drbraglia's blog

Spring is finally here, and for most of us, that's a big relief. For many others, however, this means the return of sneezing, coughing, wheezing, itching – better known as spring allergies. Research shows that more kids than ever before have allergies, and it seems every year we're told it will be the "worst spring ever" for allergies. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), 23.6 million Americans were diagnosed with hay fever in the last year. The prevalence of allergies is surging upward, with as many as 30 percent of adults and up to 40 percent of children having at least one allergy.

Spring is finally here, and for most of us, that's a big relief. For many others, however, this means the return of sneezing, coughing, wheezing, itching – better known as spring allergies. Research shows that more kids than ever before have allergies, and it seems every year we're told it will be the "worst spring ever" for allergies. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), 23.6 million Americans were diagnosed with hay fever in the last year. The prevalence of allergies is surging upward, with as many as 30 percent of adults and up to 40 percent of children having at least one allergy.

We all know that exercise, clean eating, and proper supplementation can have a profound impact on our health. But what about our stress? If left unchecked, it can ruin your holidays and hurt your health.

If you knew you'd live to be 100, what would you do differently today?

Whether we like it or not, Americans are living longer than ever before. For example, an American male born in 2008 can expect to live to the age of 75, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For girls, it's 80. Back in 1960, it was 67 for boys and 73 for girls, on average.

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the airways in your lungs, tiny pockets called alveoli where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged as you breathe. An asthma attack occurs when the the lung tissue is inflamed to such a point that enough oxygen can’t enter the blood stream and carbon dioxide can’t be expelled.

Deepak Chopra’s take on asthma and allergies is dead on, he explains:

Infantile colic can be very stressful for parents whose baby is inconsolable during crying episodes. Colic is often defined by the "rule of three": crying for more than three hours per day, for more than three days per week, and for longer than three weeks in an infant who is well-fed and otherwise healthy.

Medications available in the United States have not been proved effective in the treatment of colic, and most behavior interventions have not been proved to be more effective than placebo. So what options do parents have?

Pediatric Chiropractic

When it comes to health care, Western medicine has always taught its patients that they are victims of their genes. They truly believe that within their family history lies their fate. They tell us that if our grandfather had heart disease and our father had a heart attack, then our fate is sealed and we are set up to be an unavoidable victim. We are told that disease is something you’re stricken with, not something you develop or create on your own or lifestyle induced. This victim mentality has allowed the pharmaceutical industry to flourish and prey upon the public’s misunderstanding regarding disease as well their ability to take control of their life and health.

Otitis media (more commonly known as an ear infection) is a generic name for several conditions that can affect the middle ear, including inflammation of the middle ear, ranging from acute to chronic and with or without symptoms.

Acute otitis media (AOM) is characterized by symptoms of pain and fever. Otitis media with effusion (OME) is typified by the presence of fluid in the middle ear without signs or symptoms of infection. Ear infections account for over 35% of all pediatrician visits in the United States. Antibiotics are not always effective and may even lead to a recurrence of ear infections.

Sinus infections are the fifth most common reason antibiotics are prescribed for adults. Unfortunately, they are of no help for most sinus infections - this according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Not only are we facilitating the growth of drug resistant bacteria by over prescribing these antibiotics - the research shows it doesn't even provide symptom relief. Even more disturbing, the numbers show that fewer than two percent of sinus infections are bacterial. Which means the overwhelming majority of sinus infections are viral - of which antibiotics are no help.