Latest / Cristy M. Diaz Podcast Conversations from the Heart / The Doc is In for the Summer with Dr. Scarlet Constant

Transcript

The Doc is In for the Summer with Dr. Scarlet Constant · Cristy M. Diaz Podcast Conversations from the Heart

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just talk to you this way. Dr. Conson,
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thank you for bearing with us through
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our technical difficulties. As you know,
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this is a live IG feed and technology is
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not always in our favor. No, it isn't.
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So terrible, but I'm here and I'm so
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happy to join you today. Thank you for
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taking time out of your busy schedule.
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Um, we are a few minutes late, so we're
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just gonna dive right in because we
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always do our IG live in under 30
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minutes because we are all very busy
0:29
mamas with things to do. And the idea is
0:32
that you can take 30 minutes out of
0:35
nursing or driving across town to drop
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off your kids at school and be able to
0:39
get some valuable information, maybe
0:40
even a laugh. So, with that said, let's
0:43
get started and please give us a brief
0:45
description of yourself. Well, so my
0:48
name is Scarlet Constant. I'm a born and
0:50
raised Miami girl. Um I went to Gable's
0:54
High School and then went off to college
0:56
at in Boston and uh my story kind of
0:59
just takes me all over the place. I went
1:01
from Boston to London to New York and
1:04
then finally back home in Florida to
1:06
complete my pediatric residency and I
1:09
always wanted to move back home because
1:11
I really wanted to practice in my
1:14
hometown. I wanted to be part of my
1:16
community again. I wanted to give back
1:17
to my community. So, I always knew that
1:20
no matter where I went to school and
1:21
where I trained and you know where I
1:23
lived as a young adult, I wanted to come
1:25
home to Miami and just come back to my
1:27
community. Um, as you know, we tend to
1:30
have our strong roots here. I'm from a
1:32
Haitian family and I have my Haitian
1:34
roots here and it was really important
1:36
for me to not only give back but also,
1:39
you know, be a role model to young
1:41
people in my community. So, here I am in
1:43
Miami. I'm married with two beautiful
1:45
children. Gabriella who is 10, Santiago
1:48
my son who is eight and um and we are
1:52
really happy here and they're very proud
1:53
of their mom because I recently opened
1:56
up my own practice. I was with a big
1:58
group for about 10 years and a year ago
2:00
I broke away and decided I wanted to do
2:02
something on my own. Many so I opened up
2:05
my own private practice here in Miami.
2:07
That sounds wonderful. Many congrats to
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you. Are you currently taking new
2:12
Yes, I am. I'm currently taking new
2:14
patients and you know the unique thing
2:16
about my practice is that I am what is
2:18
called a boutique private practice. So
2:20
this means I definitely take insurance
2:23
you know I I follow the same protocols.
2:25
I don't do a fee for service but I don't
2:28
overbook my patients. I give everybody
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the time that they need the time that
2:32
they deserve. And we keep it very small,
2:34
very low volume here. So you could
2:36
always see me. Anybody can call and get
2:38
an appointment when they want to be
2:40
seen. Um, I just keep it nice and and
2:42
quiet over here. So, I really want
2:44
parents to feel that they have a doctor
2:46
who not only knows what they're doing
2:48
and can treat their child, but is
2:49
listening to them. I think that's the
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most important thing as parents is we
2:53
really want to feel heard. And we kind
2:55
of lost a little bit of that in
2:56
medicine. So, I'm trying to bring it
2:58
back with my That's wonderful because I
3:02
mean, I'm the first one to say I hate
3:04
sitting and waiting in the lobby. And
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you know, I'm just dreading that a kid
3:10
or mom is gonna cough on me and I'm
3:12
gonna get sick, too.
3:16
Kids and then you walk in and then
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you're rushed in the room and you feel
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like you just don't even remember what
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happened. You were in and out and then
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you walk out of there and you're like,
3:25
"What just happened? Why didn't I get my
3:28
prescription? How am I going to deal
3:30
with this?" So that thing that you take
3:32
time for your parents and for your um
3:36
children and you know allow the mom I'm
3:39
assuming to be in the room and and
3:41
vocalize as well. Correct. That's
3:44
wonderful. We want to talk about all
3:46
things summer related. Dr. Um, my
3:50
children are about to embark on summer
3:52
camp and I want to know, well, my very
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first concern is Miami is getting hotter
3:57
and hotter every day and I don't think
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my kids drink enough water, right? Okay.
4:03
So, I don't think any of us drink enough
4:05
water. First of all, I think that it's
4:07
it's terrible. You know, everybody's
4:09
it's kind of stuck in their routine. You
4:11
have your cup of coffee in the morning
4:12
and then you're running out the door and
4:14
sure you have a water bottle that you
4:15
sip throughout the day, but are we
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really getting what we should, you know,
4:18
typically at least for the kids, an
4:20
active child should have anywhere from
4:22
from 6 to 8 8 oz glasses of water a day.
