Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOwhvJ2CTKL/The kissing bug is the popular name for the triatomine bug, a blood sucking insect that tends to attach to the faces of sleeping victims.  This insect carries the parasite Trypanososma cruzi which causes Chagas’ disease.  Normally found predominately in Central and South American as well as Mexico, now this bug and its potentially deadly baggage is spreading across the United States.  As of this date, cases of Chagas’ disease have occurred in 8 states: Texas, California, Arizona, Tennessee, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas.  The bad news is that these kissing bugs have been seen in 32 states.If the bug bites you on the face and you rub the bite, you are likely to rub some of the bug debris containing the Trypanosoma parasite into your skin.  As the parasite sets up shop, you will develop Chagas disease, acute phase, with fever, eyelid swelling, fatigue, body aches, rashes, swollen glands, appetite loss, diarrhea, and vomiting.  This acute phase an

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOwgkXgDFge/Stanford neuroscientists have tagged the reticular thalamic nucleus (RT) as a likely trigger for characteristic autistic behaviors in mammals.  This neuronal plexus carries signals from the thalmus, the brain’s sensory relay station, to the cerebral cortex, the center for conscious thought, sensory, and motor activity. Using autistic mice, the Cntnap2 knockout line, they observed heightened neural firing and seizure-like electrical activity in the reticular thalamic nucleus when animals received stimuli that triggered characteristic autistic behaviors.  By suppressing this abnormal neural firing with the experimental anti-seizure medication Z944, the researchers reversed the animals’ hypersensitivity to stimuli, increased motor activity, repetitive behaviors, and lack of social interactions.  In short, they suppressed the animals’ autistic tendencies.This research now puts a focus on the reticular thalamic nucleus as a treatment target for autism spectrum diso

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOwf2u9FNvx/When a woman’s eggs are harvested from her ovaries in preparation for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), they are covered by so-called cumulus cells.  These cells must be removed after IVF and before ICSI in order to obtain viable fertilized eggs for implantation. The traditional method for cumulus removal, CR, involves vortexing using manual pipetting.  This process often damages some of the eggs, the oocytes.Enter biologists at Cornell University with a microfluidic chip through which eggs can pass and be cleansed of cumulus cells with vibration-induced flow.  The chip has a spiral array of micro-pillars that separate the smaller cumulus cells from the larger oocytes and flush them out of the chip.Pre-clinical studies using a mouse model showed the process to be fast, efficient, and gentle for the eggs.  As many as 23 oocytes were simultaneously cleaned successfully with the potential for fertilization and embryo initiat

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOwe9yfDnI2/Azelastine nasal spray, marketed as Astepro but also available as a generic, can reduce your chances of developing a CoVid infection by a factor of 3 and cut your chances of developing a common cold by a factor of 3.5.  German researchers at Saarland University recently published their double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 450 participants in the JAMA Internal Medicine Journal.Half the subjects received azelastine 0.1% nasal spray three times a day for 56 days. The control subjects used  a similarly-appearing but inactive nasal spray.  Respiratory infections were confirmed using PCR analyses.  The results showed that only 2.2% of the azelestine sprayers developed CoVid compared with 6.7% of controls.  Only 1.8% of azelestine sprayers developed rhinovirus infections compared with 6.3% of controls.Generic azelastine spray is a prescription medication.  Astepro Spray, the same medication, is available over-the-counter.  If you think you might benefit, give it

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOweKVlCSKY/A single RSV vaccination is protective for vulnerable adults through 2 consecutive RSV seasons.  This the conclusion of a multicenter, collaborative study headed by investigators at Vanderbilt University.  They studied 6958 persons 60 years or older hospitalized with respiratory illness in 20 states from 2023 into 2025.The vaccine effectiveness for preventing a hospitalization with Respiratory Syncytial Virus was 69% during the first year following vaccination and 48% during the second year yielding an average effectiveness over the 2 years of 58%.  The year-to-year change was not significant.Drilling down on the study population, the 2 season vaccine effectiveness was lower for immunocompromised patients at 30% compared with 67% for the immunocompetent and lower at 58% or those with cardiovascular disease versus 80% for those without it.Work is now ongoing to determine when individuals with complicating medical conditions such as immunosuppression and/or card

