Medications can cause many types of allergic reactions, including skin rash, hives and itching. Some allergic reactions arelife-threatening.
Symptoms:
••••mouth and tongue swelling
••••swelling of the throat and neck
••••difficulty breathing
••••chest tightness
Speak with your doctor or a pharmacist before taking any drugs, even over-the-counter medications.
Treatment:
••••Take Benadryl plain (over-the-counter).
••••Do not drive or operate heavy machinery while taking this.
Or:
••••Take whatever medication your doctor has prescribed for you.
••••You should not be alone for 24 hours, in case your reaction returns.
••••To help with the itch, put cool compresses on the skin or take a cool bath or bath with Aveeno.
••••Do not take hot baths or showers.
••••Wear loose clothes and loose-fitting underwear.
See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center if you have:
••••you have any problem breathing
••••you have a tight feeling in your throat or chest
••••you have any swelling of your mouth, lips or tongue
••••you have hives, itching or swelling over all of your body.
These are signs of a medical emergency. Get immediate medical help. Dial 911. Do not drive a car yourself if you have these symptoms!

Fever (Child)

Fever is one of the ways the body fights infection, so if your child does not feel or look sick, then a low-grade fever may not need to be treated.
••••Take your child's temperature rectally if the age is less than 5 years, or by mouth if 5 years or older.
••••A normal rectal temperature is higher than the mouth temperature - up to 38.5 C (101.3 F).
••••A normal mouth temperature is a little lower - up to 37.5 C (99.5 F) in someone who is resting.
Treatment:
••••Dress the child lightly so as to be comfortable for room temperature
••••Overdressing will make the fever higher
••••If the child's temperature is higher than 39.5 C (103 F), it may help to sponge bathe in lukewarm water for 20 minutes. If this causes more upset or shaking chills, then stop and dry the child off
••••Provide plenty of fluid intake such as juices, soft drinks or popsicles
••••Children with fever may not be interested in solid food
••••Acetominophen (Tylenol, Tempra, Pandolol, Atasol) will help reduce the fever
••••Use the dosage of acetominophen marked on the box every four hours
••••Do not use Aspirin or medicines containing (acetyl)-salicylic acid- this could lead to Reyes Syndrome which causes brain and liver damage.
See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center if you have:
••••Your baby is 0-3 months old and has a fever
••••the fever remains greater than 39.5 C (103 F) even with the correct regular doses of acetaminophen
••••the child develops a rectal temperature over 40.6 C (over 105 F)
••••the fever lasts longer than 2 days
••••the child develops new symptoms
••••the child is more lethargic than normal
••••the child seems to be in pain
••••there is vomiting, headache or painful or stiff neck
••••the child has a seizure or convulsion, develops abnormal movements of the face, arms or legs
••••the child has difficulty breathing
••••the child just seems sicker, or you have any concerns

Gallbladder Disease

The gallbladder is a small, sac-like organ just under your liver in the upper right side of your abdomen. The gallbladder stores bile produced in the liver. Bile is used in the intestines to help digest fatty foods.
Problems with the gallbladder are often caused by gallstones. Gallstones are small, hard stones of cholesterol that build up over time in the gallbladder. Sometimes, inflammation or infection of the gallbladder occurs.
Symptoms:
••••pain in the abdomen on the right side
••••nausea and belching
••••indigestion and heartburn
••••difficulty with usually fatty foods
Treatments:
••••Change to a low-fat diet: avoid foods with high amounts of fat and oils (fried food, bacon, pork and dairy products)
••••lose weight if you are overweight
••••extreme cases- surgery to remove the gallbladder
••••pain-killers to help with the pain
See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center if you have:
••••you have severe pain in the abdomen
••••you have a fever
••••you develop jaundice (your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow, or your urine turns a dark brown color)
••••you vomit and can’t keep down any liquids
••••you are short of breath or have chest pain

