By http://www.wbay.com/content/bios/412833783.html" rel="nofollow - Aisha Morales |
Posted: Mon 3:55 PM, Mar 26, 2018
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Updated: Mon 5:22 PM, Mar 26, 2018
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) -
Another type of flu is making its way into emergency rooms and clinics.
Hospitals in our area are seeing a rise in people with the GI flu
otherwise known as the stomach flu. It's different from influenza as it
affects your stomach.
Doctor Bob Zemple with BayCare Clinic said the colder days are to
blame for more cases since more people are still inside spreading this
contagious virus.
“Because it involves the GI system, you'll see things
like nausea, vomiting, have some cramping, sometimes you won't be able
to keep things down very well, you'll see things pass through quicker
than they should,” said Dr. Zemple who is an Emergency Medicine
Physician with BayCare Clinic.
Dr. Zemple said you can get it from anyone. If
you're taking care of a child with the stomach flu, doctors say you're
more at risk, so keeping surfaces at home clean is key.
Physician Assistant for Bellin Health, Eric
Adams, said they too have seen several cases over the last two weeks. He
stresses the importance of washing your hands.
“Hand hygiene is going to be number one, obviously if you're
preparing your own food, or preparing food for someone else, make sure
you're washing your hands before and even several times during, if you
go out to eat, again it's hard to say is it stomach flu or food
poisoning, but still hand hygiene,” said Adams.
Doctor Zemple said with the stomach flu, watch
what you eat, avoid salty or spicy foods, and more importantly, see a
doctor if you think it's something more severe.
“The problem though is again is significant
fluid loss, and what you don't want to do is miss this for another
ongoing process that could be fatal, like appendicitis, or the small
bowel obstruction, or an infection that's caused by a bad bacteria, and
those are the kinds of things that require more intervention that
prevent people from getting worse or dying,” said Dr. Zemple.
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