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOwdSuilDQG/Acupuncture therapy can effectively reduce disability for those with low back pain.  That’s the result of a Kaiser Permanente randomized,  study of 789 older adults in 3 healthcare systems across the US and recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Network publication.Two experimental groups received acupuncture: the SA group, standard acupuncture group,  received 8-15 acupuncture sessions plus usual medical therapy (UMT) of pain management and physical therapy; the EA group, extended acupuncture group, received 4-6 additional acupuncture sessions plus the usual medical therapy. All participants were surveyed at 3, 6, and 12 months following therapy initiation using the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire.When the numbers were crunched, those receiving acupuncture enjoyed a significant reduction in their perceived disability and pain.  In most cases, the acupuncture effect peaked at 6 months. Compared with those receiving only

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOwcerADAD3/If you’re a victim of motion sickness, listening to soft and joyful music will tamp down your nausea and discomfort.  This the result of Chinese study just published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.The researchers studied the reactions of 30 subjects in a simulated driving environment noting their subjective reactions and collecting neurophysiologic data.  After tabulation, the numbers revealed which tunes suppressed motion sickness.  The winner was soft music at 57.3% improvement closely followed by joyful music at 56.7%.  Less effective was passionate, stirring music at 48.3%,   with sad music coming in last at 40%.  The control group hearing no music enjoyed a 43.4% symptom reduction, better than listening to sad music.So if you feel a bout of motion sickness is impending, put in those ear buds or turn your auto music system to soft or joyous music.https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1636109/ful

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/DOwbtF0jPOI/Pregnancy is a blessed event, but it is accompanied by discomfort and, at times, outright pain.  The golden rule during these 9 months is to avoid all but absolutely necessary medications. Over the years, the pain and fever medication of choice has been acetaminophen, better known as the brand Tylenol.Now, some government officials are warning that acetaminophen during pregnancy might be linked to the later development of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism and autism spectrum disorders.  Let’s review what we do know about this issue.In 2024, epidemiologists, neonatologists, and obstetrician-gynecologists at Sweden’s famed Karolinska Institute published a study of nearly 2.5 million Swedish mothers, children and their siblings in the Journal of the American Medical Association or JAMA.  It failed to show any statistically significant increased risk for autism, ADHD-hyperactivity, or intellectual disability associated with acetaminophen use during preg

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOwaN4mDH8S/The new Moderna mRNA CoVid vaccine is named mNEXSPIKE; their original CoVid vaccine was named SPIKEVAX.  This second generation mRNA CoVid vaccine yields a stronger and longer-lasting antibody response to the virus.  By targeting specific viral spike proteins rather than all proteins contained in the spike itself, the robust antibody response lasts 6 months or longer rather than the usual 4 to 5 month duration.Due to its novelty, mNEXSPIKE has been approved only for adults 65 years of age and older as well as those 12 years through 64 years of age with complicating medical issues that place them at high risk for severe COVID-19.Not all pharmacies are stocking mNEXSPIKE, so, if you are eligible, check with yours.The second Moderna CoVid vaccine is the updated SPIKEVAX.  This vaccine as well as the mNEXSPIKE produce antibodies against the JN.1 subvariant of the Omicron CoVid variant.This vaccine is approved for all children 6 months through 17 years of age. It i

Now with the weather cooling, it’s time to buttress your protection against CoVid. This year, for the first time in the 55 years that I have been practicing medicine, the most reliable recommendations are coming from our nation’s family practice, pediatric, internal medicine, obstetric-gynecological, and infectious disease professional societies rather from the CDC and the FDA.These groups have launched unprecedented publicity campaigns to ensure that you and your medical providers have the best scientific information available. Recently, the presidents of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the the American College of Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Disease Society of America sent an open letter to all medical personnel.#CoVid #vaccination #children #teens#adults #pregnancy #aap #acog #aafp #acp#myocarditis

