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Howard G. Smith, M.D. is a former radio medical editor and talk show host in the Boston Metro area. His "Medical Minute" of health and wellness news and commentary was a regular weekday feature on WBZ-AM, WRKO-AM, and WMRE-AM. His popular two-way talk show, Dr. Howard Smith OnCall, was regularly heard Sunday morning and middays on WBZ.

Dr. Smith has adopted audio and video podcasting as conduits for HEALTH NEWS YOU SHOULD USE. Based on the latest medical, health, and wellness literature these reports provide practical information you can use to keep yourself and your family healthy. Many reports have video versions, and Dr. Smith’s YouTube Channel may be found at: http://bit.ly/2rNw6XQ

Trained at Harvard Medical School and a long-time faculty member at Boston Children’s Hospital, he practiced Pediatric Otolaryngology for 40 years in Boston, Southern California, and in central Connecticut.  He is now based in New York City.

If you have questions or suggestions about this content, please email the doctor at drhowardsmith.reports@gmail.com or leave him a message at 516-778-8864.  His website is: www.drhowardsmith.com.

Please note that the news, views, commentary, and opinions that Dr. Smith provides are for informational purposes only. Any changes that you or members of your family contemplate making to lifestyle, diet, medications, or medical therapy should always be discussed beforehand with personal physicians who have been supervising your care.

Jan 30, 2020

 

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/BmPJ8Abr5uY

 

Only 5% of children and teens with chronic fatigue syndrome, technically known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, ever receive a proper diagnosis.  Investigators from DePaul University and the Lurie Chicago Children’s Hospital studied a random group of over 10,100 kids 5 to 17 years.

 

The reasons affected children aren’t identified includes poor healthcare access but also provider misconception that this disease is not a genuine condition.  With an estimated 51 million children and teens in the US this year, 3.8 million have this disorder but 3.6 million go undiagnosed.

 

A child with sleep problems and lightheadedness when standing for 6 months or more should be evaluated.

 

Leonard A. Jason, Ben Z. Katz, Madison Sunnquist, Chelsea Torres, Joseph Cotler, Shaun Bhatia. The Prevalence of Pediatric Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in a Community-Based Sample. Child & Youth Care Forum, 2020; DOI: 10.1007/s10566-019-09543-3

 

https://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/tables/pop1.asp

 

https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/me-cfs-children/children-symptoms-diagnosis.html

 

#chronicfatiguesyndrome #pediatrics #underdiagnosis #myalgicencephalitis