The University of Vermont Medical Center HealthSource family blog is your leading source for family articles, information and tips from healthcare industry experts. Read through a collection family articles on a variety of topics such as infertility, child medication, road safety, bullying and more. The HealthSource family blog features an array of regular authors and contributors from the medical world including doctors, nutritionists, nurse practitioners and healthcare experts.
2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic, known more infamously as the “Spanish flu.” That pandemic killed 675,000 Americans and more than 50 million people globally. Since then, efforts to improve flu preparedness have changed significantly. Yet, flu still affects more than 3 million people in the US every year and it […]
It’s Fire Prevention Awareness this October. It’s a great time to review common hazards and tips. For more information please watch our video. Fire Hazard #1: Outlets Full of Cords Our Concern: There is an outlet overloaded with cords near the radiator and long curtains. Suggestions: Power bars with surge protectors are a good alternative […]
Learn more about flu prevention. Jason Kirchick knows first-hand just how serious the flu can be. In 2014, he contracted the H1N1 influenza virus and became critically ill. So ill in fact that doctors at the UVM Medical Center placed him in an induced coma for two months. It was a long road to recovery. […]
Bullying. For a long time it was seen as part of growing up, something unpleasant, but ultimately an experience children recover from. Now, new research shows that bullying can actually have long-lasting effects similar to emotional, verbal and physical abuse. This is a big shift in our thinking on bullying. Here are three new ways […]
Bats are linked to human rabies cases. Forty-two of the 52 human cases of rabies in the U.S. between 1990 and 2016 were due to rabies from bats. While we see rabies in bats across the US, including Vermont, most bats do not have rabies. In Vermont, only 5 percent of bats have it. The […]
September 28 is World Rabies Day. This day marks a global health observance that works to promote the prevention of rabies and the dangers it entails. While rabies is preventable, it is still as a large danger to pets and humans every year. What is Rabies? When we think of rabies, we typically think of getting […]
Every year the Northern New England Poison Center helps patients who have become sick after misidentifying mushrooms that they picked to eat. Among NNEPC cases, mistakes made while foraging are the second most common cause of serious mushroom poisonings, behind only people who get sick after taking psychedelic mushrooms on purpose. And foraging mistakes don’t […]
National Suicide Prevention Week occurs this year from September 9-15, including World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10. This is an important time to focus attention on what remains a serious public health concern that all too frequently remains hidden. Here are some myths and facts about suicide that are important to remember: MYTH: Suicide […]
In January of 2017, Anya Koutras, MD, packed her bags and traveled to Ddegaya, Uganda for the first time. Ddegaya is a rural town five hours south of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. In Ddegaya, Anya volunteered at Engeye, a non-profit health clinic for the surrounding rural community. First Day in Uganda On Anya Koutras’ […]
Did you know that 1 in 3 people will develop shingles at some point during their lifetime? In the United States, there are an estimated 200,000 cases of shingles documented every year. While prevented by vaccination, it is important to know how to avoid the virus. Read this article to learn more about shingles and […]
