Eye Doctors Dry Eye Secret Treatment

Dry eyes can be a very debilitating condition. It is very common in low humidity climates like the Fort Collins area, and it can interfere with contact lens wear and comfort. It can also be a severe problem after LASIK corrective eye surgery. Optometrists have a number of different options to treat dry eye syndrome  and contact lens intolerance today, and TheraTears non preserved artificial tears have proven very useful to eye doctors. TheraTears has some unique properties that can actually help restore the eye tissues instead of just treating the symptoms of burning eyes, gritty eyes, and general discomfort.

The tear film covering the front of the eye has been the subject of extensive study by eye doctors over the last decade. It is composed of a water component, a mucous component, and a lipid component. Every time you blink, your eyes experience a resurfacing of the tear film. When things go right, the new film has adequate water and retains its integrity until your normal blink reflex recurs. When things go wrong comfort and cells that produce the tear components are compromised.

The water component of tears has a normal value for osmolarity which is related to how much the salt concentration is in your tears. When the water levels decrease, the same amount of salt is present so the relative percentage of salt in the tears increases. This draws more water out of the corneal tissue on the front of the eye and can damage the surface cells known as the epithelium layer. The high osmolarity levels also decrease the amount of goblet cells. These are the cells that produce the mucous component of the tear film that makes the tear layer slide out across the eye surface. There are electrolytes like sodium and chloride in the tear film that are essential to keep the osmolarity in a normal range and also help the proteins like lactoferrin dissolve in the tears. Lactoferrin is a protein that fights against bacterial and fungal eye infections. It also serves to reduce eye inflammation. Because the cornea tissue on the front of the eye has no direct blood supply, a healthy tear function is vital to maintain good eye health and vision. Even from this brief view of the tear film, you can see how important it is to your optometrist that this complex system is functioning normally.

So now one of the best kept secrets of eye doctors in treating dry eye disorders and contact lens discomfort-TheraTears

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And there is a little known way of using TheraTears to achieve the correct effects called saturation dosing. Saturation dosing involves taking one vial of TheraTears and emptying it into the eyes over a five minute period for times a day for at least a few weeks. It helps restore the salt content levels back to normal and allows goblet cells to regenerate. It is specially formulated to stay on the eye for about 30 minutes. The electrolyte content is similar to what a normal eye would be so it helps readjust this also. After a few weeks your optometrist can decide when you can discontinue the saturation dosing and start a single drop several times per day. Often the tear film regains a significant amount of its integrity and the burning, dry eye discomfort stops. Sometimes the simple things work best.

Incredible images of a normal retina on the left and a damaged retina (tissue lining the back of the eye) courtesy of Robert N. Fariss, Ph.D., chief of the NEI Biological Imaging Core, and Ann H. Milam, Ph.D., former professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Washington.

Retinitis Pigmentosis is an eye disease that is primarily genetic and causes a slow, progressive loss of vision starting in the periphery and moving in, resulting in tunnel vision. Often eyesight will remain 20/20 until very late in the disease but with the extreme loss of side vision it can be very debilitating. Vitamin A has been used to slow the progression but doses of Vitamin A as low as twice the suggested normal dosage may increase the risk of hip fracture.

Ushers Syndrome, a combination of retinitis pigmentosa and hearing loss is common in Louisiana in the Acadian and Cajun population, French settlers that fled Canada and settled along the bayous of Louisiana. It is very uncommon to see this eye disease in Fort Collins since only a small percentage of cases result from spontaneous mutations.

If you are aware of any loss of peripheral or side vision it is important to schedule an appointment with your optometrist since other eye conditions like pituitary tumors and glaucoma can also create slowly progressive loss of side vision.

Headaches come from many different sources and people often bring their child to see the eye doctor first to rule out vision problems as a cause. Headaches are the second most common reason parent bring their children in to our Fort Collins Optometrist,  Practice Usually it is not a vision related problem, but there are cases that have a direct correlation with the eyes. If headaches are related to eye problems, most of the time your optometrist will uncover a specific visual task the headaches seem to center around. It could be reading, computer use, video games or time in the sun.

