What is the Best Antibiotic for Strep Throat?

The traditional answer for the best antibiotic to treat strep throat is penicillin. This antibiotic works astoundingly well... until it doesn't. Why is that? Although in the lab, penicillin is probably the most effective antibiotic against Group A beta-hemolytic streptococci (GABHS) or "strep throat" infection, when it comes to human beings, it doesn't always work. A recent paper out of Georgetown elucidates the reasons why that might be the case and also explains why …

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Vocal Cord Tear Silences R&B Singer Frank Ocean

Image by Fred von Lohmann from Wikipedia On July 25, 2013, R&B singer Frank Ocean was forced to cancel his entire Australian concert tour due to a small vocal cord tear. After singing his opening night with a sore throat during which he reportedly sounded "noticeably off-key," he seeked medical attention and was informed of the unfortunate condition of his vocal cord. Listening to his voice on this YouTube video recorded during this fateful concert, his voice actually doe…

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Nasal Hair Removal and Nasal Sores

It is not unusual that I encounter a patient who develops crusting and sores around the entrance to the nose where coincidentally nasal hair is found... in both men and women. Other complaints/symptoms beyond crusting and sores include: • Skin Splitting • Pimple/Acne Formation • Scabbing • Ulcers People often try applying lotion, neosporin, or cortisone cream... which does help, but not completely with recurrent flareups. The most common triggers I find that lead to such recurrent …

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Natural Remedies for a Sore Throat, Cough, and Viral Infections

Homeopathy and alternative medicine often get a bum rap, but they have come up with some treatments for sore throats and upper respiratory viral illnesses that actually have been proven to work. Here's a few... 1) Honey Sore throats (and coughing ) can be soothed by swallowing honey straight-up or slightly diluted with warm water with honey to make it easier to swallow. The best time to do this is at bedtime given it will stick around for awhile (eating/drinking will wash away the…

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Cold Sores Due to a Single Gene

Specifically, individuals who suffer from cold sores triggered by Herpes Virus Simplex - 1 (HSV-1) several times a year may have a single nucleotide polymorphism in their gene C21orf91 – dubbed rs1062202. Researchers have suggested it be called by the more "easy-to-remember" name Cold Sore Susceptibility Gene 1 (CSSG1). Having this genetic change of swapping a thymine to a cytosine nucleotide was significantly associated (p=0.0047) with more frequent cold sores. Analysis has also…

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