4:26
So that's about 64 ounces of water and
4:29
that's just to maintain that day. But
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you really need to think that especially
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in a city like Miami in this climate
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that we're living in um and with our
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children being so active, you start
4:38
every day just a little bit dehydrated.
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So the key is to really hydrate the day
4:43
before. It's important for us to
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encourage our kids not only to drink
4:46
with our with dinner, but maybe even
4:48
another glass of water, not right before
4:50
bed, but you know, in the evening
4:52
because you want to get ahead of the
4:54
next day. the next day you're inherently
4:56
going to be dehydrated with the heat,
4:58
with PE at school, and then not drinking
5:01
nearly as much as they would if they
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were home. So, I encourage hydrating the
5:05
day before. I encourage drinking all day
5:07
and then hydrating again once you get
5:09
home because you were already just
5:12
sweating and kind of evaporating that
5:13
water throughout the day. So, we need to
5:15
hydrate again once we get home. You
5:17
know, some people think you need to
5:19
hydrate while you're active, but it's
5:21
just as important after you're active.
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I'm going to be throwing in some true or
5:25
false questions that pop into my head go
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along with you. True or false? Gatorade
5:30
is just as effective as water.
5:33
Okay. True and false. No. So, Gatorade,
5:37
Gatorade is definitely effective because
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it does have electrolytes. And the
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important thing about having
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electrolytes is it allows your body to
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absorb the water because it's
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essentially salt. Water is isotonic,
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meaning whatever you put in, you usually
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will just void. So, Gatorade is great
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because it does have electrolytes and it
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your body will hold on to the fluids.
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However, the idea is you want Gatorade
5:57
zero because Gatorade does have sugar
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and you definitely want to minimize the
6:01
amount of sugar if you're trying to
6:02
hydrate. So, maybe G0ero. Yes. Or
6:05
Pedialyte. Oh, Pedialyte. I love
6:08
Pedialyte.
6:10
The best. I love the popsicles actually
6:12
because they're very refreshing in the
6:13
summer as well. Yes. And they're a great
6:16
idea. I always keep them in my house.
6:18
Great to know.
6:20
uh heat stroke versus heat exhaustion
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and what are the symptoms we should be
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looking for? Okay, so heat exhaustion is
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when your body temperature is starting
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to rise. Okay, and so when you start to
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have this rise in body temperature,
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you're going to feel a little clammy.
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You're going to have a little bit of
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tacoc cardia, meaning your heart is
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racing fast. You feel nauseous, dizzy,
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and that's an alert that your body is
6:42
starting to overheat and you need to
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stop what you're doing. You need to
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drink some fluids. You need to, you
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know, if the signs are getting worse,
6:49
you call 911. But in the most, you
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really want to just make sure that
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you're taking little sips of water. Not
6:54
a lot of water because with a nausea,
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you'll vomit right away. So, sips of
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water, cooling off, go to a shaded
7:00
place, and calm down. Heat stroke is now
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you've already reached that maximum
7:04
temperature, which is called
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hyperothermia. It's not like a fever. A
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fever is when your thermostat in your
7:11
brain is elevated and it allows your
7:12
body temperature to rise to fight
7:14
infection. So, it's kind of a controlled
7:16
response. Heat stroke, your body is not
7:19
allowing this. You would just completely
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overheat without your body compensating.
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So, now you're not sweating. You're not
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have your body is not performing all of
7:27
the normal mechanisms to cool you off.
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And at this point, it's an emergency.
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And you don't want to give water to
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these patients. You call 911 right away
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and it's a medical emergency.
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Okay, that's I think somebody would just
7:40
immediately grab a water bottle and
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start trying to hydrate their we do the
7:45
opposite, right? If it's heat if it's a
7:48
heat stroke, absolutely. This is a
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person with 104 temperature, you know,
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they're shaking and and they look sick.
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So, we usually with especially in
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pediatrics and here in Miami, we see a
7:59
lot of heat exhaustion.
8:02
Okay, great. That's very important. And
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that was my number one question because
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I worry that we want to send our kids
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outside to play and not keep them
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indoors with technology. But then it's
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that okay, they're going to go outside
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but it's too hot and then you see them
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all red and clammy and then you don't
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know if they're playing chicken or not
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because they want to come in. Right.
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Right. Absolutely. You know, I think
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it's in moderation also. You know, our
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kids are not out for 10 hours of the
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day. you know, playing outside, making
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sure that they have their sunblock, they
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have a hat on. They know when to go in
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the shade and pop back out and take a
8:35
break. I mean, it's fine. They could
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totally stay outside and play. I think
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the biggest problem is when, you know,
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it's 8 to 10 hours outside without
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cooling off and maybe like heavy, you
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know, if they're in sports or something
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and they're wearing padded uniforms or a
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lot of equipment, then that's a
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different story and I would be
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concerned. But I think just like playing
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outside an hour and you know low lowle
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activities, they should be just fine.
