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Head lice are commonly seen. You can read about them on Dermnet.
Pediatrician, Melanie Austin has a non-toxic over the counter approach for head lice. It's time intensive but spares your child or you exposure to toxic chemicals.
You can access her protocol at: Download doc_austin_lice.pdf
The standard therapies, are fine, too. This is attached because many people prefer therapies that are less toxic.
Lyme Disease is becoming more wide-spread and common. There have been many articles and even books on the subject. Jane Brody devoted her column this week to Lyme. It's a fine introduction and a good source of references. She writes:
"The disease can be maddeningly difficult to diagnose. Only 50 to 70 percent of patients recall being bitten by a tick. Ordinary laboratory tests are rarely helpful. Tests for antibodies to the bacterium or for its genetic footprints result in many false-negative and false-positive findings."
To access her article, go to: Lyme Permalink.
Ms. Brody also cites a recent Mayo Clinic Proceedings article: Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease which can be accessed at MCP Lyme or this pdf: Download lyme_mayo.pdf
The talented medical writer, Atul Gawande (not pictured on left), has an amazing article, which addresses itch, phantom limb pain, and related syndromes, in the June 30, 2008 New Yorker magazine. This essay, in the Annals of Medicine series, is an important read for physicians and patients alike. We have linked a pdf Download itch_gawande.pdf
or you can access the article at: Itch Gawande.
"The mysterious power [of itch] may be a clue to a new theory about brains and bodies."
A thorough discussion of Gawande's article as well as a presentation of an illustrative case will appear on VGRD shortly.
In today's NY Times, there is an incredible article about S.A.D. by science writer Ingfei Chen. It touches on the role of staph in exacerbating the eczema, the need for soothing baths, the role of antibiotics in treatment and more. Ms. Chen's article could be a primer for starting to learn about SAD.
In some way, SAD, and related inflammatory dermatoses, are orphan diseases. At present, they don't have really expensive therapies that would induce drug companies to throw money at them (for secondary gain). These patients take time and are very complex, and we dermatologists want to see a new patient everey ten to fifteen minutes.
If you want to start to understand S.A.D. please read this article. It can be accessed at Permalink.