Thomasville AL What's Going Around - Dr. Huey Kidd
Dr. Huey Kidd
3050 Hwy 5 North Unit 134
Thomasville, AL
334-636-5311
Dr. Huey Kidd graduated in 1996 from Nova Southeastern University, College of Osteopathic Medicine in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He is currently in Family Practice and affiliated with Southwest Alabama Medical Center.
August 14, 2008
At Dr. Huey Kidd's office in Thomasville, AL:
"This is the time of year when one of the primary focuses of our practice is Back-to-School care. The percentage of our patients who are children and adolescents increases significantly," says Dr. Kidd,"In treating these patients-who are, as expected, much less likely to require care throughout the year-it is always important to not only provide the services that they are seeking but also to take the opportunity to educate them-and their parents-about important health issues."
"Many parents schedule their children for vaccination updates. Vaccinations are often viewed by the public as relatively routine care but this should not diminish our acknowledging the significant role that vaccinations have played in public health," he says, "No other intervention has made such an impact on overall wellness in the United States and on the prevention of childhood illnesses."
For example:
-we have had no wild polio cases in the US since the early 70s;
-smallpox has been eradicated worldwide;
-fatal forms of meningitis have been significantly reduced;
-the incidence of chicken pox has been reduced since the introduction of the varicella vaccine.
Dr. Kidd says, "In my 9+ years of practice, I have never seen a case of measles, mumps nor rubella due to appropriate and timely vaccination regimens."
"This is also the time of year when adolescents (most often middle and high school students) receive sports physicals," he says, "We have all read or heard the tragic stories of high school or college athletes who die suddenly (typically from heart-related diseases). One of the primary purposes of sports physicals is to detect the presence of genetic or early-onset heart disease and to initiate appropriate interventions, many of which allow young people to continue to participate in athletics."
June 12, 2008
At Dr. Huey Kidd's office in Thomasville, AL they have seen many patients with allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. Upper respiratory infections and allergic symptoms are very common during this time of the year. "We see these types of patient complaints year round," said Dr. Kidd, "but each spring there is an increase in patients suffering from itchy eyes, runny noses, and sinus congestion." Dr. Kidd also says, more often than not these symptoms are completely harmless but they do cause discomfort and aggravation.
Other advice from Dr. Kidd: The best way to prevent allergic symptoms is to avoid whatever causes the symptom. In other words, if exposure to freshly cut grass causes your eyes to water and itch, avoid cutting the lawn. People spend more time enjoying outside activities during the spring and summer months and are consequently exposed to more allergens. There are some great over the counter medications that can treat allergic symptoms. Benedryl is a good choice for infants and young children, although it can cause sedation. Claritin and Zyrtec are also now available over the counter. Many patients find that these medications relieve their allergic symptoms. All of these medications are antihistamines and work well for sinus drainage and itchy skin. Saline nasal sprays also work well for drainage.
And finally he recommends, for people who don’t respond to simple avoidance strategies and over the counter medications, allergy testing is available. This gives doctors the ability to identify the specific allergens causing the problem and allows for personalized treatment plans. Allergy testing can frequently be scheduled through a local primary care physician’s office.