8:59
Fantastic. So here's another true or
9:01
false question for you. True or false?
9:04
The higher the SPF, the more protection
9:07
you're getting.
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Um, okay. So true and false. Okay. So
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yes, you are getting more protection SPF
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30 versus SPF 5. Absolutely. But after
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30, it's kind of just a plateau. So
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anywhere from 30 to 50 is totally fine.
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There's no reason to go to 80 and all
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these numbers. Anything after 30 is just
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fine. Okay. So the 110 SPF that you
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assume is the safest one. Not
9:35
necessarily. So anything after is a
9:38
gimmick.
9:40
I wouldn't call it a gimmick, but yes,
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it's it's just not as it's not more
9:44
effective and studies have not shown it
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to be more effective. Okay. And and what
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uh sun protection do you recommend
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especially for someone who has an
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allergic child with eczema or
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dermatitis? Yes. Yes. So what it's
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important to know the difference
10:00
actually between a mineral sunscreen and
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a chemical sunscreen. So a chemical
10:05
sunscreen are the most popular ones. So
10:07
those are the ones that we love that are
10:08
thin. They go on smooth and silky and
10:11
they're not too sticky. They feel great.
10:12
However, a chemical sunscreen um
10:14
actually absorbs the UV light and that's
10:17
not what you want. You want a mineral
10:18
sunscreen which is a physical sunscreen
10:20
and it actually repels the UV light and
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it's going to have for a child that's
10:26
attopic like you're mentioning or has
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dry skin or eczema you'd want a
10:30
sunscreen that actually has camides so
10:33
that you could restore the skin you can
10:35
still hydrate the skin and you're going
10:37
to repel the UV light. So, Lar Ro
10:40
Poseay, which is one of my favorites,
10:42
their a line at CVS and Target. They
10:45
create really lovely sunscreens and I
10:47
think their SPF is maybe like 60. They
10:50
all just standard come in a SPF 50. Um,
10:52
and they are mineral sunscreen. Sarah
10:55
has one as well. Um, and they're just
10:57
lovely for kids. It doesn't cause an
10:59
allergic reaction. It goes on nicely. It
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doesn't have any chemicals that might,
11:03
you know, cause a little bit of burning
11:05
or itching. So, those are great
11:06
sunscreens to use during the summer. And
11:08
you want to reapply at least every two
11:10
hours if that's possible, especially if
11:12
you're going into the water. Water will
11:16
water rub it off. It does. You know,
11:19
some of them are water repellent and so
11:20
they stay on longer, but it definitely
11:23
washes off a bit. So, you do want to try
11:25
to reapply water and sweat. Uh, we have
11:28
a question from a mama and I please
11:31
bring in your questions. Now is the
11:33
time. We have Dr. Constant here with us
11:35
for the next 30 minutes. I encourage the
11:37
questions, especially since I walked in
11:39
so flustered today from dropping off my
11:42
daughter and literally sitting down 10
11:43
minutes ago. Um, we have a question
11:46
saying, "Do rash guards work or should
11:47
we apply sunscreen under the rash
11:49
guard?" Definitely apply sunscreen under
11:52
the rash guard. The rash guard is
11:54
protective and it's great, but you still
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get UV through the um clothing and the
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clothing. We see rash guards on uh like
12:02
at the Target and we see them at Walmart
12:04
and they say SPF 30, SPF 50. Is that
12:07
equivalent to the sunscreen or is that
12:10
also written there for sales? Right.
12:14
It's equivalent to the sunscreen. Again,
12:15
it's just because studies didn't
12:17
actually go into every single number,
12:19
but it's equivalent. As long as you have
12:21
some type of protection for the um
12:23
external wear, you should be just fine
12:25
with 30 or 50. And do hats come now with
12:29
the SPF uh protection as well? Some do.
12:33
I have seen that. Not so common. You
12:35
know, the important thing with the hat
12:37
is to make sure you get the brim that is
12:39
going to cover the ears and the back of
12:41
the neck. I think a lot of people forget
12:43
to apply on the neck and ears.
12:47
And I that's the number one spot for for
12:49
skin cancer is the back of the ear and
12:51
the neck. Dr. constant. My daughter
12:54
wears uh braids and she burns the middle
12:57
of her head. Is there sunscreen for the
13:01
scalp?
13:03
No. All the basically la rose and um
13:06
blue lizard and cereave all of those can
13:08
also be applied to the scalp just as
13:10
well. Okay. So, right now uh we've
13:13
already discussed uh sun protection and
13:16
hydration. Now, I wanted to move over to
13:19
insect bites and stings. Uh, what
13:22
favorite? I'm sure I'm sure you see a
13:25
lot of it. Um, what is your favorite
13:28
insect repellent? Okay, so I say this is
13:31
my favorite because I am one of the, you
13:33
know, there's there are two types of
13:34
people. One that can sit in a room with
13:36
like 20 mosquitoes and they don't even
13:37
notice the mosquitoes are there. And
13:39
then there are people like me, there's
13:40
one mosquito in the room and I'm the one
13:42
being bitten by it. Yeah. So, I really
13:45
take a special interest in in mosquito
13:47
repellent and what to do. Um, I
13:50
recommend in the summertime, especially
13:52
here in Miami, I recommend off with de.
