Search Results for: tylenol

Clash of the Titans: Tylenol* vs Advil*

In the epic battle of pain relievers, which should you take? Tylenol*( in this case meaning any brand of acetaminophen)? or Advil* (meaning any brand of Ibuprofen)?

The answer is BOTH, or at least, “it depends”.

Acetaminophen (common brand name Tylenol) and ibuprofen (common brands Advil or Motrin) are two very different products that work in different pathways within the body. Tylenol’s mechanism is still poorly understood, but one persisting theory is that it works by blocking the central nervous system’s production of prostaglandin, a substance that plays a key role in transmitting pain and causing fever. Ibuprofen or “advil”-type … Read more

Tylenol vs. Advil

Next into the First Aid kit should be a pain reliever/fever reducer…should you put in Advil* (meaning any brand of Ibuprofen) or Tylenol* (suggesting any brand of acetaminophen)?

Drum roll please…and the answer is BOTH.

Tylenol and Advil are two very different products that work in different pathways within the body. Although the exact mechanism is not fully understood, Tylenol works in the central nervous system to block production of prostaglandins, a substance that plays a key role in pain and fever. Advil-type products (known collectively as Non Steroid Anti Inflammatory Drugs, NSAIDs) work in the peripheral as well … Read more

Packing for College? Don’t Forget These 8 Items!

Excitement and anxiety are in the air as students across the country prepare to fly the nest and head off to college. Universities provide useful shopping lists for dorm necessities, while Pinterest and TikTok will add more mini-lights, tapestries and pillows to your list than you can count! So why am I adding to your list? Because as both a college mom & a college physician, I know the most common items that students forget or simply don’t think to pack…till they actually need them.

1. Prescription Glasses: if your student wears contacts, PLEASE be sure they take a pair … Read more

College Health Checklist: 12 Things To Do Before Your Child Leaves Home

*This post was originally published as a guest blog on one of my favorite teen parenting sites, RaisingTeensToday  Be sure to check out their site!

As parents, when we’re preparing to send our “kidults” off to college, we often spend the last few months before they leave cramming every possible nugget of wisdom into their brain – and rightly so.

And, even though our loving advice, (passed along with all good intentions, of course) might be met with an eye roll and an “Okay! I knoooowwww!” we have to press on because part of the separation process isn’t … Read more

How to Make the BEST College First Aid Kit

Sending your kid off to college is exciting, happy, sad and scary, all at the same time! We want them to have “the BEST years of their life” (no pressure, right?) and either do all the fun things we did or perhaps the things we missed out on. As parents, we don’t want to see them hurt- physically or emotionally, and obviously, we want to see them succeed. The truth is that they will stumble along the way, whether that’s a bad grade, a bike accident, the flu (or yes, COVID), mono, test anxiety or heartbreak. It’s not the stumbling … Read more

What’s Up with the J&J Vaccine? A Doctor’s Q&A

The J&J COVID vaccine’s possible link to blood clots is dominating the news, creating disproportionate fear and confusion. Let’s tackle the most pressing questions:

Q1. As a pro-vaccine advocate, are you mad at the CDC/FPA for pausing the J&J vaccination?

Absolutely not! The very fact that we are hitting “pause” on distributing this vaccine based on 6 cases (less than 1 in a million vaccine recipients) of a very rare problem should honestly be extremely reassuring to everyone concerned about vaccine safety. The very reason we HAVE vaccine adverse events reporting systems in place is to pick up ANY and … Read more

Top 10 Things You Might Not Know about the Moderna COVID Vaccine

This week, I had the privilege of “jabbing” several hundred grateful Austinites’ arms with the second dose of Moderna’s COVID vaccine at one of Austin Public Health’s vaccination PODs, which gave me the unique opportunity to get extensive direct feedback about people’s experience with their first shot. Note that the folks I immunized had to fall into categories 1A or 1B to qualify for their first vaccine a month ago, which means that they were either older than 65 (many in their 70s and 80s), any age front-line healthcare workers, or people ages 16-65 who also have at least one … Read more

College Parent Q&A about Pandemic Problems & COVID Vaccines

As our college students head back to campus (or simply back to their rooms for online classes), it’s time for another question and answer session, with pressing parent questions brought to me by my amazing friend, Suzy Mighell, creator and founder of the popular blog and lifestyle brand Empty Nest Blessed (check it out if you haven’t already!) Let’s jump right in!

Q1. My college student is so sad about missing all the classic college experiences, like football games, parties, studying abroad, etc. Is there anything we can say or do to help?

No question we are ALL feeling this, … Read more

College Kids and COVID: 10 Tips for Healthy Holidays

Okay, parents, it’s T-minus 14 days till Thanksgiving week, when most of our college students will be heading home for an extended winter break. Will this be the perfect storm as nearly 20 million college students in the US pack up and head home, potentially spreading COVID19 to their families and communities? Beyond masking, physical distancing and handwashing- which of course, are ALL IMPORTANT- here’s what you need to know:

  1. What can we all do right NOW?
    • Get a flu shot this week
    • Optimize your respiratory tract (because an irritated nose/mouth make it easier to pick up ANY respiratory virus,
… Read more

Our COVID Conundrum…Did We Have It or Not?

Setting: Beautiful small town, high up in the Colorado mountains, where we’ve been very much isolated and socially distanced in our home for several weeks…except that ONE day, six days earlier, when our older daughter and I had our “big outing”. After dropping off my husband at the small town airport, we made a quick Target run, ate lunch outside of a restaurant in another small town (sitting at an isolated table), and in the process, used two public restrooms, including the highly trafficked one at the airport. We wore cloth masks the whole time except while eating, and sanitized … Read more