Category Archives: Infectious Disease

Do sinus infections need antibiotic treatment?

Posted on March 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

Sinus infections are a common reason a patient goes to their doctor’s office. Symptoms may  include nasal stuffiness, ear pressure, facial pressure, teeth pain, post nasal drip and a cough.   However, asking your physician for an antibiotic the first few days may not be the best thing for you. Studies show that using an antibiotic, such as amoxicillin or Z-pak (azithromycin) may not be needed for most patients, especially in the first week of symptoms.

A study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis showed that patients with sinusitis who were given Amoxicillin vs a placebo (sugar pill) were no better at day 3 or day 10.  In other words, antibiotics did not improve the situation. (JAMA)

Most sinus infections start as a viral infection.  Antibiotics do NOT kill viruses, they only kill bacteria.   About 10% of people may ultimately develop a bacterial sinus infection,  this occurs  7 to 10 days after the symptoms start. This  occurs as a secondary infection, that is  if the viral sinusitis does not clear up.

90% of people with a sinus infection will improve by day 7 to 10.  If they happened to be given an antibiotic, they will assume this is the reason they improved.  However, this is not the case. They would have become better anyway.

Treating the symptoms may be the best therapy during the first week.  Using a saline sinus rinse netipot, such as those made by SinuCleanse can help prevent and treat sinus infections by rinsing away mucous buildup. Consider  antihistamine medications (Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec or the generic equivalent) or nasal steroids (Flonase, Nasonex, etc.) or even Sudafed to help control your symptoms.  Only if the pain persists or if a fever starts after 7-10 days should an antibiotic be taken.

To those patients who come into my office within 48 hours of an infection, I frequently will provide them with a prescription,  recommending they wait a week until taking it to their pharmacy.  This saves my patient a return trip back to my office.

 

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Posted in Diseases, Drugs, Infectious Disease

Keeping Your Immune System Strong

Posted on October 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

With the winter season quickly approaching,  keeping your immune system strong  is important .  There are several things you can do which will help minimize your risk of developing a cold  or the flu over the next several months.

First, eating a diet high  in fruits and vegetables will help optimize your immunity.  Consuming plant based foods which vary in color, such as red tomatoes, purple grapes or  orange carrots,  can  ensure a diverse intake of antioxidants.  A healthy diet  will give the body the tools necessary to fight off  bacteria and viruses.

Sleeping  at least 7 to 8 hours of each night is crucial  for a healthy immune system.   It is during the sleeping hours that the body repairs and heals itself from the damage done on a daily basis.  Poor sleep contributes  to poor health.

Keeping stress under control is also very important. When our body is mentally and physically stressed, cortisol, the primary stress hormone, is released in excess into the bloodstream.  Cortisol, a natural steroid,  suppresses the immune system  making one more susceptible to infection.

Studies show vitamin C  can reduce the duration of the common cold by up to 12% in adults and  21% in children.  Supplementing with 500 mg to 1000 mg of vitamin C  daily should be considered.

The Cochrane Collaboration, an independent research group,  has shown that  the mineral  zinc reduces risk of contracting a cold when taken within 24 hours of exposure.  Daily supplementation also appears to help prevent the need of  developing an  infection requiring antibiotic treatment.

Vitamin D supplementation also helps reduce the risk of developing influenza according to scientists.  The lack of sunshine, and ultimately blood levels of vitamin D,  likely accounts for the higher  incidence of upper respiratory infections during the winter months.  Ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels before supplementing with doses higher than 2,000 IU per day.

Lastly, some people may also benefit from the influenza vaccine. Interestingly, the studies are not as overwhelmingly favorable as expected.   However, the best evidence reports that between 33 to 100 people need to be vaccinated  against the seasonal flu in order to prevent one extra infection with the virus. Even when vaccinated, one is never 100% protected from developing the flu.

As always, prevention is always the best medicine. Please talk with your healthcare provider before making and changes to your healthcare regimen.

 

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Posted in Diseases, Infectious Disease, Vaccines, Wellness

Vitamin D treatment helps cure TB (tuberculosis) according to Lancet study

Posted on February 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

A new study from the Lancet showed that  individuals with  tuberculosis and vitamin D deficiency had a better response to antibiotic treatment when they were also given high doses of vitamin D (4 doses  of 100,000 IU were given in total).

In this randomized trial of 126 people, 62 received the vitamin D  + antibiotic while the remaining received the antibiotic + placebo.

Further analysis showed that individuals with the TT genotype of the Taq1 vitamin D receptor polymoprhism had the best response and their sputum cultures converted from positive to negative more rapidly when compared to the others in the study.  There were no reported side effects from the vitamin D.

While at this time, this type of genetic testing is not carried out due to cost, treatment of all tuberculosis (TB) patients with high dose vitamin D  would be prudent.   The overall safety profile and low cost of vitamin D would make this a reasonable approach.

