April e-Newsletter: Spring Allergies, Influenza & Zika virus
It’s that time of year again. That beautiful green coating on your car. The sneezing, the runny nose, the coughing, the itchy everything. Spring allergy season has arrived in RVA. If you or your child is an allergy sufferer and hasn’t started taking medicine yet, now is the time to start. For additional information about seasonal allergies and tips on how to best control them, please visit our Seasonal Allergies page in the Resource Library.
What’s New with the Flu?
In addition to tree pollen March has brought us a notable increase in cases of influenza. In just the first week of March we had more confirmed cases of influenza than we had for all of December, January and February. This year’s vaccine is twice as effective as last year’s, and the vast majority of confirmed cases have been unvaccinated individuals. We do expect to be seeing cases of the flu for at least the next month, so it’s not too late to get your child a flu vaccine. We are out of Flumist, but still have flu shots for children 6 months of age and older. If you think your child has the flu, keep them comfortable and hydrated, and consider bringing them in for evaluation. Tamiflu is typically most helpful at shortening the length of symptoms and contagiousness if started in the first 48 hrs of symptoms.
What’s New with Zika Virus?
By now you have probably heard a lot about Zika virus, and possibly a lot of conflicting information. Zika virus is transmitted primarily by mosquito bites. The symptoms of Zika virus infection are typically mild and manageable. Approximately 80% of those infected show no symptoms at all. Those that do have symptoms have some combination of fever, pink eye, rash and joint pain. The greatest concern with Zika virus has been its association with microcephaly (small head and brain) in babies born to mom’s who were infected while pregnant. Research continues to determine how, and if they truly are linked. To read more about Zika virus and ways to minimize your risk of exposure, please visit our Zika virus page in the Resource Library.
Congratulations Dr. Shreve and Dr. Nelson for being voted Top Docs in Richmond Magazine’s annual survey of Richmond area physicians.