Dr Raley's Blog

Smoking

You know this is strange-I really never thought I would do a blog entry on smoking.  About 20% of Americans smoke-surprisingly this number really has not changed much in the past decade.  I never ask if you all smoke-I should but I don't. 

Howver, there a few closet smokers out there.  Some more secretive than others.  But I have a few kids in the practice that I cannot get well-either their ears drain, the nose is perpetually runny or they have asthma that is difficult to control.  No matter what medical intervention is used-ie: meds, surgery, etc-they remain sick and I have a feeling that cigarette smoke exposure is a culprit. 

It doesn't have to be a family member who smokes in the house.  It can be the particles of smoke that are in the car, on the clothing, etc that can trigger resp issues-either upper or lower resp symptoms. 

If you smoke stop-for the health of your child.  As an adult you know the risk-no lecture from me. 

Flu Outbreak

You may have read that there has been an outbreak of the flu in NE Oklahoma. It is not too late to get your flu vaccine. We still have FluMist for kids over 3/parents, and flu vaccine for the kids under 3. Of course, if you are a regular reader of my blog you probably are already immunized.

RSV

Over the last few weeks I have seen a few kids with the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).  Symptoms include fever 101-103, alot of congestion, wheezing, fast breathing, and sometimes a hard time breathing. 

Babies less than 6 months have the most problems-but the virus can affect any age-the elderly acutally have more morbidity and mortality than do infants. 

RSV is hard to prevent.  Good hand washing and limiting exposure is the key.  There is a vaccine that is available for premature babies or babies who have signficant respiratory issues. 

We usually see RSV beginning about now and lasting through March. 

Clink on following link for additional information.  Download rsvfeat1.htm