First aid is medical care that is done right away at the site of the injury or illness. It may be done as a short-term treatment until emergency care arrives or it may be the only treatment you need. Examples of conditions you can treat with first aid include cuts … Read More
Sudden deafness, also called sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) is a medical emergency. If you get diagnosed and treated right away, you have about an 85 percent chance of recovering your hearing. If you don’t, your chance of recovering drops to 50 percent. SSHL usually requires a referral to an … Read More
A flare up of allergy symptoms can happen any time of year. In fact, about two-thirds of people who have seasonal allergy, actually have allergy symptoms all year, although they may not be as obvious. Symptoms like cough and congestion may be caused by winter or indoor allergies like pets, … Read More
Flu is a viral upper respiratory tract infection that can usually be diagnosed by its symptoms. Flu symptoms start suddenly and include fever, chills, cough, congestion, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. According to the CDC, most people do not need to see a doctor or take medication. They … Read More
Influenza virus – the flu – attacks about eight percent of Americans every year. Flu symptoms range from mild to severe, and in a few cases, flu can be life threatening. Mild flu attacks your nose and throat. More serious flu attacks your lungs and breathing tubes. The best way … Read More
Nine out of ten people will have a headache at some time. The location of your headache may be an important clue to the type of headache, along with other clues like when the headache occurs, how long it lasts, how severe it is, and what other symptoms you have … Read More
Sleep apnea is obstructed breathing at night. For most people it is an anatomic problem, so medications or supplements are not helpful. Sleep apnea can range from mild to severe. For moderate to severe cases, the most effective treatment is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). [1,2] CPAP is a machine … Read More
Spring arrived early this year in my hometown, and so did allergy season. The sounds of sneezing and sniffling are everywhere, and allergy medicines are flying off the drugstore shelves. Fortunately, I no longer suffer from seasonal allergies as an adult the way I did as a child, and even … Read More
“Can I have antibiotics just to clean up this cough?” That’s a question I am asked on an almost daily basis in the Emergency Room at White Plains Hospital in New York. I see 15 to 20 patients each day, and sometimes 30 or more if I’m working the “Fast … Read More
Ah-ah-ah-CHOO! You’re sneezing again. It’s that time of year when every other person seems to have the sniffles—nasal congestion, a runny nose, and frequent sneezing. These common symptoms most often are caused by two conditions that can be difficult to tell apart: allergies and the common cold. When it comes … Read More