Read more about the health benefits of Vitamin D.

Source:  Martineau AR et al. Lancet. 2011, January 15;377[9761]: 242-50

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Posted in Diseases, Infectious Disease, Vitamins

Do you have a cough, fever, chills, sore throat, post nasal drip, bodyaches?

Posted on February 21, 2011 | Leave a comment

Health Tip: Consider a Strawberry Banana Cabbage smoothie  to help increase your immunity. Smoothies are a great alternative for young children and help create healthy dietary habits while prevent disease.  Learn more about the Industrial Vitamix Smoothie Blender designed for home use.

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Do you have a head cold, cough, body aches and it body aches all over- does this sound familiar?

Do you have a bad cough that is leading to vomiting?  if so, you may have whooping cough (read more about this here).

This is influenza season and virus season. Some become dehydrated and may need intravenous fluids.  Even though   you may have had your flu shot, you can still get flu-like illnesses. No one is 100% protected against infections.

I have seen many patients with stuffy noses, post nasal drip (you know you have this if your are clearing your throat all the time), sore throat, cough, body aches and a few with  vomiting and diarrhea.   A visit to your doctor may be of benefit.

Fortunately, only a few will  develop bacterial sinus infections, bacterial bronchitis or even pneumonia.  For some, this virus may prove fatal.

Generally, less than 10% of those with a viral infection will need antibiotics, most just need time and fluids.

Also, its real important to note that the only  throat infection that needs antibiotics is strept throat.  No matter how bad your throat hurts, antibiotics won’t help unless you test positive for strept. See your doctor  if you are not sure.

If my patient does not have a bacterial infection, I simply recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil).

How can you prevent these from occurring in the first place? First, make sure your vitamin D levels are adequate. Most people need to take 2,000-4,000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily. Ask your doctor to check your vitamin D blood levels before taking in excess of 2,000 IU daily. To learn more about vitamin D and how it can strengthen you immune system, read Vitamin D Prescription on Kindle.

Also, consider zinc supplementation which has been shown to be beneficial according to recent studies.

Also, consider influenza vaccination, which may also decrease risk.   However, the studies are not as clear cut as one thinks.

Cochrane reviewers, an independent research group concluded this when asked whether vaccines were helpful in preventing the flu for healthy people. “Influenza vaccines have a modest effect in reducing influenza symptoms and working days lost. There is no evidence that they affect complications, such as pneumonia, or transmission.”(cochrane). Ask  your doctor if the flu shot is right for you.

FYI: The above  symptoms are generally caused by a virus called, adenovirus. In addition to the above symptoms, adenovirus can cause gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis (pink eye), rash and whole body aches.  Another type of virus that can cause infection and common cold symptoms are known as the corona virus (no relation to the beer).

* Always consult your physician if you have a medical problem, the above it not my medical advice..

From the CDC website: Adenoviruses are medium-sized (90-100 nm), nonenveloped icosohedral viruses containing double-stranded DNA. There are 49 immunologically distinct types (6 subgenera: A through F) that can cause human infections. Adenoviruses are unusually stable to chemical or physical agents and adverse pH conditions, allowing for prolonged survival outside of the body.

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Posted in Diseases, Health & Fitness, Infectious Disease, Vaccines

Swine Flu Masks in Big Demand

Posted on September 30, 2009 | 2 Comments

There are various manufacturers of flu masks that can help minimize risk of infection with swine flu.  I personally recommend the Wein ViraMask self adhesive mask.  This mask (N99 or N95) has a great seal and provides maximal protection. They also produce masks which fit a child’s face for about $2.95 each. This child sized mask will help minimize a child’s risk against contracting swine flu infections.

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Workers are fighting the flu around the clock at the Alpha Pro Tech factory in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Since last spring’s outbreak of the H1N1 Influenza Virus, also known as swine flu, orders for the company’s N95 respirator masks have soared, and demand is growing with the onset of the fall flu season.

“We expect sales to continue to be much stronger than normal for the foreseeable future,” Al Millar, president of Alpha Pro Tech , said.

Buy back orders are expected be made up quickly, with production expanded threefold, Millar said. With every machine operating 24 hours a day, seven days week, the company is now producing 240 per minute, about 1,000 cases per day.

It’s a big undertaking for a small company, but its second-quarter revenues were up 63 percent to a record $14.5 million from the first wave of the pandemic, led by a 184 percent increase in its mask sales.

Millar said he sees their work as an important line of defense in the reaction to the pandemic. As flu season progresses, his biggest challenge may be maintaining staffing levels if his workers or members of their families fall ill.

Alpha Pro Tech last ramped up production like this with the SARS outbreak of 2006. Back then, the contingency plan for an outbreak in Utah was to house workers who were willing in the production facility so they could keep working, he said...read more here…

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Posted in Diseases, Infectious Disease