DEAR DR. DONOHUE: You’ll think I’m an overprotective, helicopter mom, but I am never at ease when one of my three young children has what I think is just a cold. I have no idea if they need to see a doctor for something that could be more important. Can you give me some pointers on how to tell a simple cold from something that requires medical treatment? — J.K.    ANSWER: your question isn’t silly. most people wonder if their cold symptoms are indicative of something more serious, but they don’t want to run to a doctor unless they are.    Adults can have as many as four colds a year. Children have even more, and older people have fewer. Older people are more immune to cold viruses because they have been exposed to many of them during their lives. They have developed antibodies and are somewhat immune. Young children, who have had less experience with cold viruses, are not as immune.    Rhinoviruses constitute a large viral family that is the most frequent cause of colds. there are more than 100 different strains of this viral family. That’s one reason it has been so frustrating trying to develop a cold vaccine.    Typical symptoms of a common cold are dripping nose, sneezing, a mild cough, nasal congestion and a raw, slightly sore throat. One of the most important signs separating a cold from a more dangerous respiratory infection is the lack of a fever. A cold lasts from four to nine days. People usually stay somewhat active with a cold, and that includes kids.    Influenza, on the other hand, always produces a fever. Its cough is hacking and quite constant. Muscle pain and headache are present. People with the flu, including children, are not active. They want to lie down and forget about the rest of the world.    DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am an 86-year-old woman with a swallowing problem. Food catches in my throat and makes me cough. An hour to two later, it dislodges and finds its way back into my mouth. it smells bad.    My doctor has looked into my mouth and throat, and says he sees nothing wrong. He advises me to eat only soft foods and to drink lots of water when I eat. I’m convinced something is wrong. what do you think is going on? — B.W.    ANSWER: your complaint has the trappings of Zenker’s diverticulum. It’s a pouch that has formed in the back of the throat. People with a Zenker’s diverticulum have great difficulty swallowing due to the kinds of symptoms you describe. Liquids go down with ease; solids don’t. the Zenker’s diverticulum entraps them and ejects them later — most of the time.    A diagnosis is made by having a person like you swallow some barium and then have an X-ray taken. the barium finds its way into the diverticulum. Doctors with special scopes also can uncover one.    You need to see an ear, nose and throat doctor.    DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I felt a lump in my right breast. My doctor examined it and sent me to a surgeon, who ordered a mammogram. after the mammogram, he did a breast biopsy. the report said I had a fibroadenoma. the surgeon said it isn’t cancer, but wants me to have a repeat mammogram in three months. Why? — E.D.    ANSWER: Fibroadenomas are not cancer. the lump they produce feels rubbery and can be moved around with ease. Cancers are usually hard and fixed in place.    the follow-up mammogram was ordered to be absolutely certain that the lump is not changing, something that should give you even greater assurance than you now have.

    * * *Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from rbmamall.com.

    (c) 2011 North America Syndicate Inc.    all Rights Reserved

Have you ever experienced creepy-crawly, tingly-tightening sensations in your legs just as you sit down and relax, especially in the evening or night? You are not alone. it is estimated that nearly 10 percent of the U.S. adult population experiences the symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS) while approximately 2 to 3 percent of adults have moderate to severe RLS. even though these sensations usually occur in the legs, the fact is that RLS is a neurologic condition.

“Although the exact cause of RLS is unknown, studies continue to indicate that RLS is a long-term, neurological disorder. RLS symptoms often occur when people are about to rest or relax, causing both motor (the urge to move the legs) and sensory symptoms (the sensations in the legs),” says RLS researcher Richard Bogan, MD, president and medical director of SleepMed of South Carolina and associate clinical professor in the University of South Carolina Medical School. “Many people may live with the disruptive symptoms of RLS for years depending on the type they have, primary or secondary RLS,” he adds.

There are two types of RLS: primary RLS and secondary RLS. in primary RLS, symptoms tend to become more troublesome as adults get older, which is why most people are diagnosed in middle-age. Also, women are twice as likely as men to have RLS, and symptoms tend to become worse over time. Interestingly, a family history is reported by many patients with primary RLS, suggesting a genetic link to the disease. Research in this area is ongoing at respected institutions such as the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, but there are still many aspects of the condition that are not well understood.

