Barb's Daily Dose

Sinus Buster

“Sinus Buster is the first nasal spray formulated with purified capsaicin extract, derived from the cayenne pepper.  Capsaicin is a powerful natural ingredient that has been established as an effective solution for sinus/nasal congestion in over 40 clinical studies.

A new clinical study that was just completed showed that subjects treated with Sinus Buster have first onset of relief in under one minute after use.  Additionally, subjects noted a significant decrease in sinus pressure during the first minute.  In the first sixty minutes after use, Sinus Buster subjects indicated a significant improvement over the placebo group in their symptoms, including nasal congestion and headache. 

Sinus Buster provides instant relief for:

· Sinus/Nasal Congestion

· Sinus Pressure

· Sinus Headache

As an all natural nasal spray, Sinus Buster is formulated without chemicals, additives or preservatives of any kind - no yeast or grains and no steroids. It is non-habit forming and has no known drug interactions. Because it is 100 percent natural, Sinus Buster is safe enough to use whenever it is needed. 

Sinus Buster is currently available at Rite Aid, Vitamin World, Walgreens and www.sinusbuster.com.

Posted by:  Jonathan Bernstein, M.D., Allergist/Clinical Immunologist and Clinical Investigator

H1N1 - Friday 5/8 Update

I just read an article on H1N1 in the 

New England Journal of Medicine.  This is fascinating for me as a clinician, and it provides a wealth of information on the people who've been infected.

 

If you've been following the updates on this virus, you know that the numbers change everyday, as the virus spreads.

 

Here's the Update for Today, May 8 in The U.S.

Confirmed Cases                     896

Probable + Confirmed Cases  1823

Deaths                                      2

Hospitalized                             42

 

Only 10% of the people with this virus have confirmed travel to Mexico. Around 60% of the people with H1N1 are under the age of 18.  

 

What We Know

This flu, like seasonal flu has more severe effects in people who's immune systems are compromised. That means the elderly, pregnant women and children under the age of 5. The 2 deaths that have occurred thus far were in a toddler and in a woman who contracted the virus while pregnant.  

Context

My son was asking me this morning, is everyone who gets the virus going to die?

The answer is No, not everyone who is exposed to this virus will die, but unfortunately, some people will. The people we worry about are folks like my father-in-law, who is 92 and has one kidney, or my mother, who is 76 and has chronic lung disease.  

I'm also concerned about all my pregnant patients and children under 5.

 

Nurse Barb, What Do I Do?

Yesterday, I opened up my email, and saw this:  My 13 year old daughter has a sore throat and high fever, what do I do?

My advice, call the pediatrician, get an appointment and find out what's causing the symptoms.  As it turns out, this girl has Strept and is on antibiotics.

Reminders

By now, everyone knows this:

• Wash your hands
• Cover up when coughing or sneezing
• Throw away the tissues
• Wash your hands
• If you're sick, see your health care provider and then stay home
• Did I mention washing your hands?

What We Expect to See

Clearly, this virus continues to spread, it's not going to just go away in the next week or 2.  There will be more people who will die from complications from this flu. My hope is that early identification and treatment will limit those numbers.

It's also likely to re-emerge in the fall.  Stay tuned, I'll post on Monday on a disturbing new trend with this virus.

Swine Flu - New Name H1N1

From now on, we'll be referring to the current flu as Influenza A, H1N1, this should help people understand that it doesn't come from pigs.

It seems that the number of cases worldwide may be leveling off at 331. So far, there have been:       

Mexico

156 Cases and 9 Deaths

        
United States
109 Cases and 1 Death  
      

Canada
34 Cases, and 0 Deaths

United Kingdom
18 Cases and 0 Deaths    

Spain
13 Cases and 0 Deaths           

And a few other countries, like Austria, Germany, Israel, etc. with 3 or fewer cases.  Again, no deaths outside of the US and Mexico.  This is very encouraging news.

Swine Flu TV segment

Here's a link to some information on the Swine Flu that I presented on ABC's View from the Bay.

Swine Flu more cases

The CDC, Centers for Disease Control just announced that the number of cases of Swine flu is now confirmed at 64 cases. Expect that number to rise as more people with symptoms see their health care providers get tested and get treated. 

The WHO, World Health Organization, has elevated the alert level to Phase 4, which means that human to human transmission is taking place. 

This also means that those of us working with patients have the tools we need to diagnose and treat people with swine flu and their close contacts. The situation is evolving, and very few people are sick. In the US, there are no deaths, everyone is recovering or recovered. Stay tuned.

Swine Flu TV segment

Yesterday I was on ABC's View from the Bay talking about Swine Flu. Here's the video: I'll post another update after the next CDC press briefing. 

In the meantime: 

1. Don't panic 
2. Wash your hands frequently 
3. Use a tissue for coughing and sneezing, then throw it away 
4. See your health care provider if you have symptoms:

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Body Aches
• Fatigue
• Vomiting & Diarrhea

Swine Flu Update

Many of my friends are calling today, worried about Swine Flu, what it is and what they should do to protect themselves and their families.  

First do not panic

This is what we know

• There have been 40 cases confirmed in the US - NONE HAVE DIED, and only 2 were severe enough to be hospitalized
• 28 New York 
• 7 California
• 2 Kansas
• 2 Texas
• 1 case in Ohio

Why the CDC is concerned

1. In New York, the 28 cases are all high school students from St. Francis Prep in Queens. Students from this school had traveled to Mexico city in the last 2 weeks.  It's not yet known if the students with Swine Flu are the same ones who went to Mexico City or if they were infected by a classmate who traveled there.  All of the students in New York are recovering.

2. The virus is the same as the one in Mexico, which is responsible for at least 16 confirmed deaths. You may have seen reports of 86 deaths, which was reported today by the Mexican Health Minister. The CDC has yet to confirm that all of those cases were conclusively caused by Swine Flu.

          

What can people do:

Watch for flu symptoms  and see you health care provider for

Overuse of Antibiotics

I remember when I was a new nurse practitioner and there wasn't as much known about the  consequences of overuse of antibiotics. Any person who came in with a little cold or flu walked out with a prescription for antibiotics. We thought we were doing the right thing. Now, we're much more judicious about who gets what antibiotics and when.  

As it is, many of the more dangerous bacteria have grown resistant to antibiotics.  You've probably heard of MRSA, Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus,  Now, experts are becoming alarmed about 3 more gram negative bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics.  They are Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. 

So, the next time you go to see your health care provider and they tell you that you don't need an antibiotic, be grateful, this could ultimately save your life in years to come.

Is it a Cold Sore? Or is it Herpes?

The last thing most people want to deal with ever, is a cold sore on their mouth or around their noses. Unfortunately, Cold Sores are Herpes. Most of the time, it’s Type 1 herpes.

How Common Is It?

If you get cold sores, you’re in good company. Between 60-80% of people worldwide have been the antibody to Type 1 herpes.

What Is Herpes?

There are about 8 different types of Herpes Viruses.

• One type, Varicella, causes Chicken Pox and Shingles
• Type 1 typically causes cold sores around the mouth and nose
• Type 2 causes genital lesions

Whooping Cough Vaccine

 

Amazingly enough, Whooping cough is making a comeback. What's up with that?

Well, according to the CDC, with the recent surge of children who are not getting vaccinated, because of fears of side effects, pertussis, or whooping cough is becoming more of an issue.