If you get the flu, odds are you will survive.  About 1000-3000 die annually out of over 300 million patients so you will likely be fine.  If you have fragile health or getting worse instead of better, then you should seek care.  Otherwise stay home and do some self care.  Here are the tips I would do  (and have done the one time we had it) for my family. First of all, there is no need for Tamiflu.  Studies show it may shorten the flu by 3/4 of a day.  It isn't worth the risk of psychiatric side effects for such little benefit.  Several studies show no benefit at all.  So here are several things you can do.  I recommend to get these items before flu season just in case so you don't have to go out sick and share it with everyone.  See my flu prevention blog to try to ward it off. Elderberry syrup is a great anti viral.  Email sweetsyrup@gmail.com or call 704-98902156 for some organic, locally made elderberry syrup by one ...

Any blog on migraines could be a mile long but we are going to focus on some easy tips for your common migraine.  This does NOT apply to the worst headache of your life (go to the ER) unless it is established as your normal migraine.  Also if you have worsening headaches, you need to see your doctor. For your occasional, standard migraine -light sensitivity, nausea, one sided or all over headache, here are some easy things to do.  First, you must treat any migraine ASAP!  Try peppermint oil to the temples (avoid the eyes completely) and back of the neck and just a dab under your nose.  Do the bicycle exercise where you lay on your back and put your feet in the air but try to touch the floor.  That stretches your whole spine.  When sitting, do good, slow head rolls. You can try acupressure which is where you squeeze the web of your hand between your thumb and forefinger for several minutes until it resolves.  There are several more points but y...

In general, most parents are worried about ear infections in kids.  There are inner, middle, and outer ear infections and this blog is referring to mostly middle ear infections. Most middle ear infections are viral and will resolve themselves but that doesn't help the worried parent watching their child suffer in pain.  So I will tell you the tricks used by many parents to avoid the need to see the doctor. During summer time with swimming pools, the outer ear or swimmer's ear infection is more common.  Just tug on the ear and if it hurts, it is probably swimmer's ear.  You can use colloidal silver ear drops or mullein garlic ear drops and that can often do the trick.  Best is to do prevention with a little alcohol in the ear after swimming to dry up the ear. If that is not the issue and they are complaining of pain, then it may be a middle ear infection.  With my kids, I would do the wet sock trick http://bastyr.edu/news/health-tips/2009/11/dive-fe...

Insurance.  Oh the quandary we are in.  Insurance is a God-send for a crisis and there is no other country I would rather be in for a crisis whether it be due to a severe infection, trauma, heart attack, strokes, or any other crisis.  However, how are we for chronic diseases though or the average day to day? We ranked 34th in the world per JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) 2014 for quality of health care systems in the world! We are number 1 for Infant and Maternal Mortality. We have to realize that insurance is a system set up for a crisis of your health care but not wellness. With the ever shortening visit to your doctor (often 5-15 minutes), we have to consider what can be done during that time.  Doctor's have a check list of quality care measures to complete to qualify for future bonuses or lose them if they do not complete them.  Sounds great until you realize that your lack of sleep, digestive issues, quality of nutrition, exercise, fina...

Fever is totally normal with illness and is the body's way of healing the body.  It should not be suppressed as that slows healing by stopping the action of fever which is the body’s natural response to sending the little healing factors.  I would reserve use of ibuprofen (not tylenol-longer story there) for when they are miserable and you can’t get them comfortable by other means.  Ibuprofen is not recommended under 6 months of age.  Don’t even put tylenol in your house. Reasons to worry about fever where you should go to the ER:   *Fever in an infant under 2 months of age.   Fever is 100.4 rectally *Fever with mental status changes.  Most kids get sleepy with fever and want to sleep more but this refers to strange behavior or strange eye or limb movements.   *Fever with seizure- febrile seizures alone are not dangerous generally but the first time, you need to be checked out and to make a plan with a doctor. *Fever over 105 ...