Health

Summer Stomach Flu Hits Locally

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― The stomach flu is kind of the generic term for those short-lived bouts of nausea, vomitting, and diarrhea.

Kids with more severe symptoms are actually ending up in the Children's Hospital emergency department, for example, Charlene Thevenin Crissman's son.

"By 7:00 o'clock he started throwing up for over two hours, and it was worrying me. And it was straight throw up," describes Crissman of Ford City. "It was the fluids more than anything. I was worried about that because he didn't have very much in him."

Whether it's a viral infection, or bacteria producing toxins -- the symptoms are the same.

"Lots of kids coming in with vomiting and diarrhea, nothing out of the ordinary about that, but a little more than we would typically see this time of year," says Dr. Ray Pitetti, an emergency room physician at Children's Hospital.

While it happens year round, some summer activities, like travel and picnics, make it prime time for this kind of illness, called gastroenteritis.

"We have seen a few kids coming in after camping, for instance," Dr. Pitetti adds. "They've been swimming in the stream, they're swimming in the ponds or the lakes, and these are the kids we worry about getting camper's diarrhea, traveler's diarrhea..."

Most of the time, some TLC at home is all you need.

"It's really all about hydration...making sure the child is pushing fluids, peeing adequately, they look okay and their energy level is all right," says Dr. Pitetti, who urges parents to watch for signs of something more serious. "If it starts to turn bloody, or really mucusy, they need to be seen by a physician..."

To keep from getting sick, keep hot foods hot, cold foods cold, thoroughly cook meat products, and wash away viruses by washing your hands frequently.

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