Honest Information. Better Health.

H1N1 Flu Virus (Swine Flu)

When people who have it cough or sneeze, they spray tiny drops of the virus into the air. People who have it can spread it one day before they have...

Flu Emergency: When to Call a Doctor

Because of its link to Reye's syndrome, never give aspirin to children or teenagers unless your doctor says it’s OK. If you or a family member has ...

What are Flu Complications?

When you get a bacterial infection with the flu, your symptoms may get better at first. Call your doctor if you have a cough that won’t stop, a bad...

Flu or Cold Symptoms?

When you wake up sneezing, coughing, and have that achy, feverish, can't move a muscle feeling, how do you know whether you have cold symptoms or t...

Pregnancy and The Flu

If you have had contact with someone who has the flu, your doctor may recommend that you take an antiviral medication as a prevention measure. Preg...

How Does The Flu Affect Older Adults?

Older adults and people with chronic diseases are more likely to have problems from the flu. It has four times as much active ingredient as a regul...

Echinacea for The Common Cold

Two studies funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health did not find any help for a cold from echinacea in either childr...

Why Do My Ears Itch?

Ears can also get itchy if they don’t have enough wax inside them. Itchy ears can sometimes be a sign of an ear infection. Learn more about ear inf...

What is Swimmer's Ear?

While it doesn't get much respect, earwax helps protect the ear canal from damage and makes it hard for germs to grow. When water gets stuck in you...

Ear Infections: Diagnosis and Treatment

Signs of infection include a red eardrum or a bulging eardrum with fluid behind it. With fluid in the middle ear, the eardrum is more rigid and doe...

Decongestants & Antihistamines for The Common Cold

Newer antihistamines like fexofenadine (Allegra) and loratidine (Claritin) have not been shown to work for cold symptoms. A decongestant called phe...

Is it a Common Cold or Allergies?

It's a question that puzzles lots of folks when those familiar symptoms hit: Is all that coughing and sneezing from a cold or hay fever? After a co...