Gout

In the case of gout, painful crystals are deposited in certain joints, particularly in the feet. The crystals are made of uric acid, a chemical that is increased in persons with gout. The aim of treatment is to reduce pain and reduce the uric acid content of your blood. Certain foods such as liver, kidneys, sweet breads and sardines predispose to this condition. Men are more often affected with gout than women.
Treatment:
••••Rest
••••Keep the weight of bed-cloths off any painful joint by raising the sheets off your body
••••Avoid alcohol, liver, sweetbreads, kidneys and sardines
••••Drink 8-10 glasses of fluid daily
••••Do not drink alcoholic beverages
••••Warm or cold compresses on painful joints- whichever best decreases your discomfort
Medication:
••••Acute attacks are treated with an anti-inflammatory (such as Indocid), and medication for pain
••••If your uric acid level is high, your doctor may prescribe medication to lower the level in your blood
See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center if:
••••diarrhea or vomiting are not stopped by discontinuing your prescribed medication.
••••your temperature is over 38 C (101 F) orally
••••you develop a skin rash
••••you have a sore throat, red tongue or bleeding gums
••••you are unable to obtain relief in 3 days despite the careful following of all your instructions.
Visit your physician for further evaluation. If the acute attack is over at that time, your doctor will explain measures to help prevent future attacks, or how to treat them should they re-occur.

Hay Fever (see Allergies)

Head Injury

••••Common sense comes into play in the case of a head injury. We are dealing with possible brain injury and when in doubt, consult your doctor.
••••Rest
••••Check the person overnight and for the next 24 hours
••••The person should be left with a responsible adult and should not be left alone
••••Wake the person up every 2 hours during sleep.
••••Sleep is not dangerous, but make sure that the person is sleeping and not in a coma
••••The patient should not drive or operate machinery until he is well.
••••Tylenol (acetaminophen) plain or extra strength may be taken for headache, 1-2 tablets every 4 hours.
••••Aspirin is not used because it increases bleeding
••••Other stronger painkillers may hide the signs or the effects of a head injury.
••••Headache and nausea after a minor head injury are common
See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center if you have:
••••the patient cannot be awakened
••••there is unusual sleepiness
••••the headache is getting worse
••••there is repeated vomiting (more than 2 times)
••••there is confusion
••••a convulsion or seizure occurs
••••the headache is not going away after 48 hours
If these problems happen even weeks or months after a head injury, See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center.

Head Lice

Head lice can be a persistent and frustrating problem. However, head lice management can be straightforward and less time-consuming. Head lice do not spread disease. Anyone can get them. They crawl from person to person by direct head-to-head contact. They are more common in children, as their heads frequently touch when they work and play together.
Symptoms of head lice are mild; itching is the main complaint.
What to Look For:
Lice are small, flat insects that live on the human scalp. They have no wings and cannot jump or fly. They are about the size of a sesame seed, greyish brown in colour and hard to see. It is easier to find their eggs (nits) since they are glued to the hair shafts and do not move.
Nits are very tiny - the size of a grain of sand - and oval in shape. Live nits, which are laid right next to the scalp, are tan to brown in colour, and are very difficult to see. White nits more than 1 cm from the scalp have likely hatched or died. They may look like dandruff but they cannot be flicked off.
Check carefully for nits by looking close to the scalp behind the ears and at the base of the neck. Use a bright light and a magnifying glass, if available. Act quickly if you find them. Children with head lice should not attend a school or child-care facility until their head lice have been treated.
Treatment:
••••2 treatments are given, 7-10 days apart
••••Check all close contacts: If one person in the family has head lice, it is possible that other family members will also have them.
••••Tell the school, day care and children's groups (ie. sports clubs, Cubs, etc) so parents can be notified to check their children's hair.
•••• An untreated source among close contacts is a common reason for getting head lice again. It is important that all individuals who have head lice be treated at the same time.
Talk to Your Pharmacist:
••••Your pharmacist can help you choose a product that will kill head lice.
••••It is important to read the list of ingredients and the directions very carefully.
••••Consult your doctor if the person being treated is allergic to any of the ingredients, is pregnant or breastfeeding, is under 2 years of age or has open sores on the scalp.
Medications:
••••Nix
••••R&C
••••Kwellada
••••PMS-Lindane
••••There are currently no published research studies showing the success or safety of alternative head lice treatments such as tea tree oil or Vaseline. The use of these and other alternative treatments is not recommended.

