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ILLNESS

From managing an illness, to maintaining health, nutrition can help children and adults bounce back and recover.

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ILLNESS

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CHRONIC CONDITIONS

Sick Season? Look to Pedialyte® for Rehydration

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A family drinks Pedialyte to rehydrate during flu season.

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Sick Season? Look to Pedialyte® for Rehydration

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Winter tends to bring more than just cold weather; it also brings a wave of illnesses. And when you’re sick – whether you’re experiencing flu, fever, vomiting or diarrhea – you are more susceptible to dehydration as you lose vital fluids and electrolytes that your body needs.

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Staying Hydrated When Sick: 5 Ways to Help Your Child Get Enough Fluids

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Staying Hydrated When Sick: 5 Ways to Help Your Child Get Enough Fluids

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When your child is sick, it's natural to worry about them — especially if they're not drinking as much as you know they should be. But it can be difficult to know whether your child is taking in enough fluids to replenish losses, and it can be just as hard to get a sick kid to drink anything.

This article will review the signs of mild to moderate dehydration in children and explore how to keep kids hydrated when they aren't feeling well.

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7 Signs of the Flu to Look Out For

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A woman lies under a blanket on the couch with a tissue on her lap, reading a thermometer.

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7 Signs of the Flu to Look Out For

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The flu is a contagious respiratory virus that infects the nose, throat and airways. Symptoms can range from mild (a sore throat and runny nose) to severe (a high fever and body aches). The flu may also lead to serious health complications and fatalities, especially in adults 65 and older, children younger than 5 years old, pregnant people and people with chronic health conditions.

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Do Flu Symptoms Differ by Age?

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Do Flu Symptoms Differ by Age?

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A variety of factors affect how your body responds to the influenza virus. But did you know you might be more or less susceptible to the miseries of the flu depending on your age and stage of life? This article will break down how children, younger adults and older adults may respond to the flu differently and what you can do to minimize your risk of serious complications from this virus.

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What Is A Food Allergy

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Living Life with a Food Allergy

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Being diagnosed with a food allergy can be scary. It's something you have to be mindful of on a daily basis. Luckily, living a happy and healthy life with a food allergy is absolutely doable with some planning and education.

The first step is understanding the symptoms and triggers of food allergies, as well as how to properly manage an allergic reaction. Here's everything you need to know about living with food allergies. 

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Dehydration Signs in Kids

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Dehydration Signs in Kids

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Drink eight glasses of water a day! We have all heard that advice time and time again. Hydration is part of what helps your body function properly.

But if you don’t drink enough, you can become dehydrated. Dehydration can cause many issues, including headaches, dizziness, fatigue, fainting, rapid heartbeat, and other symptoms.

So how do you know if you become dehydrated? It’s all in the color. Review this infographic for helpful color cues so you can avoid becoming dehydrated.

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What to Eat When You Feel Sick

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What to Eat When You Feel Sick

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On average about 8% of the U.S. population gets sick from flu each season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For many of them, eating is the last thing they’ll feel like doing. It’s common to feel this way, and your symptoms can drive down your appetite. Congestion can also accompany the flu and this can limit your sense of smell, which is linked to your taste buds, so a decrease in appetite may also be caused by your inability to taste foods. It’s okay to eat a little less when you’re fighting the flu, but you'll still need small amounts of the right foods and drinks to make sure you’re fueling your body with the energy and nutrients you need to recover and regain your strength. So even if you don’t want to eat, it’s important that you at least try to eat some of these immune-supporting foods. 

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Preparing for Virus Season

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Preparing for Virus Season

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It is the season for viruses like Influenza and RSV, and COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control the Delta variant causes more COVID-19 infections and spreads faster than earlier forms of the virus. Additionally, other respiratory viruses like Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are also causing illness in children and adults. And flu season will be right around the corner. While influenza viruses circulate year-round, most of the flu activity comes in December through February according to the CDC.

But there are ways to support your immune system this season.

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Flying With a Feeding Tube A User Guide

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Flying With a Feeding Tube: A User's Guide

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Whether it's a camping trip, business trip or a cross-country vacation, traveling with a feeding tube doesn't have to hold you back. But it does require a little strategy and creativity.

Like any traveler, you may have to navigate eating at odd hours, informing airport security of your needs, dealing with lost luggage and overcoming a lack of privacy. But for those with  a feeding tube, these challenges can take on a whole new meaning.

If you're planning a getaway, here are some valuable insights and actionable advice to help you get the most out of your trip.

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Prioritizing Health May Support Vaccine Response

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Prioritizing Health May Help Support Vaccine Response

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As more Americans prepare for their COVID vaccinations, something that is not often considered but could help support vaccine effectiveness is good nutrition and physical activity. Here are several important reasons to prioritize healthy habits:

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Nutrition, Hydration, and Immunity for Healthcare Workers | Abbott Nutrition

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Nutrition and Hydration Tips for Healthcare Workers

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As the first line of defense against the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare staffers put in long hours to give people the medical attention they need. Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), including face shields or goggles, face masks, gowns and gloves, throughout their shifts helps them remain safe while tending to others. However, protective gear stays on for long stretches of time, which can make it difficult for essential workers to get enough food and water to safeguard their own health. 

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What Is a Feeding Tube and How Does It Work

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What Is a Feeding Tube, and How Does It Work?

