Every once in a while, children and adults feel a lot of pressure or pain in their ears, and thick wax clogs their ear canal and needs to be removed. Doctors can try to scoop or rinse it out, but many over-the-counter drops can soften it up.… Read the rest
All posts by Richard Saint Cyr MD
Air Pollution: Do Your Schools Have Action Plans?
Air pollution is a growing problem in many urban areas. Many people may not realize that over the last five years there is a lot of new research proving more serious health effects at lower levels than we had previously thought.… Read the rest
Food Allergy in Kids: Are We Over-Diagnosing?
Food allergies in children, as a diagnosis, are more common than before. But are we over-diagnosing? The main issue is that the tests we perform, especially the blood tests for allergens, may show a positive “in vitro” allergy but “in vivo”, AKA in real life, there may not be a clinically significant allergy.… Read the rest
Vitamin D: Miracle or Hype?
Just a couple weeks ago I posted an article discussing the trendiness of vitamin D. Since then, there is even more press about this; last week I reported how sales of vitamin D are jumping. Now, the New York Times also reviews the literature, with a cautionary note (The Miracle of Vitamin D: Sound Science, or Hype?… Read the rest
Air Quality: Games For Kids
It’s a bit, um, difficult to make air pollution a cool subject for kids. Even my recent slide show on air pollution left a few high-schoolers eyes glazed. Fortunately, I spread out a couple fun internet games to perk up the group.… Read the rest
Deafness in Children: Cochlear Implants Really Work
People may not realize that there have been amazing advances in technology that can help deaf children hear again. It’s called a cochlear implant, a surgical implant that amplifies sound waves directly into a child’s brain — and allows them to hear again.… Read the rest