Eyeglass frames can cause pressure behind the ears and on the side of the head if not properly adjusted. Frames that are tilted can alter the effective lens prescription and result in eye strain. Nickel is a common component in many metal frames (and in parts of plastic frames). Nickel allergies are fairly common and can cause discomfort, itching and possible mild headaches.

Your child’s eyeglasses prescription may cause headaches under certain conditions. Large uncorrected amounts of farsightedness are probably the most common cause in children. With farsightedness, they may have the focusing capacity to pass the eye doctors chart test with flying colors while not wearing prescription lenses. In doing so, they may be close to using all of their focusing reserve capacity. This would be like spending all day walking around carrying close to the maximum amount of weight you can hold. Because the focusing muscle is considered smooth muscle and does not fatigue like the striated muscles you use for your arms or legs, there is some disagreement on this point. It is really an academic point since the headaches do commonly occur, possibly due to variations in focusing and resultant clarity, constriction of the colored iris tissue, or other unknown factors. How much uncorrected farsightedness is required to cause headaches? We know higher amounts are more significant as age increases but with lower amounts it is not as clear what levels create eyestrain and headaches. Sometimes the only way to know is to fill an eyeglasses prescription and see if the headaches resolve.

Focusing problems in general are very hard to diagnose with precision. Eyes may over focus, under focus, have variable focusing, and on rare occasions have focusing spasms. Some prescription medications can cause focusing problems, dry eyes and sensitivity to light increasing the likelihood of headaches.

Uncorrected nearsightedness can cause a child to squint to see the blackboard and result in headaches. Usually they will be complaining about blurry vision, unlike with farsightedness. Nearsightedness has normally been corrected by an eye doctor due to blurry vision before there are complaints about headaches.

Astigmatism is a condition where the eye has two different curvatures, shaped more like half of a tennis ball squeezed on top and bottom. While astigmatism does blur vision, children frequently notice more eyestrain than blurriness. The eye is focusing for one curve then the other trying to find the clearest focus point. Moderate to high levels of astigmatism can cause headaches but usually the child has complaints that sound more like eyestrain and may be squinting to try and clear things up.

Convergence insufficiency is one of the leading causes of headaches related to vision in children. In our optometry practice in Fort Collins, we find it is one of the most common undiagnosed eye conditions. When your child reads or works up close the eyes have to perform two functions. First they have to adjust the focus for the correct distance. Secondly they must turn in both eyes (converge) to point in the exact direction of what they are looking at. Most reading is done at about 14 to 16 inches away from the face in children. Kids should be able to keep their eyes pointing at an object at least until it is within 4 to 6 inches from their nose. If they can’t, they lack enough reserve capacity to keep their eyes pointed at the object and they will have eyestrain and headaches. The severity of the problem is related to how well their brain functions in partially shutting down the image from one eye. If they lack this capacity the headaches can be severe with near work, resulting in headaches, eyestrain, blurred vision, and failing grades in school.

Muscle imbalances are similar to convergence insufficiency. Due to eye muscles or tendons that are slightly misshaped or inserted slightly abnormally, their eyes may have a tendency to turn in, out, up, or down. Constantly struggling to keep images from doubling can cause frequent headaches if the brain is not good at shutting off one of the images. Fixation disparities are very tiny eye alignment errors that can have a similar result but can only be diagnosed with appropriate testing.

Migraines are a very common cause of headaches and take many different forms. Usually there is a family history of migraines already known. Children that develop migraines at an older age often are carsick at younger ages. These headaches tend to be on one side of the head and may be associated with nausea and light sensitivity. Migraines need to be thoroughly tested and diagnosed in conjunction with your child’s pediatrician and possibly a neurologist. The only association migraines have with eyes are some people have migraines triggered by small changes in their eye glass prescription, and some migraines can cause very minor damage to the eyes over time.

Some children and adults are naturally very sensitive to small changes in their eyeglass or contact lens prescription. Every time there is a minor change they start having headaches, and learn quickly it is time for an appointment with the optometrist. Autistic children may have somewhat of an opposite type of  problem, and clearing up vision too much may contribute to sensory overload and headaches.