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When you're recovering from surgery, bouncing back from injury or living with a chronic illness, a healthy diet can provide the nutrition you need to heal. But sometimes, certain medical conditions can make it challenging to eat. If you're having trouble getting all the nutrition you need from eating regular foods, your doctor may suggest a liquid tube-feeding formula delivered to the gastrointestinal tract via a feeding tube, also referred to as enteral nutrition.

If you're unfamiliar with this solution, you likely have questions. Here's what you should know about feeding tubes, how they function and the various factors you should consider. 

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How to Support Your Childs Immunity During Flu Season

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3 Tips for Supporting Your Child's Immunity During Flu Season

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When your family is cooped up inside, keeping your kids healthy and happy can seem like a challenge. Factor in the constraints of a pandemic, and life can seem even more complicated.

That's where a trusted health and well-being strategy comes in. An immune- supporting plan can help keep your family strong and safe (and sane) throughout this year's flu season.

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Ask the Expert: Which Foods Support Immunity?

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Ask the Expert: Which Foods Support Immunity?

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In this series, our experts answer nutrition questions to help you nourish your best life at every age. To submit a question for consideration*, email us.

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Diabetes and COVID-19 (Coronavirus) | Abbott Nutrition

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The Importance of Managing Diabetes After a COVID-19 Diagnosis

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COVID-19 is uncharted territory for all of us. Even frontline healthcare workers are learning about the disease day by day as they care for others. Although much remains unknown about the novel coronavirus, we do know that it poses a higher risk of complications for those who have diabetes or another underlying health condition.

Targeted nutrition may be able to help. Diabetes management and nutritional therapy can help you achieve good glycemic control, a key component to better overall health and improved outcomes after a COVID-19 diagnosis. But first, it's important to understand how the two conditions intersect. 

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Hydration for Virus Recovery | Abbott Nutrition

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How Hydration Can Help You Recover From a Virus

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While hydration is always critical, appropriate rehydration during illness is key. It’s important to know that not all rehydration solutions are created equal. Key ingredients like electrolytes- sodium, chloride and potassium- and glucose can affect your ability to rehydrate if they are not properly balanced. 

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How to Tell the Difference Between Cold and Flu Symptoms

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The Difference Between Cold and Flu Symptoms: What You Need to Know

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Americans contract more than 1 billion colds and 45 million cases of influenza (the flu) per year. But when illness strikes, it can be difficult to tell the difference between cold and flu symptoms.

However, these two viral respiratory illnesses have some key differences. Knowing the distinctions can help you better determine which ailment you're dealing with so you can get the treatment you need — and ultimately feel better — sooner. 

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How to Avoid Dehydration in Children

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How to Protect Your Child from Dehydration

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When it's hot out, we're all more likely to lose fluids. But children can get dehydrated any time of the year.  Before you send your child off to play outside, here's what you need to know about the signs and symptoms of dehydration. 

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How to Help Prevent Stomach Flu and the Influenza

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What You Can Do Now to Help Prevent the Flu Later

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Last flu season in the U.S., there were as many as 49 million estimated cases of influenza, causing around 940,000 hospitalizations and nearly 80,000 deaths. Those numbers might sound daunting, but there are steps you can take to help prevent the flu. To get ready for flu season, we spoke with two Abbott experts to answer the most frequently asked questions.

Jennifer Williams, MPH, a nutrition research scientist specializing in hydration and Dr. Norman Moore, Ph.D., director of scientific affairs and infectious disease, discuss how to prevent stomach flu and influenza (flu), and how to recognize and treat it in the instances when you can't. 

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Nutrition for the Stomach Flu | Abbott Nutrition

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What to Eat and Drink During and After the Stomach Flu

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While people often refer to symptoms like nausea, cramping, vomiting and diarrhea as the stomach flu or a stomach bug, the official term is gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis is inflammation of the stomach and intestines, often caused by different viruses. When the stomach flu strikes, food might be the last thing on your mind. But choosing the right foods and fluids can settle a queasy tummy and help speed your recovery.

Expert and Abbott research scientist Jennifer Williams, MPH, answers your questions about what to eat when you have the stomach flu.

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Hydration for Flu Recovery | Abbott Nutrition

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Staying Hydrated Can Help You Beat Seasonal and Stomach Flu

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When it comes to influenza or more commonly called the "flu," you're probably all set with throat lozenges and your favorite blanket — but what about hydration?

Whether it's you or your children tackling the flu this winter, Abbott research scientist Jennifer Williams, MPH explains that hydration is an important part of recovery. Williams specializes in pediatric nutrition and says that learning how to stay hydrated during illness can not only help ease the symptoms of the flu but can also help get you on the road to recovery.

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Treating Symptoms of Stomach Flu | Abbott Nutrition

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Tips For Managing Stomach Flu Symptoms

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Every flu season you probably stock up on tissues and cough medicine, but how prepared are you for the stomach flu? Even though the respiratory flu and the stomach flu share the same season, they are very different illnesses. "Stomach flu symptoms really come down to digestive issues such as cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea," says Jennifer Williams, M.P.H., a research scientist at Abbott. While the stomach flu can strike at any time of year, 80 percent of cases will hit from November through April in the U.S. And, just like the respiratory flu, it's especially contagious.

This 7-step plan can help manage stomach flu symptoms and keep your family safe.

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