Secondary RLS is typically a short-term condition due to an underlying medical condition or certain medications. Examples include kidney failure, low levels of iron and pregnancy.

You might have RLS if your symptoms match the following four criteria:

* an urge to move the legs, usually accompanied or caused by uncomfortable and unpleasant legs sensations

* Symptoms begin or worsen during periods of rest or inactivity such as lying or sitting

* Symptoms are partially or totally relieved by movement, such as walking or stretching, at least as long as the activity continues

* Symptoms are worse or occur only in the evening or at night

Dr. Bogan advises, “If you think your symptoms match the diagnosis criteria for RLS, then speak with your physician. only a doctor can diagnose RLS. There are lifestyle changes that may help alleviate symptoms as well as some over the counter products and FDA-approved prescription medications.”

For more information on RLS, visit RLS.org or Restlesslegs.com.

Otherwise known as L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate, vitamin C is an essential nutrient and antioxidant. it protects the body against oxidative stress and plays a vital role in at least eight enzymatic reactions. These reactions include collagen synthesis reactions, which if missing, are capable of causing the most severe symptoms of scurvy.

Vitamin C is essential for many metabolic reactions in the body. Deficiency is detrimental to the function of the immune system but, contrary to popular belief, is not thought capable of reducing the duration or severity of the common cold in the general population. However, research has suggested that regular vitamin C intake can reduce the frequency of the common cold in an individual, and three further research analyses have shown that the duration of a common cold can be reduced by regular vitamin C intake by 8% for adults and 14% for children. Vitamin C is also a natural antihistamine. A study conducted in 1992 over a one week period found that taking 2 grams of vitamin C per day lowered blood histamine levels by 38 percent in healthy adults.

Suggested RDI varies from 45 to 95 mg/day, but is often ignored and thought outdated. This is because recommended mega-doses go well beyond that figure and recommend between 200mg-2000mg per day. This modern day approach to vitamin C concentrates on the fact that like other primates, humans cannot synthesize their own vitamin C and therefore require an intake parallel to that of their biological cousins. Modern high dosage can also be attributed to a holistic belief that the antioxidant properties of Vitamin C are capable of reducing illness, and therefore vitamin C should be considered a complimentary therapy to modern medicine.

Vitamin C is low in toxicity and therefore humans aren’t likely to accidently overdose. it would take a 150 pound human to consume 1.8 pounds of vitamin C to cause death.

I have noticed over the past 10 years I have developed many of problems that could be diagnosed as dyslexia in a child. can dyslexia develope in adults or get worse in an adult? I suspect that I may have had it all my life but awareness has icreased. I also have MS has anyone heard of any association with MS and dyslexia symptoms.

As far as I'm aware, dyslexia is only diagnosed in children as this is the age that people are generally learning to read. if you are experiencing similar symptoms, it may be related to your MS, if the sensitive eye co-ordination muscles are being affected by your MS.

Hello, I should think that having MS does not exclude the possiblity of having dyslexia. I'm sure you might notice dyslexia more as an adult if it hasnt been worked with by professionals. However, could it be a symptom of your MS (I dont know if MS would affect your brain in any way?) Or could it be a sid-effect of any medication that you might be on?

How about doing a search for dyslexia on wikipedia?

Many children go undiagnosed with dyslexia, and people do find out that they are dyslexic when they are adults.

MS damages both myelin and the nerve cells within the brain, thereby compromising a variety of functions handled by the brain.In MS a symptom is an impairment in visual perception and constructional abilities. So therefore, it could be possible that your ability to perceive information that you read and your abilty to write in what we see in a constructed way which is correct may be altered. Hope this helps.

April is IBS awareness month. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the large intestine (colon), causing cramping, abdominal pain, bloating gas, diarrhea and constipation. The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can vary widely from person to person and often resemble those of other diseases. For most people, IBS is a chronic condition, although at times symptoms may be worse and at other times they may improve or even disappear completely. As many as 1 in 5 adults experience IBS.

It's not known exactly what causes irritable bowel syndrome. The walls of the intestines are lined with layers of muscle that contract and relax in a coordinated rhythm as they move food through the intestinal tract. With IBS, the contractions may be stronger and longer than normal, forcing food to move through the intestines more quickly, causing gas, bloating and diarrhea. in other cases, the opposite occurs and food passage slows, and stools become hard and dry. Abnormalities in the nervous system or colon may play a role in IBS. Certain foods, stress, hormones, and illnesses may trigger IBS symptoms.