Rare causes of headaches around the eyes are tumors around the optic nerve or eye. Inflammation inside the eye that sometimes accompanies childhood arthritis and other autoimmune diseases can cause eye pain, headaches, and light sensitivity. Unusual light sensitivity, red eyes, headaches, abnormally small or large pupils, changes in behavior and school grades can be indicators of illicit drug usage, now common even in elementary schools. School counselors usually have a pretty good idea who is involved and it is a quick call.

A sinus infection can result in headaches around the eyes and in rare cases even sight loss.

Never forget lack of sleep. Fatigue, poor diet, caffeine crashes, dehydration, and stress probably cause most headaches. Preventative eye exams for children always helps rule out some easily fixed causes so don’t neglect an eye check up if your child is being afflicted with headaches.

Last, but not least is the friend who just got new glasses syndrome. All of a sudden your child develops blurry vision and headaches. Fortunately, an optometrist can diagnose this case pretty easy. Sometimes you may want to consider discussing in advance with your child’s eye doctor a placebo pair of glasses  with little or no prescription. Occasionally with a strong willed child it is easier to just let them wear a pair for six months  and spend your energy on the bigger battles.

Ten Reasons To Be More Concerned About Your Child’s Headaches

1. Headaches that are continuing to get worse or becoming more frequent

2. Headaches that occur in the same area of the eye or head

3. Headaches that wake children up at night or are present at the beginning of the day

4. Headaches accompanied by double vision, blurred vision, or abnormal eye movements

5. Headaches that cause a child to cease their normal activities

6. Any headache that occurs after a fall, possible bump to the head, or after loss of consciousness or

memory, however brief

7. Any headache that is accompanied by changes in responsiveness, sluggish thinking, slurred

speech, changes in balance, different pupil sizes, severe vomiting, droopy half open eyes, altered or

unusual behavior

8. Headaches that only occur when a specific person is around (possible abuse)

9. Headaches occurring in other people present (possible carbon monoxide poisoning)

10. Severe Headaches with very rapid onset, high fever, stiff neck

If you have concerns about your child having mild or moderate headaches, starting with appointments with your optometrist and family doctor makes sense, proceeding to a neurological evaluation if needed.

According to recent article in  the Journal of the American Medical Association by Scher, Ann a study in Iceland has shown evidence that women who suffer from migraines with visual auras were twice as likely to have lesions (damaged areas) in the cerebellum later in life. The cerebellum is part of the lower brain that participates in balance and movement. It is not known if these lesions have any effect or significance.

These are interesting findings in light of the evidence that some people who suffer from migraines also have effects (small areas of vision loss) in their peripheral vision. To the best of our knowledge, these defects are inconsequential on overall vision. The advent of automated testing of peripheral vision brought these defects to awareness, patients have not complained of symptoms prior to the findings. Perhaps the cerebellum damage will fall in the same category, interesting findings on MRI tests that have no effect on overall health.

The larger question is why these problems occur. Conjecture would be vascular, or blood flow changes associated with migraines but migraines are not strictly vascular changes. Hopefully understanding these complications can lead to better understanding of migraines and preventative treatments.

Any severe  headaches associated with flashing lights, loss of vision, or other vision symptoms warrant a visit to your eye doctor and family doctor, with further evaluation by a neurologist if needed.  Migraine headaches are considered a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning after every other potential cause has been ruled out they can be diagnosed. Usually there are specific characteristics that help in making the diagnosis after a complete evaluation, but occasionally they can have complications that resemble strokes or other neurological problems. Vision insurance such as Vision Service Plan often provide coverage for vision exams associated with migraine symptoms. Because other serious problems like retinal detachments can cause flashing lights you should immediately call your optometrist if this a new problem that has not been previously diagnosed.

Itchy eyes have you rubbing with the summer pollen?  As an Optometrist in Fort Collins I see the office filled with eye allergy problems every year when the cottonwood trees fill the air with summer snow. The best solution currently is usually an eyedrop prescription called Pataday. Pataday is s refined version of the older drop called Patanol. Pataday is formulated so you only need to use it once a day for maximum benefits. It has a dual acting mechanism, the first is an antihistamine effect that starts immediately to curb the effects of the histamine released from cells that have been exposed to pollen or other allergens. The second mechanism takes several days to fully function but it stabilizes the cell walls so they won’t break down and release the histamine when exposed to allergens.

