Mucus

A Broward County grandmother is facing an aggravated manslaughter charge in the death of her own 10-month-old grandson last year. The child, named Josiah Tobias Fenelus, died last year but it wasn't until this past week that his grandmother was arrested for his death. On Saturday, 53-year-old Tibina Louissant faced a Broward County judge for the alleged aggravated manslaughter of Tobias. Broward Sheriff's Office officials said Fenelus had been left in the care of Louissant and had been at her Oakland Park home when he became unresponsive on Aug. 21, 2022. Fenelus, who had no known medical problems, was taken to Broward Health Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, BSO said. The Broward County Medical Examiner's Office performed an autopsy and determined in October 2022 that Fenelus had a lethal concentration of the powerful antihistamine cyproheptadine in his body, BSO said. The medical examiner's report was finalized this August. A...

Phlegm , also known as sputum , is a thick secretion from the airways. It's thicker and comes from deeper in the respiratory tract than the thin secretions you may experience with a simple runny nose. Coughing up phlegm, known as a productive cough, is commonly due to viral respiratory infections that the body may clear on its own, but sometimes it can signal a more serious problem. Read on if you're coughing up phlegm and looking to learn about possible causes and treatments. The Good Brigade / Getty Images What Causes Productive Cough? Mucus is a normal part of the respiratory system that plays an important role in lubricating the airways and defending us against irritants and pathogens. However, inflammation from various causes results in an increase in mucus production and a thicker consistency. This results in the familiar symptoms of runny nose, congestion, and coughing up phlegm. Respiratory infections are a common cause of inf...

The following article, written by Colby Teeman, University of Dayton originally appeared on The Conversation and is published here with permission:   Preparing a bowl of chicken soup for a loved one when they're sick has been a common practice throughout the world for centuries. Today, generations from virtually every culture swear to the benefits of chicken soup. In the U.S., the dish is typically made with noodles, but different cultures prepare the soothing remedy their own way. Chicken soup as a therapy can be traced back to 60 A.D. and Pedanius Dioscorides, an army surgeon who served under the Roman emperor Nero, and whose five-volume medical encyclopedia was consulted by early healers for more than a millennium. But the origins of chicken soup go back thousands of years earlier, to ancient China. So, with cold and flu season in full swing, it's worth asking: Is there any science to back the belief that it helps? Or does chicken s...

In this Article What's worse: Vomiting or diarrhea? Trick question: Neither. Both involve spending far too much time in the bathroom, and when you have them simultaneously, well, that's a whole other level of trouble. Experiencing vomiting and diarrhea together is usually due to a viral illness or bacterial infection that affects the gastrointestinal (GI) system. That said, it could be something else is going on. We asked a few experts to give us the low-down on this digestive double-whammy—here's what they said. What Causes Vomiting and Diarrhea at the Same Time? Vomiting and diarrhea can happen together for different reasons, but the most likely cause is gastroenteritis, says Harmony Allison, M.D., gastroenterologist at Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA. This digestive condition is characterized by inflammation and irritation of the stomach and intestines. Gastroenteritis The most common causes of gastroenteritis (sometimes called a "stomach flu") are viruses, sa...

CHOOSING THE BEST COLD MEDICINE can be overwhelming. Drugstores are stocked with shelves and shelves full of options—including pills, liquids, and nasal sprays—that claim to treat different symptoms and contain different ingredients. This cold season , you may have one less option, though. A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recently said that over-the-counter oral phenylephrine is an ineffective nasal decongestant. Pharmacy chain CVS has said its removing some products with the ingredient from its shelves as a result. Phenylephrine, which is found in many cold medicines, such as Sudafed PE and NyQuil Severe Cold, was thought to reduce swelling of nasal blood vessels, according to MedlinePlus . But doctors have been questioning its effectiveness for years. More From Men's Health   "Oral phenylephrine isn't very well absorbed by the body, so it doesn't work for a lot of people," says Stacia Woodcock, PharmD , pharmacy editor at GoodRx....

With leaves about to start falling from their branches, piling up in parks, yards and streets, it's the perfect time to head indoors and make a simple two-ingredient home remedy that could be a big help this cold and flu season. Social media has been blowing up with homemade remedies that use ingredients with health benefits to stave off sickness -- particularly honey and garlic, and other iterations known as fire cider. A jar of fermented garlic honey on a pantry shelf. Happy Mama Essentials "This wellness staple is not a new trend, it's a revival of grandma's wisdom, straight from her kitchen cabinet," Happy Mama Essentials blogger and wellness creator McKenzie Wheeler told "Good Morning America." "You can eat both the garlic and honey," she continued, adding that the garlic cloves are intended as "quick relief" while the honey can be "helpful for sore throats and coughs." Wheeler, a former chiropractic assistant and massa...

By Emily Stearn, Health Reporter For Mailonline Published: 03:55 EDT, 28 October 2023 | Updated: 04:03 EDT, 28 October 2023 Dozens of cold and flu remedies should be pulled from shelves because they don't work, a leading expert has claimed.  US health officials have already ruled oral drugs containing phenylephrine are 'not effective' decongestants after reviewing decades of evidence. Nasal sprays packed with the same ingredient escaped the judgement.  The move could see popular over-the-counter tablets and pills discontinued in the US, which would send shockwaves through the multi-million-pound industry. Sudafed, Benadryl, Lemsip and Beechams all sell versions in Britain for close to £5.  Own-brand drugs from the likes of Boots and LloydsPharmacy are also available.  Many are sold with other active ingredients such as p...

It hits you out of nowhere. You wake up with the symptoms of what seems like a cold: runny nose, cough, scratchy throat. Soon, you're all stuffed up and headachey. But is it truly a cold — or could it be a sinus infection?   "Symptoms from the common cold and a sinus infection, or sinusitis, often overlap — and it can be challenging to tell the two apart," says Bu Jung Kim, MD, a family medicine provider at Geisinger. "But if you understand the key differences, you can effectively treat what's ailing you and feel better soon."  Most cases of the common cold and sinusitis are caused by viruses. In fact, more than 200 different viruses are known to cause colds. These viral infections should begin to improve in seven to 10 days.   In a few cases, however, sinus infections can be bacterial. These typically have more severe symptoms that can worsen after 10 days or more.  Cold vs. sinus infection sympt...

The Dose 24:13 What are the best ways to treat a cold? Featured Video Oral cold and cough medicine containing a popular decongestant was pulled from some U.S. pharmacy shelves this week. This comes after a panel of experts said phenylephrine is no better than a dummy pill at relieving congestion. But what actually works to treat cold symptoms? Family doctor and CBC Radio house doctor Dr. Peter Lin provides tips on how best to treat a cold or cough, and weighs in on popular home remedies. For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. There are dozens of cold and cough medicines on the market, and many home remedies claiming to help — like a bowl of chicken soup. But what actually works? This week, CVS Health, a large pharmacy chain in the U.S., pulled some oral cold and cough medicines containing a popular decongestant from pharmacy shelves . The move comes after a panel of experts reviewed re...