Because it's not clear what causes irritable bowel syndrome, Western medical treatment focuses on the relieving of symptoms. Treatment may include fiber supplements, eliminating foods that trigger symptoms, and medications such as antibiotics, anti-diarrhea medications and anti-depressants, among others. Many people may have only mild symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome that can be managed by learning to better deal with stress and making changes to diet and lifestyle. however, sometimes symptoms can be disabling and may not respond well to medical treatment.

Acupuncture offers a positive option for IBS sufferers. Often irritable bowel syndrome is used as a catch-all phrase for all cases of abdominal pain which do not have another explanation. in Chinese medicine, the various cases of IBS do not fall into one broad disease category, but are broken down into many different disorders because the causes can be so varied. This is why individual symptoms may vary so greatly from person to person, because the underlying problem is usually very different for each person. in Chinese medicine terms, IBS may be classified as a type of abdominal/intestinal pain, epigastric/stomach pain (occurring in roughly half of IBS sufferers), or as a type of diarrhea, depending on the individual symptoms experienced.

For IBS with abdominal/intestinal pain, the cause is usually due to the liver-energy becoming blocked, which may further cause problems with the spleen’s digestive functions. The blocked liver-energy causes symptoms of bloating, constipation, and belching, as well as moodiness and irritability, symptoms which may be aggravated by emotional upset. If the spleen is also involved, there will also be fatigue and alternation of constipation with diarrhea. Acupuncture treatment helps to move the liver-energy in order to resolve the retention of food, relieve pain and improve digestion, and corrects spleen functioning to resolve diarrhea and improve energy.

For IBS with epigastric/stomach pain, the cause can be due to a variety of different imbalances with the stomach, leading to improper or incomplete digestion of food. This can cause a variety of symptoms ranging from pain, nausea and vomiting, to belching, headaches, diarrhea, or constipation. The specific symptoms experienced will depend on the specific problem that is occurring with the stomach, whether it is due to heat or cold damaging the stomach, or because the stomach-energy is blocked. in any case, acupuncture can help the stomach to function properly so that digestion is corrected, resolving symptoms.

Acupuncture offers very effective relief for IBS sufferers, relieving the symptoms of the condition as well as helping to resolve symptoms and prevent future flare-ups, allowing those with IBS to live a more regular, symptom-free life.

nhsdirect.co.uk

Try your local library or book store, they have a medical encyclopedia for children and adults but I want to stress that these are great books but in know way take the place of a doctors medical advice. If you are unhappy or unsure of a diagnosis or lack of, then I'd suggest getting a 2nd opinion
Good luck

nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ you can try this site they also have a phone number to call,ive used them in the past and they really helped.

a book called the physician's desk reference it can answer any question about any known medical condition and symptoms

If you like reading ,then you must consult a book on pediatrics.

The complete book of medical symptoms in children
by Martin B Edwards can be found in your local library

Go to web md, and type in what you are looking for.

In brood now asthma is possibly the a large amount constant illness, distressing individual in all fifteen. In adults all but individual in all twenty North Americas is afflicted. because the 1970s the occurrence of asthma has enlarged a lot plus to the same degree of 2009, asthma has pretentious in relation to 300 million ancestors the human race wide, causing going on for 250,000 deaths in with the intention of time alone. ended the former twenty time new to the job asthma hand baggage next the yearly rank of hospitalization continues headed for boost realization near 30 for every cent. buy Singulair headed for run your child’s asthma; it bottle assistance preclude asthma symptoms formerly they start. brood captivating a each day controller medicine, boast smaller amount asthma symptoms after that smaller amount asthma attacks. wild asthma bottle conclusion in tragedy hospitalization with viable death; it is a prerequisite with the intention of must be present in use seriously.

Variable afterward chronic symptoms such in the function of the being there of wheezing, squatness of breath, cough in addition to chest tightness, are for all asthmatic symptoms. this pooled in the midst of undeniable breathing tests next chest X-rays with the intention of bring to light reversible airflow barrier as well as bronchospasm, prove a diagnosis of asthma. Asthma is a conventional seditious disease everyplace the bronchial tubes acquire inflamed, causing inflammation after that tightening or condition of the airways afterward creation it arduous headed for breathe normally. Inflammation, bronchospasm in addition to hyperreactivity are the three key factors which convey concerning the tightening of the bronchial tubes with the intention of occurs in asthma.

