POSTED BY:
Kate Cronan, MD

Your teenager is sick to his stomach. Really sick, throwing up as much as four or five times in an hour. If your teen is a heavy marijuana user, he might have cannabinoid hyperemesis (CHS). What Is CHS? Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome is a scientific way of describing the body’s reaction when someone uses a lot of marijuana (cannabis) over a long period of time. Emesis means vomiting. Hyper means excessive. It’s a clinical way of saying that people with CHS throw up a lot because of heavy marijuana use. Some people take years to develop CHS. But 1 in 3 people with CHS have used marijuana for less than a year. The only way to stop CHS is to stop using marijuana. Why has CHS become a problem in recent years? A blog post published in The Lancet suggests it might be because marijuana produced today is much stronger than in […]

This post originally appeared on Philly.com By now you’ve probably heard about the Hot Pepper Challenge for ALS which began gaining popularity this month. After NBA writer Tom Haberstroh found out his mother was diagnosed with ALS, his family started the Hot Pepper Challenge in December to raise money for research — a similar idea to the Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014. People are nominated on video and encouraged to donate to the cause. Should Your Kids Take Part? Challenges like this are done in good fun and help to raise awareness and funds for important causes. But as a pediatrician, I have mixed feelings about children participating in the pepper challenge. Here’s why. Hot peppers can cause some unpleasant symptoms due to a chemical compound called capsaicin. Most of the capsaicin is in the seeds and membranes, so remove these parts if you’re worried about the heat. Among other things, capsaicin […]

It’s that time of year – your kids come home from school or their extra-curricular activities and show signs or complain of a sore throat, cough, and/or a runny nose. Are antibiotics in order? The answer may surprise you! Viruses vs. Bacterial Infections To best understand whether your child needs antibiotics, it’s helpful to know the difference between viruses and bacteria, which are the two major types of germs that cause sickness. Although certain bacteria and viruses cause diseases with similar symptoms, the ways these two organisms multiply and spread illness are different. Antibiotics fight bacteria, not viruses. Bacteria are living organisms that exist as single cells. They can live in all types of environments, from extreme cold to extreme heat. They’re everywhere and most don’t cause any harm. In some cases they may actually be helpful, like when they live in your intestines and help digest food. The bacteria that are […]

It’s a Saturday afternoon, and you’ve just watched your 8-year-old take a terrifying flip over the handlebars of his bicycle. Or, it’s dinner time on a Tuesday night, and your 2-year-old has put his peas into his nose — instead of his mouth — and now they’re stuck. Should you call your child’s regular doctor? Should you pack up and head to the Emergency Department, or seek out your nearest urgent care center? It can be a tough decision, and it doesn’t help when you’re tired, stressed, and concerned for your child’s health. In some cases, you’ll know instantly if your child requires immediate medical attention. But in other cases, it might be hard to determine whether an injury or illness needs the attention of a medical professional or can be treated at home. The first call can always be to your child’s primary care physician. Your doctor — or […]

Pneumonia is a very common illness in kids. In fact, an estimated 156 million cases of pneumonia are diagnosed worldwide each year — and that’s just in children younger than 5 years old, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). So here’s what you need to know about this infection that’s all too common around this time of year. 1. What is pneumonia, anyway? Simply put, pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. It causes fever, coughing and sometimes trouble breathing. The good news is that most kids with pneumonia can be treated at home, and they usually get better in 1 to 2 weeks. However, in some cases, babies and children with certain other medical problems can get sicker and may need to be admitted to a hospital while they get better. 2. Is there a pneumonia “season?” Your child may be more likely to get pneumonia after having a […]

The hustle and bustle of the holidays is fully upon us. The family gatherings, the dinner parties, the shopping, the gifts, the … trash! Have you ever noticed how your trash cans are overflowing in the days following your holiday get-togethers? While there’s no need to radically change your holiday traditions, there are simple things you and your family can do to create eco-friendly holidays. You can “green” up your holidays and – bonus – save some green too! 1. Choose eco-friendly gifts. While out shopping for family and friends, why not shop with the environment in mind? Look for items made from recycled materials like glass, metal, plastic, or paper. Or give gifts that get used up, like soap, food, or candles. You can also give gifts that help people cut down on waste. Reusable grocery or produce bags and refillable water bottles come in a large variety of […]