Sore Throat

Late winter is high season for scratchy, itchy or sore throats, and most of us know how miserable having one can be. But how do we know when a sore throat is simply part of a common cold and when it is a symptom of the potentially more serious strep throat? It's wise to take note of your symptoms, says Alan Oshinksy, otolaryngologist-in-chief at Northwest Hospital Center and Sinai Hospital. Strep throat, left untreated, can not only be painful but can also lead to a more serious condition.

State health officials say today that lab tests confirm all four members of a Calvert County family striken with a severe respiratory illness in recent weeks had the H3N2 strain of influenza A, a strain of the flu that has been going around this season. Three have since died. At least two of the cases were complicated by bacterial infections with methicillin-resistent Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, according to the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene . Additional lab testing and investigation continue, but the health officials said there still have been no other clusters of severe respiratory illness in the state discovered.

Late winter is high season for scratchy, itchy or sore throats, and most of us know how miserable having one can be. But how do we know when a sore throat is simply part of a common cold and when it is a symptom of the potentially more serious strep throat? It's wise to take note of your symptoms, says Alan Oshinksy, otolaryngologist-in-chief at Northwest Hospital Center and Sinai Hospital. Strep throat, left untreated, can not only be painful but can also lead to a more serious condition.

In India, we offer fennel seeds after meals. This helps avoid flatulence. Fennel is also good for sore throat and sinus problems. I use the following recipe for my sinus trouble: Combine 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger, 1 clove, 1/2 -inch piece of stick cinnamon and 1 teaspoon brown sugar in 2 cups of water. Boil it until there is 1 1/2 cups of liquid left, strain it and drink it hot with a little milk. You can substitute honey for the brown sugar. In India, we use many such home remedies from our grandmothers to avoid overusing antibiotics.

An Annapolis man was being held in the county jail yesterday, charged with robbery and resisting arrest.James A. Thomas, 24, of the 100 block Obery Court was arrested near his home about 5 a.m. FridayHe is charged with robbing Luis A. Salinas, 25, of the first block of Jefferson Place.Mr. Salinas told police that he was walking from his home to Anne Arundel Medical Center seeking treatment for a sore throat about 4:30 a.m. Friday when a woman and two men accosted him near Calvert and West streets and demanded a dollar.

State health officials say today that lab tests confirm all four members of a Calvert County family striken with a severe respiratory illness in recent weeks had the H3N2 strain of influenza A, a strain of the flu that has been going around this season. Three have since died. At least two of the cases were complicated by bacterial infections with methicillin-resistent Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, according to the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene . Additional lab testing and investigation continue, but the health officials said there still have been no other clusters of severe respiratory illness in the state discovered.

Wilde Lake senior goalkeeper Sarah Hobart has watched a number of county soccer games. Today, after two years of waiting, she'll finally play in one. "It's been so long. I'm excited," said Hobart, a highly competitive and spirited athlete who has battle injuries the past two seasons. "I had such high expectations for myself, and now I finally get to show what I can do. Hopefully, Wilde Lake will be a force to be reckoned with this season." Hobart tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee playing summer basketball and missed her sophomore season.

THE NEW YEAR'S Eve Cold. There's just nothing like its fury.Have you ever had it? No? Well, you will, it's one of the most contagious colds around. The New Year's Eve Cold is worse than the Christmas Cold. That kissy-kissy stuff at midnight does it.People always write about the New Year's hangover, how it's like a sledge hammer or an out-of-body experience. It gets all the publicity. But the New Year's Eve Cold attacks anyone who parties tonight.Well, if you have not unearthed a baby sitter yet, you are staying home.

Once you've got your cold or flu, there's not much to be done about it -- although you may feel better if you get plenty of rest and take in a lot of fluids.The anti-viral prescription drug amatadine can reduce the severity of the flu if taken very early, but there is no drug that interrupts or hastens the end of the common cold.Over-the-counter remedies can reduce symptoms of either ailment and aspirin or acetaminophen can be used to reduce fever.However, doctors say, all fevers do not have to be knocked out; a raised temperature is one of the ways your body kills infective organisms.