Many factors bottle hasty an asthma attack; allergies may possibly fool around a job in a number of asthma patients – a propos partially the numeral of adult patients after that something like 80 for every cent of brood by asthma too bear commencing a number of allergies. the factors causing an asthma harm are classified what what’s more allergens or irritants. Avoiding these is an weighty bearing of asthma management.

Asthma has thumbs down heal except by the appropriate dealing in the main the prediction is nice representing a large amount patients. Medications bottle be present worn headed for back up or preclude bronchospasm in patients in the midst of asthma. Generic Singulair, masterpiece Montelukast Sodium is an oral prescription medicine recognized for instance leukotriene receptor rival (LTRA) representing asthma dealing in addition to additionally headed for relieve symptoms of recurrent allergies. at what time pollen or at all additional asthma trigger is inhaled the group releases leukotreines next additional chemicals which basis muscles roughly speaking the airways headed for intensify for instance thriving in the same way as inflammation in the airways, equally human being symptoms of asthma. Leukotreines fool around an weighty job in hypersensitivity symptoms. Singulair factory by means of in actual fact blocking the dogfight of leukotreines representing equally asthma symptoms after that allergic reaction treatments.

SINGULAIR is a non-steroid, once-a-day pill in use all sundown in the midst of or exclusive of food, which helps inception of asthma symptoms representing a bursting 24 hour period. It is a prescription medicine with the intention of willpower assistance force to breathing easier after that must ensue in use representing to the same extent elongated while your medical doctor recommends, not considering of whether or not you comprise asthma symptoms. Generic Singulair is advised representing long-term asthma dealing in adults then brood individual time also older. It factory thriving furthermore headed for relieve symptoms of allergies which get up commencing equally inside along with open-air conditions, except has not been nonetheless considered so a viable opportunity headed for discuss equally conditions, allergies afterward asthma, in the similar person.

this entry was posted on Friday, April 8th, 2011 at 2:07 am and is filed under Asthma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

I was recently asked by my (6 year old) sons teacher if i had ever thought about getting him checked out for ADHD. his teacher last year had made the same comment to me. Until then i had never heard that medical term and really was not sure what this was. I do not want to put him on meds. and i was wondering if there was something besides meds. that are effective. He is a very smart six year old but he is always on the go and can't sit still unless he is watching television. He does not listen to me what so ever and I see my two year old following in his shoes. He is always argueing with adults including the teacher bus driver and myself. my husband(my sons father) is in the military and has been active duty status for over a year so we have not seen him for a long while I am not even a hundred percent positive if the way my son is acting has to do with his father not being here and how do i really know this for sure?

I also have a six year old, and when they told me he was possibly ADHD when he was three I about flipped, no way was I going to put my kid on med's, I wasn't going to be one of those parents that let med's determine the behavior of my child. after a couple of years I started realising how difficult he was to handle and how no matter what I did it was as if he was out of control, people would remark how bad he was in public, and I was at my witts end. I can say after a a few months and then a year later of just seeing what works, he is much better, I say if it is something you can handle and he manages to bring home decent grades hold off, but if it something effecting his school work and home life, try it to see what works. There is no tell tell signs of adhd, Mine could watch tv for hours no problem but couldn't sit still or focus on one activity at a time, sometimes he would be more focused on what was for lunch or what else he could be doing to stay on track. my son is not your's and my problems may not be the same. It comes down to doing what works for you and going from there. look online there are sites that promote different eating styles, to different types of treatments. I would start by seeing a doctor and going from there. Goodluck I know how tough it is. Sabrina

short attention spands, can't sit still for long periods of time. really can't focus on one thing to long . not really understanding everything because he/she can't focus long enough to know what is being asked ofhim etc. this is treated by medications. but you should bring him to a neurologist and have him tested for ADD. or maybe his pcp can do the test. I work for a Neurologist and we see a lot of adults for ADHD. just have him evaluated so you can rule out adhd all together. maybe there might be another underlying factor. he should see a pedi neurologist. good luck and I hope this info is helpful. oh but you need to get a referral from his PCP if you have a hmo insurance.