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWvYdKgCLb/This recall involves half-gallon cartons of crunch ice cream mistakenly packaged in Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough containers that fail to mention these ingredients. Consuming these products could pose a serious or life-threatening risk for those with nut allergies.  Affected is lot number 061027524.These recalled half-gallons were sold in Alabama, Arkansas, the Florida Panhandle, Northwest Georgia, Southern Indiana, Southern Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Southwest Virginia.Do not eat this recalled ice cream. Return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, contact Blue Bell at 1-979-836-7977 or via the email consumerrelations@bluebell.com.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/blue-bell-ice-cream-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-almond-walnut-and-pecan-moo-llennium-crunch-ice#bluebell #moollenniumcrunch #icecream #almond #walnut #pec

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWuZwZDQak/Salmonella and listeria trigger serious and sometimes fatal gastrointestinal and systemic infections in young children, elderly persons, and others with weakened immune systems. Listeria can also trigger miscarriages and stillbirths. The affected products are Viva Ground Beef for Dogs and Viva Beef & Turkey for Puppies, Lot 21495, and Viva Ground Chicken for Dogs, Viva Chunked Chicken for Dogs, Viva Chicken for Cats, and Viva Pure Chicken, Lot 21975. These recalled pet foods were sold as frozen one-pound bricks in clear vacuum packaging in New York, Illinois, South Carolina, Florida, Kansas, California, and Arizona. between July 2, 2025 and August 21, 2025.If you purchased any of these products, do not feed them to your pets or to any animals. Return these products to the place of purchase where they will be disposed of safely so that children, pets, and wildlife cannot be poisoned by eating them. Contact Viva Raw at 1-919-371-8882 or by email at info@viva

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWrYICj10W/Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal gastrointestinal and systemic infections in young children, elderly persons, and others with weakened immune systems. Affected eggs sold are under the brand names Country Eggs, Nijiya, Golden Yolk, Nagatoshi Produce, and Misuho with sell-by dates from July 1, 2025 through September 18, 2025.These contaminated eggs have been sold in California and Nevada.Return these eggs to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, contact Country Eggs, LLC at 1-800-722-3447 or by email at INFO@countryeggsllc.com.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/country-eggs-llc-recalls-large-brown-cage-free-sunshine-yolks-because-possible-health-risk#eggs #salmonella #infection #countryeggs #nijiya #goldenyolk #nagatoshi #misuho #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWqeFIDP_z/Counterfeit versions contain tadalafil, an undeclared prescription drug, branded as Cialis. This drug is a powerful phosphodiesterase inhibitor that poses serious health risks including life-threatening drops in blood pressure if taken by those also using nitrate medications such as nitroglycerin. The genuine, authentic versions of this supplement bear the lot number LOTGLU13101b1EXP0926.All these counterfeit products were sold in the US.If you bought any Green Lumber dietary supplements, do not use those with any lot number other than LOTGLU13101b1EXP0926. If you bought a fake, report the details  to Green Lumber at 1-949-426-8622 or by email at consumer-safety@greenlumber.com.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/green-lumber-holding-llc-issues-consumer-alert-counterfeit-products-following-fda-findings#greenlumber #dietarysupplement #tadalafil #cialis #nitrates #hypotension #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWpRMHDM-A/Consuming this ice cream can trigger a risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction for people with tree nut allergies. Affected is ice cream with an expiration date of March 2027.This ice cream has been sold in New York State at Golden Krust retail stores in Mount Vernon and White Plains, and at Farm Country Supermarket in Queens.Return this ice cream to the place of purchase for a full refund or exchanged it for another flavor. For more information, contact the company at 1-914-441-9598.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/ice-cream-factory-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-almond-vanilla-gnutt-ice-cream#gnutt #icecream #vanilla #almond #treenut #allergy #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWoZkMkTzL/This organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. In healthy individuals, it may cause high fever, severe headache, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, and it can also result in miscarriages or stillbirths among pregnant women. Affected are Peas and Carrot lot 110625 and Mixed Veggies lot 170625.These frozen vegetables were sold in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Florida between July 18 and August 4, 2025.Do not consume these frozen vegetables and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, consumers may contact Endico Potatoes Inc. at 1-800-431-1398.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/endico-potatoes-inc-recalls-25lb-bags-frozen-peas-and-carrots-and-mixed-vegetables-because-possible#endico #frozen #peas #carrots #mixed #vegetables #listeria #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWnSwaD-9r/These products contain easily accessible button cell batteries that, if swallowed by babies and young children, cause internal chemical burns, serious injuries, or death. Affected are models PF-1082, PF-1227, PF-1153, and PF-1084.About 10,100 of these products were sold in the US at All Star Toys in Brooklyn, New York; Home Bargain and One Dollar Only in San Francisco, California; Dollar Mart in Houston, Texas; and Almacenes Colon in Carolina, Puerto Rico from June 2024 through May 2025.Stop using these Lite-Up Torches and Mini Laser Pointers, keep them out of children’s reach, and contact MTC Trading at 1-650-866-4800 or by email at mtcmans@gmail.com for a full refund. To obtain the refund, you must email a photo confirming disposal of the recalled products. Then, dispose of these button batteries at your local hazardous waste disposal center.https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Party-Favors-Lite-Up-Torches-and-Laser-Pointers-Recalled-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Inju

