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Updated: 3:26 PM Nov 19, 2009
What's Going Around 11-18
The Valley In this week's What's Going Around, ever heard that someone's mood can be contagious? With shorter days and cooler temperatures, a Valley doctor says seasonal affective disorder has more and more people feeling blue.
Posted: 11:53 PM Nov 18, 2009Reporter: Haley Harrison Email Address: hharrison@whsv.com |
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In this week's What's Going Around, ever heard that someone's mood can be contagious? With shorter days and cooler temperatures, a Valley doctor says seasonal affective disorder has more and more people feeling blue.
Dr. Greg Jesteadt at Harrisonburg Family Practice says there are several treatments for seasonal depression that work and several that don't work.
"One of the things that's been sold to people a lot in recent years is these little light boxes that they can put their face in front of," says Jesteadt. "That actually does not work very well. It works for about a week with some minimal to modest benefit and then the benefits go away to great expense to the consumer."
Jesteadt suggests a basic anti-depressant instead.
At Waynesboro Pediatrics, Dr. Melissa Hostetter says she's been treating cases of viral gastroenteritis. The best medicine she says is plenty of fluids and rest but no antibiotics.
A steady decline in H1N1 virus cases continued this week but don't relax just yet.
"We have a two humped camel this year, really. The regular seasonal flu is going to hit probably, like the last two years, in January or February. So while this is going away or even catching more steam, the second wave is going to hit and it's going to be overwhelming," says Jesteadt.
Jesteadt says influenza viruses transmit better when it's cold. For that reason, he says H1N1 may be waiting for a comeback.
Latest Comments
I'm really wondering who this doc is who says "One of the things that's been sold to people a lot in recent years is these little light boxes that they can put their face in front of," says Jesteadt. "That actually does not work very well. It works for about a week with some minimal to modest benefit and then the benefits go away to great expense to the consumer." This is tragic misinformation. Check out Dr Norman Rosenthal's book "Winter Blues". THIS doc has dedicated years to the study of SAD and had proof that it IS very effective.