Hello, I have just read your question and the best way I can help is to share the following story from Whitney Smith with you.

Whitney Smith
Gold Coast, Australia
ADD/ADHD and the use of NRG in children

Hi,I'm eleven years old. I had been taking Ritalin for at least three years. I took it because I have ADD and I'd take it every morning when I went to school, then after lunch, and again at three o'clock in the afternoon. At a certain point of the day,and it would be when we were doing math, (and it's not because I don't like math, it's because that's when it kicked in), I would start getting migraine headaches and just feel ridiculously awful. I also didn't understand what was going on point, and since I had been taking Ritalin for so long, I couldn't really tell if it was working.

I'd come from school with one study link that should only take a second to do, but it would take me more than an hour to finish it. I would get very frustrated and confused, and then ask my Mum if she would help me. being the wonderful, outstanding person that she is, she would say "yes." But I always just thought she was wrong and so I'd cry and cry until nobody could stand it any more, (and that, by the way would give me an even bigger headache). this would make my mum just feel rejected, and dreadfully awful, until it came to the point where she just couldn't stand it, and wouldn't help me anymore. And, feeling the way I did on Ritalin, I assumed she didn't love me anymore so I started crying even more!
Also, when she'd ask me how the teacher explained things in school I could never remember.
Then, on parent/teacher conference night, my teacher said she noticed I was tired a lot and had bags under my eyes. the only thing I noticed was the two awful looking D's on my report card, (nicely written … hard to miss!). After that I wasn't too confident anymore … especially with all the C's loaded up behind those D's!
I also had a problem with talking too much in class, which didn't surprise me at all. if you know or are now realizing, I am a very wild, and talkative person.
Now we're going to talk about my "Life Saver." At home, my parents had all these bottles of Herbalife. I asked in a very loving, sweet voice, "what the heck is all this stuff, and what's it for?" so, my mum gave me some stuff called N.R.G. She said it would help me concentrate. my mum and dad started noticing a difference right away!

My mum asked our doctor if he would sign the school authorization papers so that I could get off the Ritalin and get the NRG in school. He said he would do anything to get me off a controlled substance. so, I started taking the NRG at the times that I used to take the Ritalin, and when I got to school I was ready to go to work! I didn't know why I was so ready, but at least I felt ready. I wasn't nervous for tests or anything! And, when I got my test back, instead of getting a 50%, I got a 95% … and boy was I happy! I was concentrating really good, too. I told my mum and she was really happy that it worked, and also that we were not having any more awful, crying times trying to get my homework done.
When it came to the end of 5th grade, and it was time for conferences again, we sat down and my teacher handed me the report card. I got eleven A's, ten B's, and 2 C's. so, I was extremely happy, and my teacher said that I didn't look so tired lately or have so much trouble talking too much in class. I was also happy to see the note on the bottom of the report card that said, "have a nice time in 6th grade!" That's how NRG tabs have helped me!!
Whitney also wanted us to know that she also takes Formula 1, Formula 3, and Xtra-Cal on a daily basis. Thanks, Whitney, for sharing your story!

Lisa Johnson , Whitney's mother on 1/17/2000
In response to how our soon to be 14 year old daughter Whitney is now doing after about 3 years on NRG – GREAT! She has made amazing strides. She made the honor roll for 3 semesters in a row, and thanks to the good nutrition has not missed a day of school in 3 years!
Also, one of the most outstanding things in my opinion is her time management. She use to spend all night doing homework and now she has most of it done before she even gets home from school.