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWmdz0jZrc/These motors have a defective safety cutoff switch allows overheating and electrical fires. Affected are gable- and roof-mounted model numbers DOW-136-0-34-XIN, DOW-136-0-26-XIN, DOW-136-0-40-XIN, DOW-136-0-40-XIN-3/4”, and D-RE-PSC-127/20-4P1SP.About 2.9 million units were sold in the US at retailers and wholesalers including ABC Supply, Lowe’s, and Beacon both in-store and online from August 2003 through December 2013.Immediately stop running these recalled motors and contact Air Vent at 1-877-247-4878 or by email at info@powermaxmotorrecall.expertinquiry.com for a refund. You must complete the online registration and verification form and submit photos of the attic fan motor to the email.https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Electric-Motors-for-Gable-and-Roof-Mounted-Attic-Fans-Recalled-Due-to-Fire-Hazard-Distributed-by-Air-Vent#airvent #attic #fans #shortcircuit #fires #burns #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWln1VjF6X/Capacitors inside these units burst, eject parts at high speed, and create a serious projectile hazard that leads to user or bystander injuries. Affected are models RY142300 and RY142711VNM.About 764,000 pressure washers were sold in the US and about 16,000 were sold in Canada at Home Depot and Direct Tools Factory Outlet stores nationwide as well as online at homedepot.com and directtoolsoutlet.com from July 2017 through June 2024.Stop using these recalled pressure washers and go to ryobitools.com/recall to check if your unit is affected. If so, you will receive a free repair kit which includes a replacement capacitor, shipping, and installation instructions. Proof of purchase is not required. For more information, contact TTI Outdoor Power Equipment at 1-800-597-9624 or by email at Recall@ryobitools.com.https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/TTI-Outdoor-Power-Equipment-Recalls-RYOBI-Pressure-Washers-Due-to-Projectile-Hazard-Risk-of-Serious-Injury#ryobi #pressure

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWknWtjnEx/Their automatic closing mechanisms are dangerously defective and prevent the gate from closing with risks of falls, serious injuries, and death.  These carabiners were sold individually and in packs including the Nimbus Lock 3 Pack, Locker Draw KS, Energy CR3 Pack, and Energy Nova Pack. About 12,600 carabiners were sold in the US and about 2,100 were sold in Canada at REI, Portland Mountain Shop, How Not 2, and other stores nationwide, as well as online through Camp-usa.com, Backcountry.com, Amazon.com, REI.com, Mountainshop.net, and Hownot2.com from January 2024 through July 2025.Stop using these recalled Nimbus Lock Carabiners and contact C.A.M.P. at 1-877-421-2267 or by email at warranties@camp-usa.com to participate in the recall. You will need to complete the recall form at camp-usa.com/nimbus-lock-safety-recall-registration-form, print a prepaid return shipping label, and send back the product. C.A.M.P. will inspect the returned carabiners and either shi