Dr. Deb

My Mom always tucked us in with, “Sleep Tight! Don’t let the bedbugs bite!” I remember asking her, “What is a bedbug?” No one even knew that they were real because they had not been around since WWII. Well, the bedbug is back and he is ready to party. Bedbugs have increased by 500% in the last few years due to increased travel, resistance to pesticides and restriction of certain pesticides.

What are bedbugs?

The bugs are the size of an apple seed after they fed on blood of animals or people. One meal can last them for several months, up to a year. Newborns are colorless and turn brown as they mature. Eggs are 1/32 of an inch and white so they are very hard to see.

Bedbugs are not poisonous and don’t cause harm but can be annoying if you have an allergic reaction to the saliva, which causes itching. Benadryl cream and pills can relieve the itch. Some people do not have an allergic reaction and may live with bedbugs for months without realizing it.  Most people are bit in the head, face, and neck, as the bedbug is attracted to the carbon dioxide of one’s breath. Psychologically, they can be devastating because they are so persistent and difficult to treat. I had nightmares just researching the topic. I can’t imagine the stress if your home becomes infested.

Dr. Deb’s 5 Steps of Bedbug Prevention

1. Inspect

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I have to be honest. I was never one to get the flu shot. We really never got sick nor had any health problems in my family. I did encourage my husband who has more patient contact but never thought about it for my 4 kids or me.  I knew that sometimes the vaccine was right on and protected against the flu that was going around. I also knew that sometimes it missed and wasn’t even effective in certain years. I just didn’t think it necessary and worth possible down time from the vaccine.

I am not alone. Less than 40% of all health care workers received the H1N1 vaccine last year when it was a pandemic.  It is actually the pandemic that has changed my mind about flu shots. We did all get the H1N1 vaccine in my family and none of us had any side effects. Now, it turns out the H1N1 was not as severe as they first thought but plenty of young healthy people died from it. In fact, it is the youngest and the oldest that are most at risk from the flu. It comes down to the fact that if my child died or was hospitalized over something that I could have prevented, I could never forgive myself. The flu vaccine has a very long safety record so I feel that I should give it to my whole family now.

October marks the official start of flu season, which lasts all the way until May.

5-20% of all people (15-62 million people) will get the flu and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized each year for influenza-related complications. (more…)

My friend, Mike, is a great guy. Knows everyone, goes out of his way to do nice things, but Mike HATES doctors. I mean he really hates doctors. He hates waiting in the office, wearing that silly gown, talking to the doctor and certainly doesn’ t want to hear any recommendations that the doctor may have.

When Mike started having balance problems while running, the last thing that he wanted to do was go see a doctor. He HATES them. I am sure that he was also afraid that it might be something serious. And it was. Mike was diagnosed with MS in his 20s. This was not supposed to happen. But because Mike saw the doctor and received the proper medication, he has had little symptoms of MS and has continued to lead a productive and healthy life for almost 15 years.

Many men feel the same way Mike does about doctors. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, 55 percent of men hadn’t had a checkup in the last year and 29 percent said they wait “as long as possible” to get help when they were sick.

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