13:55
I know it's really strong, but the
13:56
problem is those guys in the summer, end
13:59
of July, August, they are big. They are
14:01
resistant and they'll bite through
14:03
anything. So, I really like to use off
14:06
as much as I can with deep. It's safe
14:08
for kids. It's safe for kids under the
14:09
age of two, actually. So, we don't need
14:12
to be afraid. It is not harmful. Um, and
14:15
it really does repel the mosquitoes. And
14:17
then in the season in the fall when the
14:19
mosquitoes f, you know, are just a
14:21
little less prevalent, um, I use a cream
14:24
called No Bite Me, it's really awesome.
14:26
It's made out of lemongrass and
14:28
citronanella and it's just all natural
14:30
substances that will like repel the bugs
14:32
away from landing on you and it's
14:34
actually soothing once you get a bite.
14:35
You can put that put it on, but it's
14:37
easier. It doesn't have as much chemical
14:39
and it's just it smells nice. So I
14:41
actually put that on my kids every day
14:42
to go to school because as you know they
14:44
go to a school that has nos and
14:47
mosquitoes. So they put that on every
14:49
day to go to school and then in the
14:51
summer I'll switch to off where it's a
14:52
little bit stronger. We're having a
14:54
question um from Mrs. Vega 2023 and it's
14:59
asking what about for infants?
15:01
for infants. So, actually for infants
15:04
there, this the no bite me is a great,
15:06
you know, solution because like I said,
15:08
it's just citronanella and lemongrass
15:10
and um they also have a couple like
15:12
honest and California baby. They do have
15:15
insect repellent and again they're just
15:18
composed of those plants so that the
15:20
smell will repel the bugs. And I suggest
15:24
also like if you have an infant that's
15:26
in the stroller, there are mosquito nets
15:28
that are UV and bug repellent. So you
15:31
put that over the stroller so that the
15:32
mosquitoes don't get in and bite them
15:34
when they're in the stroller. Usually
15:35
when they're strapped in is when they
15:36
get bitten the most. So you really want
15:38
to protect them from that. But you can
15:40
certainly put those natural creams and
15:41
sprays on them. And I actually used to
15:43
even put it on the clothes of my babies.
15:46
Like when they were infants, I would
15:48
just spray it on the clothes if I didn't
15:49
want to touch their skin. And that way
15:51
it just keeps the bugs from swarming
15:53
around them. That's a great idea. We're
15:55
having a question from Norleene 90.
15:57
Would no bite be good for a one-year-old
16:00
who has eczema?
16:02
Yes, it's perfectly fine. And actually,
16:03
with no bite, you don't have to smear it
16:05
all over the body. I actually put it
16:08
just on a couple pressure points because
16:09
again, this is really just a smell
16:11
that's repelling them. So, I just put it
16:13
on a few points. So, if you know that
16:14
your child has eczema or maybe gets a
16:16
little irritated, you can just put it on
16:18
a few spots, the neck, the wrist, the
16:20
elbows, and they'll be just fine. But no
16:22
bite me is fine for eczema. It's almost
16:23
like the perfume marks for women right
16:26
behind under the ri that's a great thing
16:30
to consider. Um what if you have an
16:32
allergic reaction to a bug bite? What do
16:34
you recommend? Right. So there are
16:36
different gradients of the allergic
16:37
reaction. The most common I want to
16:38
discuss first because I get a lot of
16:40
patients call me about this under the
16:42
age of about three. If the children have
16:45
an exaggerated histamine response to
16:47
insect bites or to mosquito bites rather
16:50
and it doesn't necessarily mean that
16:52
they're allergic to the mosquito bite.