Because you already have histamine released it takes several days for Pataday to stabilize the system and let the histamine already present dissipate from your system. That is why it is important to use it daily during a bad allergy stretch instead of only when your eyes are bothering you. Pataday has shown to be superior to a number of similar medications is a number of studies. It is a very safe prescription eye drop and we don’t hesitate to leave patients on it constantly if needed. Because it is the same drug in Patanol, there is a fairly long track record.  The biggest drawback to Pataday is cost, without insurance coverage it is an expensive drug and if you are uninsured you need to discuss this with your eye doctor. There are other options that are much better than continued suffering with the itching and burning that can become incapacitating and even dangerous when driving.

Alternatives such as oral antihistamines can sometimes worsen symptoms by drying the eye and resulting in relative increases in allergen concentrations and dry eye syndrome. Some over the counter eyedrops can exacerbate symptoms if used on a prolonged basis.

Pataday remains the prescriptions drop of choice for seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC) ( in plain English, the itchy stinging eye symptoms that accompany the trees and grasses growing in the summer).One of the premier benefits is the once a day dosing means you can continue wearing your contact lenses. Using an eye drop first thing in the morning allows you to start wearing your lenses 15 minutes later and not have to worry about removing them for multiple doses during the day.

Cold compresses and frequent use of non preserved artificial tears also help decrease the inflammation and dilute the pollens in your tear film.

Some patients find relief in alternative treatments.  Similasan’s Allergy Eye drops are homeopathic formulations relatively easy to find over the counter.

More severe cases of allergies can be treated with the new generation of ester ophthalmic steroids that target inflammation with a unique, site-active mechanism of action. These modified steroid prescription eye drops are very safe to use without the high frequency of side effects of glaucoma and cataracts seen in older steroid drops.

Don’t delay treatment for eye allergy problemns. There are numerous options and no reason to continue suffering.

What do pollution and onions have in common? They both can make you cry!

• Probably sulfuric acid is the culprit. When an onion is cut the alliin compounds are released and converted into alliinase enzymes that result in a form of sulfur compounds to be released in vapor forms. When theses interact with the water on the mucous membranes irritation results. In higher concentrations sulfuric acid is a very strong binder of water, actually pulling it out of cells and creating damaging heat in the process. In the lower ranges that occur from cutting onions the acid shift is probably more significant. The water attraction function may accelerate the breakup of the tear fil also which is a painful process.

Cutting onions underwater is often suggested as a method to avoid the eye pain. If you can acquire this skill it probably would work but it also sounds like a method to inflict different types of pain involving sharp objects and fingers. Other than goggles, which still allow the sulfuric acid of form in the sinuses, a light fan breeze good be helpful in directing the vapors away from your face.

Normal tear functions includes a complex interaction of a water component, mucous, and oily compounds. Blinking serves to resurface the tear film like a wiper blade spreading out a new smooth surface. It also pumps the tears though the drainage system of tear ducts and washes away debree and other toxins, allowing new tears to refresh the immune and nutritional components of the tear film. Irritants like onion vapors interfere with the stabilization of the tear film between blinking. The underlying corneal tissue has the most sensitive nerve structure in the body, and this disruption can be temporarily excruciating.  Of course, rubbing your eyes after cutting jalapenos is more enlivening experience not quickly forgotten.

If you have splashed an irritant in your eye call Fort Collins Eye Doctors-Dr Kisling   9780-226-0959  immediately and tell the receptionist the problem so we can schedule you for a same day appointment. Usually your vision insurance plan services Read more

If you have a child between the age of 8-27 with lazy eye (amblyopia), the National Eye Institute will soon be soliciting volunteers for a study on a new form of treatment involving the drugs levodopa and carbidopa. These drugs are precursors for the production of dopamine , one of the main neurotransmitters, and often are sued to treat Parkinson’s disease. Dopamine is synthesized in the retina tissue in the back of the eye in amacrine cells. When the eye is light adapted, a lazy eye will show reduced levels of dopamine production, Dopamine seems to have a number of roles, effecting contrast sensitivity (which is one form of vision reduced in a lazy eyes. Rescued levels also inhibit the eye elongating (or growing longer from front ot back). This action tends to make an eye farsighted with astigmatism (since it does not seem to effect chewnges in equitoriL growth).

