Whelehans Health Blog

Nasal Flu Vaccines now free for teenagers   Last week, the HSE announced that they will offer the Nasal flu vaccine free to teenagers. So now Children 2 to 17 can get the flu vaccine free. There are no availability issues with the kid’s flu vaccine. For convenience you can book the free children’s vaccine online on the Whelehans website and it is free of charge. The nasal flu vaccine will only be available until December 31st.   Flu vaccine for children Children are more likely than adults to get severe complications of flu. Children with chronic health conditions are...

Children’s Nutrition Part 1 Different nutrients are needed for a balanced diet. Nutrients are made up of Macronutrients (big) which are essentially carbohydrates, fats and proteins and Micronutrients (small) which are vitamins and minerals. Different foods have different micronutrients and macronutrients. Water Staying hydrated is important to ensure all our nutrients are absorbed properly. Dehydration causes fatigue and lack of concentration. In general, children should aim to drink about 6 to 8 glasses of water per day to in addition to what is obtained through diet i.e. soups Lunch School lunches should be nutritionally balanced, they should include at least...

Head lice Headlice are small insects that feed on blood obtained by biting the scalp.  These bites tend to be itchy and this itchiness is caused by an allergy to the lice. Head lice are transferred by close hair-to-hair contact. They cannot jump, fly or swim, but walk from one hair to another.  It is a misconception that head lice infestation is as a result of dirty hair and poor hygiene.  Head lice can be found in all hair types, long or short, and in hair of any condition.  Prevention There is no way of guaranteeing your child won’t get...

Hearing loss   Signs of hearing loss You probably have hearing loss if any of the following is true: You struggle to hear people in crowds or with any background noise • You have the television turned up too loud for other people • You avoid social occasions because of the pressure in pretending to hear • A loved one keeps telling you that you are not responding • You feel sad because you can no longer socialise with people • You can’t understand why people won’t just speak clearly and stop all that mumbling • You can’t understand children when they speak...

Repetitive Strain Injury (Part 2) This is the conclusion of last week on repetitive strain injuries (RSIs for short).   Examples of repetitive strain injuries As repetitive strain injury is a very broad term. The more common types of RSIs are: Bursitis results from pain in the bursa caused by inflammation. The bursa acts as a cushion between bones, tendons, joints and muscles. Bursae are fluid-filled sacs. Bursitis commonly occurs in the shoulder, knee, elbow, and hip. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by the compression of the median nerve through the carpal tunnel in the wrist area of hand. When...