16:54
They're just having an exaggerated
16:55
reaction. So the histamine response is
16:57
to swell swell and turn red. So you'll
17:00
see a baby that gets like a bite on
17:01
their wrist and the whole hand is
17:03
swollen. Or they'll get a bite right
17:05
here on the eyebrow, the eyeball, the
17:06
eye is swollen and their eye is swollen
17:08
shut. That's normal under the age of
17:09
three. doesn't necessarily mean that
17:11
they have a franked allergy to
17:13
mosquitoes. What I always recommend is
17:15
you see where the head of the bite is
17:17
and you put hydrocortisone right at the
17:19
tip, right at the head of the bite. The
17:20
hydrocortisone cream is going to shrink
17:22
down that swelling, decrease the
17:24
histamine response, and help with the
17:26
itching. And I would put that on twice a
17:28
day every day until the the reaction
17:30
goes down. Now, if you're truly allergic
17:32
to mosquito bites and you have you have
17:34
a couple of bites, you'd probably want
17:36
to take benadryil just because the
17:38
itching and the redness and the swelling
17:39
is probably unbearable. So, I would give
17:41
oral benadryil and again use the
17:44
hydrocortisone cream. Wherever you have
17:46
a bite, you just dab the cream on it to
17:48
shrink down the swelling and the
17:50
redness. I want to give you another true
17:52
or false question that just popped into
17:54
my head. True or false? Then drill will
17:56
put you to sleep or make you hyper. Oh,
17:59
again you love these. It's true and
18:03
false. Benadryil absolutely causes
18:06
drowsiness 100%. And which is why I
18:09
don't recommend that parents give it to
18:10
their kids before going to school. There
18:12
is a small population of people who have
18:16
an opposite response to the benadryil.
18:18
We don't know if it's a genetic
18:20
predisposition or what is really causing
18:22
it, but there are children that if you
18:24
give them benadryil, you will have the
18:26
complete opposite response. So, I would
18:28
try it in your child first before you
18:30
know before you give it to them before
18:32
school or something like that. You want
18:33
to see how your child reacts to it.
18:36
Thank you for answering that. Um, before
18:39
we jump into the next topic, put you
18:41
first wants to know what multivitamin do
18:43
you recommend for your kids?
18:45
So, multivitamins are, you know, they're
18:47
a little tricky. I think it's great to
18:50
be in the habit of giving your children
18:51
vitamins and supplements and eating
18:53
well, but truly the American Academy of
18:55
Pediatrics and most pediatricians do not
18:58
recommend multivitamins. Not because
18:59
they're harmful, it's just not needed at
19:02
all. If your child has a balanced diet,
19:04
they're just fine. The only thing that
19:05
you're really missing from a normal
19:07
balanced diet, the only thing that we're
19:08
really missing in a first world country
19:10
is we definitely all of us, even as
19:13
adults, do not get nearly the amount of
19:14
fiber that we're supposed to get in a
19:16
normal diet. I think we're supposed to
19:17
have something like 15 grams per day and
19:20
like none of us do that. So fiber is
19:22
what's missing and omega-3. So omega-3
19:25
is so important and because we're, you
19:27
know, a a population that doesn't really
19:29
consume so much fish or fatty fish, we
19:32
tend to not get enough fatty acid as
19:34
well. So if anything, I would say maybe
19:36
omega-3 pills or as uh the Latin and
19:39
Caribbean people know um de bakalo, you
19:43
know, that is like numero uno. That's
19:45
what you want. You want fatty uh fish
19:47
oil. There you go. Was spoken from a
19:49
Miami mama herself.
19:52
Drank that thing until she was 12.
19:54
Disgusting. There you go. For those of
19:56
us just joining in, you may already know
19:58
or not know, we had technical
20:00
difficulties this morning signing on.
20:02
Apart from the fact that I was late
20:03
getting home from dropping off my
20:05
daughter at school, so we started the
20:07
morning a little flustered and a little
20:08
late. We are going to go over 9:30 today
20:10
if that's okay with Dr. Constant because
20:13
we have a couple more questions we want
20:14
to ask her. We've already discussed sun
20:16
protection, hydration, and mosquito
20:18
bites. I'm really big on this swimming
20:21
and water safety, Dr. Constant. Yeah.
20:24
Um, what precautions should I take to
20:26
ensure my child is safe around the
20:27
water? Okay. So, I want to start by
20:30
saying that, um, most drownings occur in
20:34
the presence of adults. And it's
20:37
important to say that because I think
20:38
all of us have said, well, I'm here. Go
20:41
ahead. I'm here. I'm watching. Things
20:43
are fine. There's a parent. And you
20:45
know, we tend to be very relaxed. I
20:47
think especially as Miamiians, we've all
20:49
been around the water forever. We take
20:50
it for granted. Our kids have been in
20:51
pools since they were infants and we all
20:53
kind of just get a little bit relaxed
20:55
when it comes to that. I think the most
20:56
important thing is to know that you have
20:58
an a responsible adult that's actively
21:00
watching the kids. They need to be there
21:02
and watching the children. Um, decrease
21:05
the amount of alcohol that's around. You
21:07
know, a lot of people sit around, have a
21:08
beer here and there, pass it around.
21:10
It's important for someone to be
21:13
responsible, be sober, and watching the
21:15
kids. I think that our older children,
21:18
you know, as long as we're present,
21:20
that's fine. But the younger children,
21:22
we need to still have the pool gate.
