The Doctors 2010 Health ChallengeLike you saw on our show, my resolution this year is to complete a half-Ironman triathlon! Well … I just had my first official day of training, and boy, do I have my work cut out for me! I’ve got three months to get in shape for a 1¼ mile swim, followed by a 56 mile bike ride, topped off by a half-marathon. Sounds like a lot -- and I HAVE...

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We made a special trip to visit some kids that could really use some extra Christmas cheer!  I donned the red suit and Travis, Drew and Lisa were my "helpers" as we delivered gifts to the children staying at the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Los Angeles.   I know it's no fun being in the hospital any time, but it's especially not fun over Christmas. Shriners Hospitals mainly serve under-privileged kids, so I know most...

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This Sunday, I will have the honor of serving as Grand Marshal for the 15th annual DSALA Buddy Walk. This is such a great event that helps raise awareness for Down syndrome and support for those born with it, like my youngest brother, Stephen. This is a really big event, with thousands attending every year! This makes me a little nervous (actually, a lot nervous!) since I need to give a little 5-minute speech and...

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What’s going around? A lot of myths about the H1N1 virus!We’ve all been inundated with a lot of information regarding the H1N1 flu (also referred to as swine flu), and it can be hard to know what to believe. I must admit, even I have found it confusing to sift through all the headlines and the hype. And, of course, there are all those e-mails floating around warning of government conspiracies, pharmaceutical greediness and toxic...

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Wow! Today's episode was pretty heated!  I have to tell you that I was totally exhausted, mentally, after this show.  I am soooo tired of not getting an answer to the debate over vaccines and autism.  A lot of valid points were made from both sides in this show, but I'm sure most parents out there are still wondering if it's best to vaccinate or not.  While I'm not going to get into all the...

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When you’re talking to your kids about embarrassing health issues, keep these things in mind:1. It may be far more embarrassing for you than it is for them, so try to talk in a way that communicates “this is no big deal -- nothing to be embarrassed about,” and you will be much more effective. Pretend you are simply talking to your kids about what they had for lunch at school, how their soccer practice...

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Well, after my CT scan, all I can say is a great big, “PHEW!” and, “WHOOHOO!” It is soooo great to get good news from the specialists. I know a lot of you have been concerned, and I thank you for your emails and well wishes. But now we all know that I have NOTHING to worry about. Yes, I do have a small blind spot in my lower peripheral visual field, but it is...

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Steps for Preventing SIDS It’s so important to make the crib environment safer for a baby. It’s really important because, while sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) deaths have dropped dramatically since the recommendation to have infants sleep on their backs, rising numbers of infants are harmed from suffocation or strangulation in the crib!Never purchase an antique or used crib or bassinet. There could be missing hardware that causes it to collapse. Some older cribs have...

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Hello everyone, Ever since I got an angiogram of my retina to check out a blind spot in my eye, I have received a TON of emails and letters from concerned viewers wanting to know if I’m okay. A lot of you were just as shocked as I was when we heard the ophthalmologist say the words that one hopes to never hear, “We need to rule out a brain tumor!” I have said those...

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Just a quick THANKS to all of you who have sent in questions for us docs!  It’s really great to see what things you’re curious about, and the “Ask the Doctors” segments are my favorite part of the show.  In today’s show, I gave a few tips about teething.  I wanted to reiterate my point about not blaming a high fever on teething.  Sure, teething can make a baby a little fussy and maybe run...

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I demand a rematch! Today’s fitness episode was a ton of fun! I hope you got to see that all of us are soooo passionate about staying active … It’s so important to have activity as part of your lifestyle. The healthiest and most long-lived people often have careers that involve activity; look at the fishermen and farmers on the island of Okinawa, Japan. Their life IS activity … they are simply moving ALL day...

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One of the best things I have done for myself was losing 50 pounds a few years ago. Sure, it was tough to do ... but well worth it in terms of my health. But, as you heard me mention on the show today, a few of those pounds have founds their way back! I didn't really see it coming ... I guess I just haven't been as active since the show started... First, I...

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This episode was really fun! We tackled a bunch of your embarrassing questions, which is one of my favorite episodes so far! True story: not 15 minutes after the producers said they wanted to discuss lice on the show, I got a call that my 10-year-old son had ... you guessed it: LICE! Perfect! I told the producers that I’ve got the perfect “guest” for the show. You saw us both get treated at Hair Fairies,...

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It’s NOT a spider bite! The episode about antibiotic resistance and MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) brought up an important point that I just wanted to re-iterate and emphasize: If you or your child has a spider bite, unless you actually saw the spider bite you, it probably is NOT a spider bite! It is much more likely to be a Staph infection. You saw on the show how serious these can be, but most...

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Halloween is a fun time of year for kids. They get to dress up as their favorite character, go trick-or-treating and eat candy. But there can be hidden dangers for children as well. Dr. Sears offers the following guidelines so parents can insure their children’s safety during this festive holiday. Make sure your child’s costumes are safe: • Makeup should be non-toxic so it doesn’t cause skin irritation or rashes • Costumes need to be...

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On yesterday’s show, we touched on a very complex and confusing subject that all parents are faced with — childhood vaccines. So many parents have questions about the safety of vaccines, yet nobody wants to go back to the days before vaccines, when thousands of children would die each year from these now preventable illnesses. One of our guests was a mother whose child had been damaged by a vaccine, and unfortunately, there are many...

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Daddy Boot Camp:  Today’s episode was a fun look at what new dads are facing when a baby is on the way.  I think it is sooo important for dads to get involved with bonding when baby arrives.  Mom has the advantage for all the early bonding time with her mothering hormones and the breastfeeding. Dads sometimes have to make an extra effort because it might not come naturally. In the opening chapter of my book, “Father’s...

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