011 | Health News
I am middle-aged, yet I take no medications, and on a recent health screening I scored 98.8 points on a 100 point scale. Why, then, am I so afraid of becoming sick?
Maybe I am part of a group known as the “worried well.†These people, although they eat right, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep, become upset every time they hear about a new illness or public health concern. They think that they, too, will automatically become sick, even though they may be hundreds or even a thousand miles away from the hazardous area (such as with the recent
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Maybe I am part of a group known as the “worried well.†These people, although they eat right, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep, become upset every time they hear about a new illness or public health concern. They think that they, too, will automatically become sick, even though they may be hundreds or even a thousand miles away from the hazardous area (such as with the recent