By Dr. Jean Hudson Published: 2:00 AM – 12/21/11

Thanks to vaccinations, pertussis — commonly known as whooping cough — once seemed a thing of the past, seldom heard about in our schools. Today, unfortunately, notes sent home by the school nurse are beginning to tell a different story: Whooping cough is on the rise.

Experts are not entirely sure why there has been a resurgence in this highly contagious bacterial infection. Some believe current infant vaccinations may no longer be enough, and immunity begins to decline during the adolescent years. In fact, the government is now considering a booster shot to strengthen immunity to this sometimes deadly disease. so how do you know if what you’re dealing with is actually whooping cough? to hear the classic cough and “whoop,” go to healthyorange.com and follow the whooping cough links on the front page. It’s distressing. Worse, it can be fatal, particularly in the first year of life.

That’s why hospitals and obstetricians are beginning to offer not only flu shots but also Tdap boosters (tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis) to new parents, grandparents and other close contacts of newborns to prevent transmission of the disease.

The problem is that older children and adults usually don’t “whoop” when struggling for air, which can make recognizing the disease difficult. What they may experience is paroxysmal coughing, or a severe coughing attack, that can result in vomiting.

Of course, at this time of year the persistent cough can easily be confused with other cough illnesses, often caused by viruses. Pertussis (whooping cough), however, is a bacterial infection that can be treated with antibiotics — if diagnosed early enough.

While deaths from whooping cough have recently risen, cases have increased, too, with 27,550 reported nationwide in 2010. In Orange County this year, we have seen 21 cases, 14 of those since October. Doctors in the county (and state) have been alerted to “think pertussis” when seeing patients with chronic cough.

So protect yourself and your family — keep your shots up-to-date, stay home if you’re sick, don’t ignore persistent symptoms, and keep that handwashing going.

P.S. You’ve had your flu shot, right?

Dr. Jean Hudson, MD, MPH, is the Orange County Health Commissioner.

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Herbal remedies for fibroids have been utilized for many hundreds of years and have made quite resurgence during the last couple of years.  there is definitely a trend for using natural treatments, as these are frequently understood to be less harmful and often less costly than more typical treatments. 

Fibroids are routinely harmless solid growths which occur in and around the womb.  They never turn cancerous-indeed less than 0.1% will ever do so.  Nonetheless although they aren’t dangerous in the medical sense, there is not any doubt in the slightest that they could cause upsetting, uncomfortable symptoms which detract from the sufferer’s general fitness. 

Symptoms of Fibroids

though many girls go thru life never realizing that they have fibroids, for many others the truth of the matter is totally different and they may suffer with a number of the following symptoms:-

• A sensation of fullness or pressure in lower abdomen
• Painful menstruation
• Distension, indigestion and wind
• Urgent need to piss and occasional urinary contagions
• Heavy bleeding during periods which can cause anemia
• Unexpected discomfort caused by the twisting of a pedunculated fibroid ( those which grown on stalks )

If left untreated, these symptoms can endure for a number of years and will normally become more terrible as the scale of the fibroids increases.  For people preferring to treat their symptoms naturally, herbal remedies for fibroids have been utilized extremely successfully and are best when used as part of an overall treatment plan. 

For successful herbal treatments, it is important to look at your own individual circumstances to ascertain which the best herbs are for you and often, multiple ingredients are mixed to make a dynamic herbal cure for fibroids which is good for you. 

Herbs typically utilised For the handling of Fibroids

The following herbs are sometimes used in combo for the handling of fibroids:-

• Spica Prunellae
• Concha Ostreae
• Rhizoma Sparganii
• Herba Dendrobii
• Semen Litchi
• Rhizoma Zedoariae
• Rhizoma Cyperi
• Sargassum
• Fructus Corni

Although tests by Chinese doctors have shown these herbs to be safe, they should only be taken as suggested, as part of an overall treatment technique.

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