21:23
That is so important to have a pool
21:25
gate. So many things happen in the blink
21:27
of an eye, a kid gets by the pool, they
21:29
fall in, and we don't even notice. So
21:31
the pool gate is essential until your
21:32
child's about five or six. But with the
21:34
older kids, we just need to make sure
21:36
that we are there, we are cognizant, and
21:38
we are actively monitoring them in the
21:40
water. True or false? Even if you think
21:43
your child can swim at three or four, do
21:45
you still have your pool fence up?
21:47
Absolutely true.
21:50
For once, it wasn't true and false.
21:52
Right. That was a good one. Um, at what
21:55
age do you recommend swimming lessons?
21:57
And how do you choose a good program? I
21:59
know that this was very huge for me when
22:01
my son who's now 12 was two and he
22:04
learned the swim float swim method.
22:07
Right. Right. So studies have shown that
22:10
to effective swim lessons are after the
22:13
age of one. Um anything so you know the
22:16
idea is some schools will promote we can
22:19
prevent drowning. We'll teach your child
22:20
how to how to swim. It'll be survival.
22:23
They're under the age of one the
22:25
children are learning reflexive
22:26
swimming. So that means they'll paddle.
22:27
They'll move the arms. They'll kick the
22:29
feet. They'll do everything that they
22:30
should, which looks like they're
22:31
swimming, which is great, but that's a
22:32
reflex. They are not strong enough and
22:35
coordinated enough to keep their head
22:36
above water and keep themselves safe to
22:38
not drown. So, the recommendation is
22:41
after the age of one. And what's most
22:44
important is a school that will assess
22:46
your child's mental capabilities,
22:48
physical capabilities, and emotional
22:50
maturity. And if they can do that and
22:52
teach the child according to what
22:53
they're able to accomplish, then that's
22:55
great. But to sell the idea that your
22:57
child will not drown is a farce. So I
23:01
think it's important to keep that in
23:02
consideration when choosing a school.
23:05
That's so important. I know that there's
23:07
a big difference between swimming
23:08
lessons and survival swim. Right.
23:12
Exactly. So that's the first question to
23:13
ask a swim program, I would assume.
23:15
Exactly. Because you want swim lessons.
23:17
You want a child that's going to learn
23:19
how to swim. survival is, you know, it's
23:22
just it's it's um it's a false sense of
23:24
security. That's great to know. Um with
23:28
them being in the pool so often, what do
23:30
you recommend um for swimmer's ear and
23:32
how do you know the signs of swimmer's
23:34
ear and how to prevent it? This was the
23:37
bane of my existence when my kids were
23:40
little. They always ear infections, but
23:42
of course, I'm sure other mothers can
23:44
attest, the pain is always at night.
23:47
Yes. Absolutely. Yeah. They're fine all
23:49
day having a blast. Yeah. Until the
23:51
office, right? Right. So, swimmer's ear.
23:55
Okay. Um, this is basically an
23:58
overgrowth of fungus in the external
24:00
part of the ear. Okay. So, what happens
24:03
is their ears are always wet. They're
24:05
wet for days on end. They don't really
24:06
get very dry. And that promotes the
24:08
environment for fungus to grow in the
24:10
canal. And then what happens is there's
24:12
swelling in the canal. And so, your
24:14
child will feel it when they lay down to
24:15
go to bed. They're calm. Endorphins are
24:17
down. They're relaxing and then you feel
24:19
the throbbing pain. Really swimmer's
24:21
ear. The only sign is pain and pain when
24:25
you actually touch the outer ear. If you
24:27
touch it or move it, it actually hurts
24:29
very badly. And you might even as a
24:31
parent be able to smell it because it is
24:33
a fungal overgrowth. And in the event
24:35
that your child does have swimmers ear,
24:37
they would be seen by their pediatrician
24:39
and prescribed drops because it's an
24:41
external infection. So you just want a
24:42
topical remedy. Now, how do we prevent
24:45
it? So, there are two different ways
24:46
that I recommend um preventing this from
24:48
happening. Number one, when you get out
24:50
of the pool and your kids complain that
24:51
they can't get the water out or they're
24:53
trying to dry their ear and they kind of
24:54
feel it still, you can put one or two
24:56
drops of rubbing alcohol in each ear
24:58
canal and that'll just evaporate the
25:00
water right there. Their ears are dry.
25:02
So, that's a a definite way to ensure
25:04
that your kid's ear is dry all day and
25:06
they're going to bed with dry ears. Now,
25:08
if you have you're going on vacation and
25:10
you know you're going to be in the pool
25:12
every single day, several times a day
25:13
and you just know they're always going
25:15
to be wet, what you can do is every
25:17
other day or maybe twice a week, you
25:19
could put two or three drops of vinegar
25:22
in the ear and that's just going to
25:24
alter the pH of the ear so that there is
25:26
not a stable environment for the fungus
25:28
to overgrow. So, those mom specify the
25:32
vinegar, shall we?
25:35
Not the red wine vinegar in the pantry.
