How to tell the difference between RSV, COVID and the flu in kids

If you’ve been watching the news, you probably would have seen that cases of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) are on the rise, earlier than expected this year. WIth COVID, the flu and other respiratory illnesses also circulating, how can we possibly tell the difference between them?

Here are a few helpful tips in determining what your child might be coming down with. Of course, this does not take the place of receiving medical attention.

RSV: congestion, cough, runny nose, fever, sneezing, wheezing, decreased appetite

COVID: congestion, cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, body aches, decrease in smell or taste, diarrhea, vomiting

FLU: congestion, runny nose, fever, sore throat, body aches, fatigue, nausea/diarrhea/vomiting (sometimes), headache, cough that gets worse

It’s possible to be infected with more than one virus at the same time. Medical doctors are able to perform a test in their office to determine if the child is experiencing the flu or RSV. Even if a child has a negative covid test but is showing symptoms, they should remain home, resting, and consuming plenty of fluids.

Head to the emergency room or your doctor’s office immediately if your child is refusing to eat, not urinating and having a hard time breathing (loud breaths, wheezing or struggling to inhale), or if their fever is going on more than four days.

If you’re curious about their lungs, or a cough that’s been holding on for weeks, I am happy to assess their breathing and lungs in their next appointment.

Top Tips for Cold Season

It’s here, it’s amongst us! Cold and flu season has already started and we are seeing a host of different viruses circulating. We know that certain things can leave us more vulnerable to getting sick. And if you have kids in school or daycare, you’ve probably been witnessing a runny nose since the first day back.

Here are a few things I would recommend (and the reasons why) as we enter the cooler months.

1. Hydration is important in nourishing our mucous membranes. Water, tea, broth, juices, whatever your cup of tea is, get liquids into you, all day.

2. Consider your gut and oral microbiomes. For your gut, eat prebiotic foods like sweet potatoes, chia and garlic. For your mouth, flossing isn’t just to reduce plaque build up. Keeping our gums and teeth healthy affects our immune system. Support it by swishing your mouth with a little salt water, and then brushing your gums and teeth daily. Include a little floss. Nothing too fancy!

3. Moving helps to improve your lymphatic system flow. Support your lymph and immune system by moving, dancing. deep breathing or exercising at a moderate level, daily.

4. Sleep.

5. Magic socks! Wet a thin pair of socks in cool water, wring them out and put them on your feet. Then, but a thick pair of wool socks over them, then go to sleep. The body will want to heat the socks up, using the circulatory system to do so. Spiking a lymph response, the body will drain congestion in areas that are holding onto mucous. It really works and is safe for kids!

6. Consider doing two minutes of conscious deep breathing a day. This can help improve lung capacity and help you manage stress just a little better.

Oh! And I’m starting to accept new patients. Since my daughter has been in daycare a little more consistently now, I have room in my schedule to open another day of the week in my practice. Feel free to pass along my info to any of your family who might benefit from manual osteopathy. I truly appreciate your support!

Osteopathy for Babies

Manual Osteopathy can have a wide range of benefits for children, as soon as they take their first breath of air.

You might be thinking, why could a baby possibly need manual therapy? There are a few key reasons!

1. The labour and delivery process can be quite traumatic for birth person and babe. Regardless of how the birth unfolds, it’s really important that the baby has a thorough examination within the first couple of days/month to support proper development, sleep/digestive concerns and consider any red flags.

2. A Manual Osteopath will take time with your babe to determine foetal positioning (the position most favored in the womb) and adjust any patterns that could potentially lead to imbalances as they grow.

3. A Manual Osteopath will address cranial concerns, specifically looking at the cranial bones, to make sure there isn’t any compression on the cranial nerves that could cause issues with sight, digestion, smell, colic and more.

Pediatric Manual Osteopathy can help support a newborn body as they ease into this scary world. Having a trained professional on your side as you navigate the first few months as new parents can be invaluable!

Not sure if Pediatric Manual Osteopathy is right for your little one? Give me a call! (613)983-1899.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Did you catch episode 14 of The One Body Wellness Podcast?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is very often misdiagnosed, and misguided. This condition is specifically due to an overuse and repetitive strain style injury in the wrist, and specifically affecting the median nerve through the carpal tunnel. The main cause of carpal tunnel syndrome or median nerve compression, is repetitive motions over a long period of time. People who work at a desk, on a computer, people who work with electronics, in a factory doing repetitive movements even massage therapists. As well, when stress is associated with these movements, so if you’re working and highly stressed, or consistently stressed, your chances of developing a receptive strain injury increase.

If you listen to this episode and think you might be suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, don’t hesitate to email me.

I am now offering virtual services! Call me at (613)983-1899 or email me at nicole@onebodywellness.ca if you’re looking for Manual Osteopathy services.

Seasonal Allergies on The One Body Wellness Podcast

Are you part of the lucky 30% of Canadians who suffer from seasonal allergies? With so many allergy sufferers, the conversation around environmental irritants is definitely an important one to have.

So, let’s talk about seasonal allergies. You may have noticed that your allergies got worse even earlier this year. Well, isn’t that fun? Emerging from winter and a global pandemic that affects our respiratory system, right into seasonal allergies with similar symptoms, it’s no wonder seasonal allergies is a hot and important topic. From March to September, we must co exist with the trees, grass and weeds that can cause a host of allergy symptoms including congestion, runny nose, loss of smell, itchy eyes, headaches, sneezing and even a rash that is similar to eczema can appear.