Give 2 Treatments 7-10 Days Apart: Research has shown that the first treatment will kill head lice but not all of the eggs. These eggs can continue to hatch over the next week. All products must be used again in 7-10 days. This will kill the newly hatched lice before they are able to move from head to head and reproduce.

If you find head lice moving in the hair 24-48 hours after the first treatment, use a different head lice product immediately. Repeat this treatment 7-10 days later.

Important Points About Using Head Lice Products:
••••Use only when lice or nits are present. These products do not prevent lice.
••••Timing is important; if you rinse the product off too soon, lice and nits may not be killed. If left too long, there is unnecessary exposure to chemicals.
••••Limit skin exposure. Wear rubber gloves. Rinse the hair under a tap instead of the shower.
••••Cover the face with a towel during treatment.
••••Store head lice products away from children.
Nit Removal:
••••Nit removal is not necessary when using two treatments 7-10 days apart. Students may return to school or child care facility after the first treatment, even if nits still remain in the hair. However, removing the nits after treatment may avoid confusion at a later head lice check and will prevent over-treatment.
••••Short sessions of nit removal over several days may be easier than one long session. Work with small sections of the hair using a bright light. With a fine-toothed nit comb or your fingernails, pull the nits from the hair strands starting from the roots right down to the tips.
••••Wipe the nits onto a tissue, and place in a bag for disposal.
Cleaning Personal Items:
••••Head lice and their nits do not survive away from the warmth and humidity of the scalp. As a result, extra housecleaning and use of insecticide sprays are not needed.
••••You will probably want to wash combs and brushes, headgear, bed linen and towels in hot water.
••••The sharing of hats, scarves, hair accessories and combs should be discouraged.

Herpes Zoster (see Shingles)

Hives (Urticaria and Angioedem)

Hives (urticaria) is a red, swollen, itchy rash that breaks out on the skin. This rash often comes and goes, moving to different parts of the body.
Angioedema is hives that is deeper to the skin, often in the face, hands and feet.
Hives and angioedema may last for several days. Sometimes the rash lasts longer.
Common Causes of Hives include:
••••medicines
••••something eaten
••••something touched
••••something put on your skin
••••cold
••••heat
••••viral infections
••••insect bites
••••stress
Hives has many causes, but the exact cause cannot be found in a fair number of cases. Hives are not contagious. Rarely are hives part of a more serious illness.
Treatment:
••••If you know what caused the hive reaction, then avoid it.
••••Do not take any medicines without checking with your doctor, even over-the-counter medicines.
••••Take Benadryl (plain). You do not need a prescription for this. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery while taking this.
••••You should not be alone for 24 hours, in case your reaction returns.
••••To help with the itch, put cool comprsses on the skin or take a cool bath, or a bath with Aveeno.
••••Do not take hot baths or showers.
••••Wear loose clothes and loose-fitting underwear.
••••Avoid tight underwear.
••••Any irritation to the skin will cause more rash.
See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center if:
••••your rash is still very itchy after taking the medication for more than 1 full day
••••you get a fever
••••your joints swell
••••you have any new symptoms
••••your rash lasts more than 1 week
These are signs of a medical emergency. Get medical help at once. Call 911 if:
••••you have have problem breathing
••••you have a tight feeling in your throat or chest
••••you have any swelling of your mouth, lips or tongue
••••you have abdominal pain