Adding these precurseres to lazy eye treatment may help restore sight past the age where we expect good results. After age 7-8 success rates drop down to 20-30% at best. This study will compare levadopa with and without patching an eye to see if there is a marked improvement. It will be oral supplementation with Levadopa. The trial is not yet recruiting for subjects and will probably require travel out of state.

This is very noteworthy from the aspect of treating a neurodegenerative condition potentially with a pharmaceutical drug and maybe reversing sightloss at an age where recovery isn’t normally expected.

NASA and the National Eye Institute have been working together to develop a  non-invasive method to measure very early development of cataracts and monitor any progression. This is important to astronauts receiving higher daily dose of radiation, especially on a long mission such as the future Mars flight,  but there are great potential applications for preventing and treating cataracts in the future. The crystalline lens in the eye is composed largely of water but there is a class of  proteins present  known as alpha-crystallins.

The amount of  Alpha-crystallin Proteins in the eye are largely fixed at birth, we don’t produce more. They function to  a help the lens maintain it’s refractive index, which allows it to focus light on the retina so we can clearly see images. They also act as so called chaperone’s, dating the bad proteins that breakdown in the lens from oxidative stress. By joining up with theses proteins they prevent cross linking  between large numbers of damaged proteins and other damaged cellular substances that can develop into large clumps and form opacities in the lens. These capacities can develop large enough in size that they start to interfere with your eyesight and become clinically referred to as cataracts.

The new instrument measures how much Alpha-crystallin Proteins scatter light and can detect their levels and changes  over time. Now the potential exists to measure changes in response to environmental factors.

We have shown that this non-invasive technology that was developed for the space program can now be used to look at the early signs of protein damage due to oxidative stress, a key process involved in many medical conditions, including age-related cataract and diabetes, as well as neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s," said NASA’s Dr. Ansari. "By understanding the role of protein changes in cataract formation, we can use the lens not just to look at eye disease, but also as a window into the whole body."

Oxidative Stress is caused by an imbalance between the production of Reactive oxygen species and your bodies capaictiy to neutrlaize them, the reactive intermediates, and repair any resultant cellular damage. Oxidative stress results from UV, radiation, drugs, chemicals,smoking, dietary components and other environmental factors that create oxygen is states where free electrons readily bind to cellular substances, Free radicals are atoms, molecules, or ions with unpaired electrons that also readily bind to proteins, lipids, and the DNA of our cells. When the threshold of repair is passed, and the Alpha-crystallin Proteins become lowered with age to the point where they can’t adequately act as chaperone’s to prevent these damgaed proteins from aggreagting into the clumps, you will likley develop cataracts.

Hopefully we can start to clarify some of the lingering questions and move forward into the arean of cataract prevention and reversal. Antioxidants have held out great hope for cataract prevention and anti-aging in general, but questions have been raised in some recent studies about the capacity of antioxidants to help.There is even a small school of thought that believes low doses of oxidative stress is essential in prolonging life. At this point, the only certainly is Vitamin A is contraindicated in smokers.

I still strongly believe in the value of antioxidants in a preventative role. Some studies have shown lutein and zeathin have reduced the incidence of cataract formation. Extensive studies are underway to test their role in treating macular degeneration. Vitamin C is still on my list as anti-catarogenic. One factor to keep in mind is natural is not always good. St John’s Wort does have some properties that my causes cataracts and sunglasses need to be worn and sunlight limited if you are taking St Johns Wort (commonly used for depression). This does not appear to be a strong causative factor but one to consider and compensate for when working in the sun.

Other lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity, and eating a high glycemic index (highly refined high sugar,highly refined foods) are controllable risk factors. While I have not see the reasons published, presumably oxidative stress is the common factor. Smoking is know ot decrease antioxidants systemically  in your body, the cellular damage from free radicals is obvious in the loss of  skin elasticity. Even visible blue light causes oxidative damage in the retina and probably in the lens, Lutien and xeanthin may act as antioxidants in the lens to help prevent cataract development.