So, you have allergies, but how do you manage them in world where you can’t just stay indoors at all times, and that wouldn’t even be good for you anyways, based on dust and other toxins indoors? Well, whenever someone enters my office with seasonal allergy symptoms, I always tend to start with the lymphatic system and the liver. An allergic reaction is an overreaction of the immune system to a certain substance. For example, our allergen specific antibodies, called immunoglobulins, see a pollen overload and are like HARD NO! and they begin to react in ways that become uncomfortable for us to live with.

Sorry to my Ottawa peeps, you live in the Canadian city with the highest pollen count. So it’s no surprise, if you live in the Nation’s capital, you might be on the hunt for relief for your allergy symptoms.

Listen to episode #10 of The One Body Wellness podcast on any podcast listening app for the ways in which I recommend you tackle allergy symptoms and reach out if you have another other questions!

Lyme Disease on The One Body Wellness Podcast

Check out episode 9 on The One Body Wellness Podcast!

Lyme disease comes from black-legged ticks, and it is a bacterial infection. The infection itself is in the shape of a spiral, so it tends to ease itself into areas of our body with grace, no effort at all. The majority of people who get lyme disease don’t remember being bitten by a tick nor do they have a bullseye rash show up, alerting them they’ve been bitten.

As Manual Osteopath, I help address somatic dysfunctions, including cognitive function and the nervous system. As practitioners, we owe it to our patients to always sit in the learners seat. There are no experts on lyme, but lyme literate professionals that are constantly learning about this disease.

Consider false negatives, and addressing lyme based on certain symptoms even if tests are negative, can help outcomes.

My question for you is, instead of fearing lyme and ticks, how can we be symbiotic with nature, to co-exist, and to protect ourselves, and the environment in the meantime?

https://www.onebodywellness.ca/podcast

The One Body Wellness Podcast

Hello Community! It’s been a minute.

I have had to make a few shifts in my offerings due to this pandemic. So, I’ve started a podcast!

Tune into The One Body Wellness Podcast on any app, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, where I will throwing condensed doses of health info at you. As well, I will share the mic with humans experiencing their own health concerns and trauma, and the impact it has on the human spirit to show just how resilient we truly are.

We all have a beautiful health history. Feeling connected to others who might be experiencing similar concerns as you, or learning more about the human body within which you live, can be very empowering.

Follow us on instagram for more health and wellness information and start a conversation with Nicole. @one.body.wellness

If you have a specific health concern you’d like Nicole to address on this podcast, or you’d like to be a guest, reach out!

Reminding you to inhale, exhale and find peace in your one body wherever you are.

Listen to the first episode of The One Body Wellness Podcast here! And don’t forget to subscribe (and rate!) my podcast so that you never miss an episode.

What is Energy and How is it Affected by Grief?

Energy is our life force that is unseen, unheard and untouched. It is the vitality and spark within us that allows us to function on a physical level and process on an intuitive level. Our energy is affected by what we think, feel, hear, eat and do. It is also affected by others.

There are two types of energetic disturbances. Congestion is an accumulation of energy that doesn’t serve us well. And depletion is a deficiency of energy. These disturbances can be specific to a certain area of the body or on a systemic level. When they accumulate or go unnoticed, they can negatively start to impact the body in a physical way. Negative emotions or energy do not cause a problem themselves, but it is our resistance to feeling these emotions where physical manifestation begins. It is not so much our experiences, but our thoughts about them that cause suffering.

What happens to our body when we avoid working through difficult emotions, like grief?

• Our muscles get tight and resist our nervous system response to relax.

• We start to develop musculoskeletal weakness and injury.

• We become dehydrated, lose our appetite, feel nauseous.

• We start to create new realities that take energy and stamina, creating fatigue.

• Our sleep starts to become affected.

• Depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts may occur.

Grief causes inflammation in the body. This means, when we experience grief, we are more vulnerable to viral and bacterial infection. Grief causes stress, which can increase blood pressure and put us at risks for blood clots. From an osteopathic perspective, it is no surprise that we are currently experiencing a pandemic that is centered around, and weakens, our lungs and blood vessels. This is exactly where grief lies.

Grief not only comes from loss of a loved one. We have been grieving our earth and destructive practices for years. For example, in 2019, we saw the beautiful Amazon rainforest, the “lungs” of our earth, suffer through extreme wild fires. We are grieving the loss of lived experiences and our past lives during this pandemic. We are watching hatred, anger, abuse of power and control be idolized in people who hold positions of power.

Grief is all around us, and the COVID-19 pandemic that we are currently experiencing has truly demonstrated our absolute urgency in needing to gather tools to help us process and move through grief. Here is a suggested list of ways to handle grief. These things should not take place of trauma therapy and loss counseling.

• Exercise outdoors. Being in nature helps us breathe easier and vitamin D is essential.

• Instead of trying to avoid the “negative”, simply add in more “positives”. For example, fill up on veggies to nourish your body.

• Sleep is your main priority during times of grief. Do everything in your power to prioritize it.

• Read about grief to connect with parts of yourself that are hard to express with words.

• Be around others who don’t minimize your process and who support it fully.

• Be gentle with your process. There is no timeline on grief, and waves can come years later. Ride the wave, move through what you are feeling and let it empower you.

• Deep breathing helps us develop a calmness and control we may feel we have lost.

• Seek out a therapist that works specifically with grief, trauma and loss.