>>>
>>> IN
>>> IN THIS WEEK'S, IT TAKES A VILLAGE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
THE FLU AND THE COLD.
MY FAMILY WAS NOT IMMUNE.
I TURNED TO THE INTERNET AND MY
VILLAGE FOR HELP.
>> Reporter: ALL OF THE OLD
WIVES TALES. GARLIC EVERYWHERE.
I WASN'T GOING TO TRUST ANY OF
THOSE REMEDIES.
THOSE REMEDIES. I TURNED TO OUR VILLAGE AND
HERE IS WHAT SOME OF YOU SAID.
BECKY SAYS LOTS OF SNUGGLES,
HUMIDIFIERS AND SHOWERS.
KAREN SAYS WASH, WASH, WASH
THOSE HANDS AND JENNY SAYS
ALTERNATE IBUPROFEN AND TOLAN
ALL EVERY 4- 6 HOURS WITH LOTS
OF LIQUIDS, SOFT FOODS AND
GATORADE EXCELLENT TO KEEP AND
BALANCE.
BALANCE.
BALANCE. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS
AND CONCERNS.
AND CONCERNS. >> WE DID FOLLOW YOUR ADVICE
AND WE ARE BOTH ON THE MEND.
THE DOCTOR IS HERE.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
>>> IT IS THAT TIME OF THE YEAR
THAT WE ARE SEEING COLDS,
COUGHS, STOMACH VIRUSES AND
INFLUENZA.
INFLUENZA. THIS YEAR, WE ARE HAVING KIND
OF AN EARLY ARRIVAL OF THE FLU.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MEANS WE
ARE IN FOR A LONG WINTER BUT IT
IS PROBABLY NOT A GOOD SIGN.
>> IS THIS A NORMAL TIME TO SEE
A SPIKE?
A SPIKE?
A SPIKE? >> EXCEPT FOR THE EARLY ARRIVAL
OF THE FLU, IT IS PRETTY
NORMAL.
NORMAL.
NORMAL. THIS IS WHAT KEEPS ME IN
BUSINESS, LOTS OF WINTER CRUD
GOING AROUND.
GOING AROUND. SO FAIRLY TYPICAL FOR A DAY IN
A PEDIATRIC OFFICE.
>> IS THERE ANY WAY TO TELL IF
THIS IS THE COLD OR THE DREADED
FLU?
FLU?
FLU? >>
FLU? >> A
FLU? >> A COLD, YOU CAN THINK OF IT
AS FROM THE NECK UP. YOU MIGHT
HAVE A RUNNY NOSE OR A SCRATCHY
THROAT.
THROAT.
THROAT. YOU USUALLY DON'T HAVE A BIG
BEAVER OR FEEL ACHY OR
MISERABLE.
MISERABLE. THE FLU HAS ALL OF THOSE OTHER
THINGS, A HIGH FEVER, BODY
ACHES, CHILLS AND SOMETIMES
STOMACH SYMPTOMS. IF I SEE A
KID WITH A HIGH FEVER AND THEY
SAY THAT THEIR LEGS HURT, FOR
EXAMPLE, THAT IS A WEIRD
COMPLAINT FOR A CHILD SO I MAY
PROTEST THAT CARED OR THEY SAY
THEIR BACK HURTS, ANYTHING
WHERE THEY ARE TELLING ME THEIR
BODY HURTS IS A LITTLE
SUSPICIOUS FOR INFLUENZA AND I
WILL SAY THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE
THE FLU IS MATCHING UP PRETTY
WELL THIS YEAR WITH THE FLU
SHOT AND IT IS STILL NOT TOO
LATE TO GET YOUR FLU SHOT EVEN
THOUGH YOU ARE HEARING OF THE
CASE IS ALL AROUND YOU, IT IS
NOT TOO LATE.
>> IF YOU DO THE TEST AND IT
COMES BACK AS POSITIVE, WHAT
CAN YOU DO?
>> WE CAN TREAT PEOPLE WITH AN
ANTIVIRAL MEDICATION, TAMIFLU.
AND THAT CAN SHORTEN THE
ILLNESS AND IT CAN MAKE THE
SYMPTOMS A LITTLE LESS SEVERE
AND MAKE THE PERSON LESS
CONTAGIOUS.
CONTAGIOUS. IT IS NOT HOLY WATER OR A
MIRACLE BUT I HAVE SEEN A LOT
OF GOOD RESULTS FROM PUTTING
PEOPLE ON TAMIFLU EARLY ON AND
THE ONLY REASON TO TEST IS SO
THAT YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS AND
WHAT IT IS NOT. HERE IS THIS
SICK LOOKING KID WITH A HIGH
FEVER AND YOU GET A POSITIVE
PROTEST BACK.
PROTEST BACK. MAYBE IT IS NOT AMMONIA
PNEUMONIA OR SOMETHING I NEED
TO RUN FURTHER TESTS ABOUT.
SOMETIMES KNOWING WHAT IT IS IS
A GOOD THING.
>> WHAT CAN PARENTS DO AT HOME
THAT MIGHT HELP A LITTLE BIT
BEFORE THEY COME AND SEE YOU?
>> I CAN AGREE WITH ALL OF
THOSE THINGS THAT THE BEAVERS
SAID.
SAID.
SAID. YOU
SAID. YOU CAN DRINK LOTS OF FLUIDS
AND GET SOME REST AND THERE IS
GOOD RESEARCH THAT SAYS WHEN
YOU SLEEP, THAT IS WHEN YOUR
BODY DOES ITS BEST JOB OF
FIGHTING AN INFECTION.
IF THE FEVER IS BELOW 102, I
SOMETIMES LET THAT GO.
THAT IS THE BODY'S WAY OF
RIPPING UP THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.
MAYBE SOME TANIA DALL OR
IBUPROFEN TO HELP THE CHILD
FEEL BETTER, THAT MAKES IT MORE
LIKELY THAT THEY WILL DRINK
MORE FLUIDS AND THAT GETS IT
DOWN BY A COUPLE OF DEGREES.
IT'S NOT GOING TO GO ALL THE
WAY DOWN TO 96.
I GET A LOT OF NUMBERS.
IT WAS 102 AND THEN 101 AND
THEN 100.
THEN 100.
THEN 100. FIVE.
FIVE.
FIVE. THAT IS NOT SO IMPORTANT AS HOW
DOES THE KID LOOK?
ARE THEY ABLE TO INTERACT? ARE
THEY DRINKING FLUIDS?
ARE THEY MORE THAN HALFWAY BACK
TO THEIR NORMAL SELF?
>> WHAT ARE RED FLAGS?
>> IF YOU HAVE A CHILD WITH A
HIGH FEVER THAT STARTED
VOMITING, THAT CAN BE CONCERNING
. A KID THAT IS LETHARGIC, IF
YOU WANT AN APPOINTMENT WITH
YOUR PEDIATRICIAN, JUST USE THE
WORD LETHARGIC.
WORD LETHARGIC. THAT IS LIKE A FREE PASS TO
COME AND SEE US OR A KID THAT
IS IRRITABLE AND YOU CANNOT
CALM THEM DOWN OR IF YOUR
PARENT RADAR IS GOING OFF AND
SOMETHING DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT
TO YOU.
TO YOU.
TO YOU. WHAT I DO IS A LOT OF
REASSURANCE, HERE IS WHAT TO
WATCH FOR AND HERE IS WENT TO
COME BACK BUT IT IS VALUABLE
WHEN YOU ARE A PARENT TO BE
REASSURED,