What's Going Around

Stomach flu and sinusitis are what local doctors are busy treating this week.

Nurse Practitioner Linda Eckerson at DeWitt Family Medicine, a partner of McLaren Greater Lansing, is treating patients with viral gastroenteritis, commonly known as stomach flu.

Symptoms include: diarrhea, with or without nausea, and vomiting. You will likely also lose your appetite, be tired, and have a fever. Stomach flu often starts with a mild fever and vomiting.

There isn't really an effective treatment for stomach flu; you usually must let it run its course. You should drink lots of fluids, take Motrin or Tylenol for fever, and increase solid foods as tolerated.

Eckerson is also seeing patients with sinus infections or sinusitis this week.

The main symptoms are: facial pain or pressure, stuffiness, nasal discharge, loss of smell, cough, and congestion. You may also have fever, bad breath, fatigue or dental pain.

Try a nasal saline spray or nasal irrigation. Also, take a decongestant, apply a warm compress, drink fluids and rest.

If those home remedies don't bring relief in a day or two, see your doctor. Bacterial and fungal sinus infections usually require antibiotics or antifungal therapy, so home treatments aren't usually successful.



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