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Lots of people get the flu, but what do you do? Here are some tips:
- Drink lots of fluids. Juice, water, and soup are great ways to get fluids in. But avoid caffeinated drinks, which won’t hydrate you as well.
- Get plenty of sleep. If you can't sleep anymore, keep resting. Listen to music, watch a movie, or read a book or magazine.
- If you're feeling achy, ask your parent for some medicine. But avoid aspirin because it can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome (say: ry sin-drome).
- Wear layers. You might be cold one minute and hot the next, so if you wear plenty of layers you can pull your favorite sweatshirt on and off.
- Wash your hands! You don't want to spread the germs that cause the flu. Also, don't share cups and eating utensils, like forks and spoons, with anyone.
Most of the time you will get better in about a week, but it's important to let your parents know if you have trouble breathing, your muscles really hurt, you feel confused, or if you start feeling worse at any time. These could be signs that you need to see your doctor again.
And next time, get the flu vaccine so that you're less likely to get the flu!
Sports Safety All sports have a risk of injury. In general, the more contact there is in a sport, the greater the risk of injury. Most injuries occur to ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Only about 5 % of sports injuries involve broken bones. However, the areas where bones grow in children are at more risk of injury during the rapid growth of puberty. As always, call our office if you have additional questions or concerns.
To Reduce Injury:
Wear the right gear - Players should wear appropriate protective equipment such as pads (neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, chest, knee, and shin), helmets, mouthpiece, face guards, wrist guards, protective cups, and/or eyewear.
Increase flexibility - Stretching exercises before or after games can increase flexibility.
Strengthen muscles - Conditioning exercises during practice and before games strengthens muscles used in play.
Avoid heat injury - Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after exercise or play. Cold water is fine for rehydration the night before, the day of play, and after play. Flavored sports drinks that are low in sugar may stimulate a child to drink more. Fruit juices and sodas should be avoided as they contain too much sugar. Wear light clothing and expose as much of the skin as possible for evaporation of sweat. Stop the activity if there is pain or signs of heat exhaustion (confused, dizzy, nauseated, sleepy, faint, or weak).
After a Sports Injury: When to See a Doctor As a rule, a child who has the following symptoms or conditions should see the doctors if:
- Symptoms do not go away after rest and home treatment.
- Any condition affects performance or training, that has not been diagnosed or treated by a doctor.
- Any condition might be a risk to other teammates or competitors.
- The injury is acute (i.e. sprains strains, fractures, dislocations, torn cartilage, and bruises).
- There is joint swelling, locking, or instability; visible deformity or mass in arms, legs, or other joints; inability to fully move a joint, arm, or leg; inability to stand or walk; back or neck pain, numbness, weakness, or pain that runs down the arm or leg; pain that does not go away; or pain that disrupts daily activity or sleep.
- The injury is from overuse which can have subtle symptoms and occur over time (i.e. tendonitis; shin splints; stress fractures; or Little League elbow).
- The localized swelling gets worse over time; pain, swelling, stiffness gets in the way of activity; pain or other symptoms do not go away even with rest, ice, or pain medicines.
- There are any medical injuries or illnesses (i.e. concussion, fever, skin infection, or heat injury).
Warnings and Recalls
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