Dr. Grimes’ Bottom Line

Seeing Red This Spring?

What should you do if your primary allergy symptom is not sneezing, runny nose, or sore throat, but burning, itching, watery, red eyes? Will over-the-counter products help with eye symptoms?
The short answer is yes- oral antihistamines (like Benadryl, Allegra, Claritin & Zyrtec) can help with allergic eye symptoms, but if you are really only having eye issues, you may get better relief from some prescription eye drops.

Many of my patients try to use over-the-counter eye drops that “get the red out”…only to discover that they need more and more of these drops to accomplish the same results. … Read more

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Itchy Eyes, Runny Nose…Achoo!

No April Fool’s…here in Austin, Texas, we are fully into OAK ALLERGY season. Our cars have a dusting of yellow pollen, and the streets are strewn with oak droppings. Is it time for a trip to your family doctor or allergist? Maybe, but there are several remedies you can try on your own first.

What are signs and symptoms of allergies?

At the risk of sounding like an antihistamine commercial, it’s sneezing (often in fits of sneezes), itchy eyes, itchy throat, scratchy throat, drainage down the back of your throat (which creates early morning sore throats that often fade mid-morning), … Read more

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Getting a Base Tan for Spring Break?

Here in Texas, we are alternating hot days of wearing shorts with chilly days or grabbing jackets, which means it’s nearly time for SPRING BREAK- hooray! Many students and their families head to the beach for spring break, and before the women don their bikinis, the quest for a “base tan” to avoid a sunburn begins. I have had many patients ask my advice on what is better- going to a tanning booth or braving the capricious weather outside. My answer? NEITHER.

The entire notion of a “base tan” has no scientific basis, nor support from dermatologists. In fact, … Read more

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What Did You Give Up?

Lent came early this year – tough to have Valentine’s Day the second day of this season if you gave up chocolates! While certainly not everyone practices Lenten observances, I think most people are familiar with the general concept of offering some sort of self-discipline as part of a religious practice, so this is a good opportunity for me to share a thought about the mix of religion and medicine.

As a physician- especially as a Catholic one- I really appreciate Lent. Just as New Year’s resolutions for healthy changes are fading away, in comes Lent to save the … Read more

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Till We Meet Again…A Special Note to my WLFP Patients

To my wonderful patients from West Lake Family Practice:

This note is a month overdue, not from neglect, but from the inadequacy of my words each time I sat down to write. I simply cannot express what a privilege it has been to care for you and your families. Many of you have been trusting your healthcare to me for almost two decades- first at my practice on 38th street and then in Westlake. I truly cherish our friendships and shared experiences- through occasionally bewildering medical challenges and with your “real life” experiences, both the joyous and the sorrowful. When … Read more

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P90X – Bring It!

Okay, my post about the FB pledge to better health with P90X has generated lots of questions for me (and I suppose smiles for the makers of the DVD- and NO, I do not have any financial or other ties to them!) I will explain what it is and why I personally enjoyed it, but more importantly, I want to encourage you to find what will push YOU a bit out of your comfort zone.

P90X is a series of exercise DVDs. To be honest, I learned about it several years ago when I was in a hotel exercise room … Read more

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Facebook Diet!

Happy February! How are those New Year’s Resolutions holding up for you? I hope at least a couple healthy choices are sticking with you…If not, I’ve got a social media suggestion that might just keep you on the straight and narrow. Meet the “Facebook Diet” concept!

Full credit for this idea comes from my high school friend, Anne White. In fairness, in her case, I should call it a FB Exercise Plan, but the concept is easily extended to other healthy choices such as pumping up your fruits and veggies, quitting smoking, or yes, exercise. Back to Anne. In … Read more

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SPA Water – At YOUR House!

Over the holidays, I went to a gathering for teenage girls that included a fabulous cookie exchange. There were tempting gingerbread cookies, snickerdoodles, chocolate everythings, and good old-fashioned Christmas cookies to tempt every palate. Imagine my surprise and delight when I left this party with a HEALTHY idea! What was it? SPA Water!

In a large, beautiful, clear glass dispenser, the hostess (thank you, Toni Holmes!) had simply sliced up whatever citrus fruit she had on hand- oranges & lemons- and added them to water and ice. I found myself (as did the other moms and many of the girls) … Read more

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What about Tamiflu? Should you take it?

So if you GET the flu, should you take Tamiflu? Or less known, Relenza?

Ah, that’s the million dollar question…literally, since Tamiflu and Relenza are the only drugs FDA approved and indicated for this year’s flu. These drugs are flying off the shelves as the flu season kicks into full gear, and we are desperate to get over the flu as fast as possible. Much is being debated these days about the efficacy of these anti-viral drugs. What do we know?

We know that antiviral treatment typically shortens the symptoms of the flu by at least twenty-four hours. We know … Read more

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Flu Vaccine – It’s Not Too Late!

Okay, it’s January, and now EVERYONE you know is getting the flu! Is it too late for you to get vaccinated? ABSOLUTELY NOT! The truth is that now that we’re all scared, it’s tough to find somewhere that has the flu vaccine in stock! Call your doctor or your pharmacy and find out how many they have left, then jump in your car and head over.

This year is another one of those “really bad” flu years. Yes, if you are vaccinated today, you have to wait a couple weeks for your shot to protect you. BUT…the flu season is … Read more

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