There are natural ways to deal with ADHD. Ive seen plenty of self-help books for it. I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 23, and I often think that had I gotten diagnosed sooner, my life would have been a lot less stressful. I opted to go with medication (Concerta) in combination with therapy, because from what I have learned ADHD really is a physical health issue. this is why it is NOT classified as a learning disorder. As long as we can sit down and focus, we can learn just as well as anyone else. I only take it on an as-needed basis (like if I have a Final Exam that day, or a major project at work) because it takes affect about an hour later. ADHD is also linked to sleep disorders – I notice that when I do take the medication, I dont have problems staying asleep like I did before. although Concerta is a stimulant, it actually regulates my sleep pattern! You ask how you can find out for sure; it couldnt hurt to get a professional diagnosis. if you have good insurance, the testing is completely covered so what have you got to lose? Contrary to popular belief, every doctor is NOT out to stick every patient with a diagnoses and medication. I noticed you say that he IS able to sit still while watching TV – that would lead me to believe that he may not have it, because he can stay focused on something that is of interest to him. Personally, no matter how interesting something is, I have a great deal of trouble staying focused. I am very easily distracted no matter what! Hope I shed some light on the topic – best of luck!
**Sidenote** – the latest research shows that if a child is diagnosed with ADHD, it is highly likely that one or both parents have it. so im thinking for a lot of parents it may be easier to take a look at yourselves first, because if you have it and your child is suspected of having it then I would say most likely the child does have it (of course you would still get the child -and yourself- tested). Its seems to be easier to diagnose in an adult than a child.

Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities in children and in many adults, which hinders a person’s reading, writing, spelling and speaking ability. Many people with dyslexia often suffered from difficulties with reading and spelling properly. in recent research shows that dyslexia is not an intellectual disability, it is considered both a learning disability and a reading disability. Dyslexia and IQ are not interrelated too, for reading and cognition develop independently in individuals who have dyslexia.  although there is a learning problem, many sufferers can still become successful in life.

Because everyone is born differently, not all dyslexics displays the same symptoms, the severity of dyslexia can vary from mild to severe. some may be mildly dyslexic and may only have a few or even none of the symptoms, some have severe symptoms which affect a person’s life. as far as treatment concerned, the sooner dyslexia is treated, the more favorable the outcome, it is never too late for people with dyslexia to learn to improve their language skills.

Nowadays dyslexia can be considerably tackled with proper therapy, training and equipment, dyslexic people will benefit from modern technology products. there are many tools and resources to combat dyslexia or learning disabilities, help people cope with their disabilities and difficulties.

Audio devices such as tape recorders are helpful, users can listen to what they have recorded repeatedly. Similarly, users can take advantage of text to speech programs, besides reading out text, some of these kind software programs such as Panopreter Plus have additional advanced features. Panopreter Plus reads characters, words, phrases or files in file format of txt, rtf, doc, pdf and web pages with natural voices, and converts them to wave and mp3 audio files, the volume and rate are also adjustable. By using the text to speech software, user can hear a natural voice speech on the computer, or export audio files to an iPod, smart phone or portable mp3 player, and listen to them whenever they like to do so.

Voice-enabled electronic dictionaries which give word definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and pronunciation are also helpful. If spelling and grammar are the major problems, there are spelling and grammar devices that have spell-checkers to correct your spelling, and grammar checkers for your grammar correction.

Besides utilizing above technology resources to get help with dyslexia, many other treatments and exercises that can be done to speed up the treatment and help process. With the proper training and treatment, dyslexics can overcome their dyslexia symptoms and lead normal and productive lives.

Claud Matllon – About the Author:

Zionsville – A confirmed case of whooping cough (pertussis) is being reported at Zionsville High School.

The school notified parents that some students may have been exposed in class or on the bus. They're asking parents to be alert for symptoms. if students are showing symptoms, parents should seek treatment immediately and keep their child at home.

Symptoms usually begin in 7-10 days following exposure, range 4-21 days. the first symptoms of pertussis are those of the common cold with a mild cough. after a week or two, the cough becomes more severe and may occur more frequently during sleep. As the cough gets worse, it usually includes a series of coughs (“coughing fits or spasms”).

People with pertussis may have vomiting following the coughing spell and have difficulty catching their breath, which may cause a whooping sound. However, adolescents, adults and very young infants may not develop the whoop. Generally, there is no fever or a low grade fever with pertussis.

If a doctor prescribes an antibiotic for treatment, the child must stay home until after taking the medicine for five full days. All household members of a suspected case or positive test result should also be given antibiotics for prevention.

Whooping cough can be avoided through immunization. sometimes it will infect immunized children, but symptoms will usually be milder than in unimmunized children.

It is recommmended you check the immunization status of all family members and make sure they are up-to-date for DtaP (a pertussis containing vaccine for persons less than seven years of age) or Tdap (a pertussis booster vaccine for persons 10-64 years of age). your physician or local health department should be able to assist you in determing if vaccination is needed for any of your family members.

Learn more about whooping cough.