Stacy Shaw
Pediatrician Gail Dolan of Bristow Pediatrics believes in wellness care and wants to keep families healthy this winter. While there is no cure for the common cold, she offers insight on how to stay healthy during cold and flu season. “The biggest thing that we do is we keep our hands clean, and we keep them out of our faces. The biggest way we spread germs is by touching things and putting them by our mouths,” said Dr. Dolan. But, she does not recommend over using anti-bacteria soaps as they can kill necessary bacteria indiscriminately. “Soap and water is all you need. Antibacterial, we don’t recommend; because when we use anti bacterial preparations, we actually weed out some of our good bacteria that helps to keep us well.” Dolan said the overuse of anti-bacterials could lead to negative effects, such as causing individuals to develop allergies or even autoimmune disease, in which the immune system attacks itself. This occurs because bacterium is essential to our body’s natural system. Since children’s bodies are in the process of developing their immune systems, they are especially susceptible having them compromised. For the same reasons, Dr. Dolan does not suggest the overuse of antibiotics, which compromise immune systems for the individual by killing off bacteria in the body. “The overuse of antibiotics can have long lasting effects. As a population we’re starting to see more food allergies,” Dolan said. She even suggests buying organic fruits and vegetable if they do not have thick peels, since pesticides can kill off “good” bacteria the body requires. However, beyond soap and water, there are other ways to ward off colds and influenza strains. Dr. Dolan suggests that people, including busy moms, get 6-8 hours of sleep; eat their fruits and vegetables, especially those containing vitamin C; and exercise at least one hour a day. “’Get proper exercise.’ This tends to go by the way side during the holidays,” said Dolan, who is a big proponent of making healthy lifestyle choices. When it comes to children, however, Dolan said parents should expect them to catch illnesses; it is how they develop their immune systems. But that doesn’t mean that mom and dad will get sick, caring for their young ones. “We don’t always get everything that they’ve get, because we’ve already seen it. You don’t always get everything that your kids gets," Dolan said. While parents should not panic every time a child is sick, because it is part of growing up, there are exceptions, such children who suffer who have compromised health. Those children and newborns will need to see a doctor immediately if they have a fever. However, well children can experience a fever for 24-48 hours before being seen by a doctor. She also suggests parents gage how the fever, which is a normal response to an illness, is affecting their child.
She tells parents it not a certain body temperature in and of itself that is dangerous, but how the child responds to that temperature. “The more important questions are: can they keep fluids down, are they awake and interactive, are they acting somewhat like themselves?” Dolan said. Though colds cannot be prevented; the flu can be, and Dr. Dolan highly recommends children and adults all receiving the flu shot. It keeps the individual from getting the latest strain of the flu, while building up her resistance against that strain, which may also protect her in the future. While some years the flu strain is mild, other years it can be extremely potent, like H1N1 or “Swine Flu” a few years back. The scientists working on the newest flu vaccine can only guess by strain was prevalent in the southern hemisphere during the summer months and how strong that strain will be. However, the flu can be more of a threat than most people realize, since having influenza puts a person at a higher risk for other illnesses such as pneumonia, sinus infections and meningitis. There are multiple ways to protect against illnesses on the horizon, but Dr. Dolan cautions against buying every vitamin and elixir on the pharmacy shelves. Instead she offers some common sense advice. “If you are not healthy, stay home. Don’t send your kids to school to infect their classmates and neighbors,” said Dolan. Germs, which generally spread three feet through coughing and sneezing, only last 24-48 hours. Therefore, when sick people stay home, they help keep the rest of the community healthy. Bristow Pediatrics opened in September of 2012 and is located in Bristow Center, the Harris Teeter shopping center on the corner of Linton Hall Road and Route 28/Nokesville Road in Bristow. Dr. Dolan is accepting new patients. Parents can call 571-379-4246 or visit the Bristow Pediatrics website:
www.bristowpediatrics.com.