25:37
We're talking about white distilled
25:39
vinegar. Correct. That's right. White
25:41
distilled vinegar. Yes. Okay. We have a
25:43
question from Maggie 24. If your child
25:45
is battling an ear infection, should
25:46
they avoid the pool? Yes. If it's an if
25:50
it's an inner ear infection and they're
25:51
taking antibiotics, yes. Now, the reason
25:53
to avoid the pool though is not what
25:55
everybody thinks. They're worried about
25:56
water getting into the ear. That's not
25:58
the concern. The inner ear infection is
26:01
coming from your sinuses. So, you have
26:03
drainage of mucus. it drains into the
26:04
ear canal causing the accumulation of
26:07
fluid in the ear canal and the
26:08
infection. So if you're going in the
26:10
pool and swimming, what happens? We
26:12
constantly get nasal drainage, right? We
26:14
get a stuffy nose. We have mucus. So
26:16
that if it keeps draining into that ear
26:17
canal, you're complicating the
26:19
infection. So I always advise against
26:21
swimming until they're completely cured
26:23
for that reason.
26:28
Mo. So here's a true or false question
26:30
for you. I don't know about the Haitian
26:32
grandmothers, but the old Cuban
26:34
grandmothers um would put olive oil in
26:37
kids' ears to stop the ear from hurting
26:40
in the middle of the night when they the
26:42
pediatrician because that's safer. Yes,
26:46
it's uh and it's um I think they warm
26:48
it, you know. I think they they warm it
26:50
and put it in, which is, you know, a
26:51
little risky because you want to make
26:52
sure they don't heat it up too hot and
26:54
burn you. But yes, the mineral oil is
26:56
soothing and it relieves the pain. It
26:59
doesn't do anything medically for the
27:00
infection, but it definitely alleviates
27:02
the pain. Olive oil, not avocado oil,
27:06
not sesame oil, not canola. Correct.
27:10
Mineral oil. Actually, mineral oil.
27:12
Okay. Wonderful to know. Noted for all
27:15
the Cuban grandmothers out there. I'm
27:17
going to If you're Haitian, then it's
27:19
going to be masquerade. We have a
27:21
special oil from a part of palm that
27:24
smells disgusting, but we use that. So,
27:26
you pour that in there. Does it do the
27:28
trick? Yeah, good to know. Um, I'm going
27:31
to hit one last topic. Unfortunately, we
27:34
couldn't get to all of them today, but
27:36
with that said, travel
27:38
health. The news is reporting that we've
27:41
never seen more travel than we are
27:43
today, especially postco attached to the
27:46
ears. When is it safe to fly with an ear
27:49
infection with a child?
27:51
Okay, so again with the ear infection,
27:54
inner ear infection, you have the
27:55
accumulation of fluid in the ear canal.
27:57
So the first couple days of the ear
27:59
infection when they really have symptoms
28:01
and it's full, it hurts like crazy. So I
28:05
certainly wouldn't if you can avoid it,
28:07
I would not get on a plane. But I would
28:09
say after like 4 days or so on active
28:11
treatment for the ear infection and and
28:13
if your child is symptom free, usually
28:15
they should be just fine. And and the
28:17
fluid should already be diminishing. So
28:18
they should not feel the pressure in the
28:20
ear. I mean, every child is different
28:22
and they have different levels of pain
28:23
tolerance, but usually you should be
28:25
okay at least 4 days in of treatment.
28:28
True or false? Do you give a baby a
28:30
bottle in the airplane to avoid the pain
28:32
of the air pressure?
28:34
Yes. So, it's interesting with that one.
28:36
Um, baby babies don't really have uh
28:40
developed sinuses that we have. They
28:42
don't have all of the full sinuses that
28:44
we have. So, they're not going to get as
28:46
much pain as people are concerned that
28:49
they're going to have. um especially
28:50
like this ear pain like that sinus
28:52
development is much later in life. But
28:54
yes, the bottle the sucking actually
28:57
helps them and soothes them so they
28:58
don't feel the pressure change. And so
29:01
yes, bottle on takeoff and bottle on
29:03
descent. I wish I knew that when my kids
29:06
were little. Um medicine bags. My
29:09
husband been making fun of me since the
29:11
day he met me because my medicine bag is
29:14
larger than my luggage.
29:16
What do we what do we pack for our
29:18
kiddos in our medicine bags when we're
29:21
right? So, you know, the pediatrician's
29:23
medicine bag doesn't exist. Um I don't
29:26
pack anything, but I do think it's a
29:28
great idea. I think for, you know, the
29:30
most important thing I think is motin
29:32
and Tylenol because you never know when
29:34
they're going to spike a fever. They
29:36
spike it at the most random times. You
29:37
know, it'll be just like fine all day
29:39
and then all of a sudden all the stores
29:41
are closed, they're home, about to go to
29:43
bed, and boom, fever. and then you don't
29:44
know what to do. So, I love having
29:46
Tylenol and Motrin on hand just in case.