THEY CALL mononucleosis "the kissing disease," but I think that has less to do with how you contract it than it does with the fact that once you get it, you can kiss your social life goodbye. At least that's how my teen-aged daughter reacted to the diagnosis. A persistent sore throat sent us to the doctor Friday afternoon of Labor Day weekend, and when the mono test came back positive, I pulled the plug on Jessie's holiday plans. For a child who had just been told she had a viral illness most often characterized by listlessness and extreme fatigue, she had plenty of energy to throw a fit. Frankly, that's what I feared most after hearing the doctor's report.

Sometimes called the "kissing disease" because it is most frequently spread through saliva, mononucleosis often is considered a teen illness. In fact, almost every adult (if tested) will show signs of having been infected by this virus, says Ben Hand, a primary-care physician in the department of medicine at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. Just about everyone has heard of "mono." What causes this disease? Mononucleosis or infectious mononucleosis is characterized by fever, sore throat or swollen lymph nodes, and it is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, which is in the herpes family.

Late winter is high season for scratchy, itchy or sore throats, and most of us know how miserable having one can be. But how do we know when a sore throat is simply part of a common cold and when it is a symptom of the potentially more serious strep throat? It's wise to take note of your symptoms, says Alan Oshinksy, otolaryngologist-in-chief at Northwest Hospital Center and Sinai Hospital. Strep throat, left untreated, can not only be painful but can also lead to a more serious condition.

Joe Moffett wishes the spit test was available four years ago, before the tumor near the base of his tongue put him through months of radiation treatments, chemotherapy and surgery -- plus the hassle of taking nourishment through a feeding tube inserted at Johns Hopkins Hospital. "Having a test out there, I could have avoided a whole lot. But still, I thank the good Lord I'm alive, and I'm excited about this test. It could help a lot of people," said Moffett, 69, a retired Army pilot from Dillon, S.C. Researchers at Hopkins published findings this month showing they are close to developing a mouth rinse that can detect head and neck cancer such as Moffett's.

Should I go to one of these new "retail health clinics" in shopping malls and drug stores? Yes, if you're positive that you have a relatively minor problem - such as a sore throat, ear ache or bladder infection. You should also follow some common sense guidelines from physician groups such as the American Medical Association (ama-assn.org), the American Academy of Family Physicians (aafp.org) and the American Geriatrics Society (www.americangeri atrics.org). These little clinics are springing up all over, with names such as Take Care Health Centers, MinuteClinic, RediClinic, MiniMedCare and the like.

The only real health problem that 3-year-old Nicholas Salter had was the occasional sore throat. Sometimes, it hurt so much that it was hard to swallow, which cut back on his appetite. And there was one more issue: "He'd snore so loudly you could hear him in his room from the top of the steps," said his mother, Jackie Salter. After two cases of strep throat within a few weeks, doctors recommended a sleep study: hooking Nicholas up to monitors overnight to make sure he was breathing properly and getting enough rest.

THEY CALL mononucleosis "the kissing disease," but I think that has less to do with how you contract it than it does with the fact that once you get it, you can kiss your social life goodbye. At least that's how my teen-aged daughter reacted to the diagnosis. A persistent sore throat sent us to the doctor Friday afternoon of Labor Day weekend, and when the mono test came back positive, I pulled the plug on Jessie's holiday plans. For a child who had just been told she had a viral illness most often characterized by listlessness and extreme fatigue, she had plenty of energy to throw a fit. Frankly, that's what I feared most after hearing the doctor's report.

In a retail world offering home tests for pregnancy, AIDS, high blood pressure and ear infections, why can't somebody de- velop a cheap, reliable home test for that ubiquitous tribulation of childhood, strep throat? Somebody can. In fact, somebody has. But infectious-disease specialists want to keep it out of your medicine cabinet. Strep, the diminutive for a bacterial infection called beta hemolytic streptococcus, is especially troublesome for parents at this time of year, when it most frequently infects young children.

JUPITER, Fla. - Just when Orioles manager Mike Hargrove was convinced that Geronimo Gil's lapses behind the plate were in the past, his starting catcher allowed a run to score on a passed ball and struggled with other pitches in the dirt. The scene played out Tuesday in Viera, Fla. and Hargrove vowed to "address" the problem. He still was doing it yesterday as Gil went through drills with first base coach Rick Dempsey in the bullpen about an hour before the Orioles' game against the St. Louis Cardinals, which ended in a 5-5 tie after 12 innings.