29:48
Other than that, you know, I don't
29:51
really band-aids, the pool, skinning the
29:54
toes, pain. So, band-aids, neosporin,
29:57
motin, and Tylenol, those are for your
29:59
little injuries that happen daytoday
30:01
that you really don't need to go see a
30:02
physician for, right? So, I like to have
30:04
that on hand. Um, anything more
30:06
important than that, such as antibiotics
30:08
and and things, I really like to wait
30:10
and just see a physician first before I
30:12
would ever prescribe. So, those are the
30:15
things that I like to have on hand.
30:16
Band-Aids, Neosporin, Motrin, Tylenol,
30:19
and maybe depending on where you're
30:22
going, what type of trip it is, I would
30:24
ask your pediatrician for Zopran, which
30:26
is an anti-nausea medication. And I
30:28
think that really saves a lot of people,
30:30
you know, from from vomiting and
30:32
dehydration from vomiting. Somebody had
30:34
just put what about something for
30:35
vomiting? Yeah, I know. I know. Or you
30:40
know some what us being Miamiians going
30:42
to the islands. Um quick story my
30:45
brother who I love and adore on his
30:48
wedding night he got married in the
30:49
Bahamas he had food poisoning from his
30:52
wedding and he the whole night vomiting
30:56
his wedding night. And if it wasn't for
30:58
a doctor that was invited to his wedding
31:00
who gave him Zopran, he probably would
31:02
have ended up in the hospital. They
31:03
didn't actually my mother and she's
31:05
laughing and she's saying yes because
31:08
brother spent his wedding night with his
31:10
brand new bride and my mom because he
31:12
couldn't stop vomiting from his wedding
31:14
night. It was horrible. Terrible. It's
31:16
my nightmare. That's that's a good one
31:18
because honestly you don't want to have
31:20
to go to an ER with your kid when you're
31:22
out of town just to get IV fluids when
31:24
you might have been able to prevent it
31:26
just taking a dose of Zopran. So, you
31:28
know, I prescribe it to my patients when
31:29
they call me and ask for it before a
31:31
trip. I give them a couple to take with
31:32
them. That's wonderful information to
31:35
have. Um, is there any vaccines in
31:38
preparation for the upcoming year? I
31:40
know that there's certain age levels,
31:41
Dr.
31:42
where you have vaccines to come into the
31:44
next school year and those are the
31:46
probably the people that need to start
31:47
preparing their doctor's appointments.
31:50
Okay, so after age four there there
31:53
aren't any required vaccines for school.
31:55
So aside from your regular flu shot
31:57
every season, there's nothing that you
31:59
need to worry about. Um the flu vaccine
32:01
is usually offered September, October.
32:03
So your pediatrician will probably start
32:05
to send you some memos this summer to
32:07
come in in the fall and get it. But the
32:09
next age group is going to be your 11
32:10
year olds. And so everybody calls it the
32:12
seventh grade shots because in seventh
32:14
grade they ask for the documentation but
32:17
truly here in the office we give it at
32:19
age 11. You'll get your tetanus booster,
32:22
your menitis vaccine and then your
32:25
gardicil vaccine which is the vaccine
32:27
against human papilloma virus. So you
32:29
get those three at age 11 and that will
32:31
have you prepared to enter 7th grade
32:33
with your immunization forms. After that
32:35
the next round is at 16 and those are
32:37
just boosters. One last true or false
32:39
for you. Gardil is only for girls. True
32:42
or false? Absolutely false. That was
32:45
back in
32:46
2005 and it hasn't been that way since.
32:49
And I think a lot of us don't realize
32:51
that because maybe we were the last
32:53
generation that was just it was an
32:55
optional for us and now it's mand
32:58
correct. So remember vaccines are not
33:01
mandatory anywhere. um they're strongly
33:03
recommended and it's you know obviously
33:05
for you know health reasons we offer it
33:08
and we recommend it but they're not
33:09
mandated. Uh the Gardil vaccine is
33:12
included in the 11-year-old vaccine
33:14
series and it is for both sexes male and
33:18
female because it does protect against
33:20
cervical cancer, anal rectile cancer and
33:22
head and neck cancer those four which
33:26
both genders can get. Um so it is
33:28
recommended and it's in two doses. If
33:30
you get it by the age of 11, you can get
33:32
it in two doses. If you take it after
33:34
the age of 15, we have to give it in
33:36
three separated doses. Dr. Conson, thank
33:39
you so much for your time today. Thank
33:41
you for going for us. We apologize for
33:43
the technical difficulties. Once again,
33:46
live IG things happen. Um, will you
33:49
please come back on and talk to us about
33:51
drop your knowledge with any other
33:53
information, please? I'd love to. I'd
33:55
love to. I look forward to doing this
33:57
again and I'll jump on without any
33:58
technical difficulties. Wonderful. Thank
34:00
you everybody. Have a great day. Have a
34:02
great day. Bye.
34:06
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