We can look forward to a great future in early detection (prior to visible damages) from cataracts and determining what lifestyle, dietary,and potential drugs ans supplements may prevent cataracts at some point in the future.

For now diet,exercise, a healthy body weight, a daily supplement (without the Vitamin A for smokers,  added Lutien, Zeanthin, and vitamin C is probably your best bet. And everything you can get from food (such as Lutein from spinach or other foods with high levels is presumably better than a pill.—Add protect your eyes from the UV sunlight with quality sunglasses or UV blocking contact lenses.

The next time you see your Eye Doctor they may just be measuring your alpha-crystallins levels, especially if you signed up for that 3 year cruise to Mars.

Our office is a Proud Participent in Vision Service Plan, and we work with you to maximize your understanding of  your vision insurance plans benefits. It is one more way of thankng you for entrusting your eye axam and vision care with us.

Fort Collins Optometrist

If you are doing a search for a local eye doctor in Fort Collins for your family please take a moment to look over our web site. You can find many answers to the questions you have about your families eye conditions, eye problems, and eye symptoms. If you don’t see an answer leave a comment and we will be try to find the information you request. We would like to have the opportunity to serve you family eyecare needs. We are a locaaly owned an operated eye care center serving Fort Collins and all of Northern Colorado. We will make your vision insurance claims as effortless as possible and accept most vision insurance plams including Vision Service Plan, EyeMed, Anthem, and most others. Please give us a call at:

970-226-0959

Today the World Health Organization officially recognized the World Pandemic of H1N1 Flu. This is not really a cause for concern as there are no significant changes in the situation, only an acknowledgement of what has been occurring for a while. This is still a mild flu virus but has spread geographically and been transmitted person to person in different zones of the the world thus meeting the criteria of a pandemic. While the conditions could change dramatically in the fall, at this time there is no indication of a serious pandemic. We have seen no signs of pinkeye or eye symptoms related to H1N1 flu to date in our office but as always, we take preventative measures to prevent the transmission of any eye or systemic diseases.

Summary of Situation

Updated June 11, 2009, 12:30 PM ET

A Pandemic Is Declared

On June 11, 2009, theWorld Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus. A Phase 6 designation indicates that a global pandemic is underway.

More than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection with novel H1N1 flu. This number has been increasing over the past few weeks, but many of the cases reportedly had links to travel or were localized outbreaks without community spread. The WHO designation of a pandemic alert Phase 6 reflects the fact that there are now ongoing community level outbreaks in multiple parts of world.

WHO’s decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is a reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus. It’s uncertain at this time how serious or severe this novel H1N1 pandemic will be in terms of how many people infected will develop serious complications or die from novel H1N1 infection. Experience with this virus so far is limited and influenza is unpredictable. However, because novel H1N1 is a new virus, many people may have little or no immunity against it, and illness may be more severe and widespread as a result. In addition, currently there is no vaccine to protect against novel H1N1 virus.

In the United States, most people who have become ill with the newly declared pandemic virus have recovered without requiring medical treatment, however, CDC anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths associated with this pandemic in the coming days and weeks. In addition, this virus could cause significant illness with associated hospitalizations and deaths in the fall and winter during the U.S. influenza season.

Background

Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that first caused illness in Mexico and the United States in March and April, 2009. It’s thought that novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread, mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus, but it may also be spread by touching infected objects and then touching your nose or mouth. Novel H1N1 infection has been reported to cause a wide range of flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. In addition, many people also have reported nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea.

The first novel H1N1 patient in the United States was confirmed by laboratory testing at CDC on April 15, 2009. The second patient was confirmed on April 17, 2009. It was quickly determined that the virus was spreading from person-to-person. On April 22, CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to better coordinate the public health response. On April 26, 2009, the United States Government declared a public health emergency and has been actively and aggressively implementing the nation’s pandemic response plan.

Since the outbreak was first detected, an increasing number of U.S. states have reported cases of novel H1N1 influenza with associated hospitalizations and deaths. By June 3, 2009, all 50 states in the United States and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were reporting cases of novel H1N1 infection. While nationwide U.S. influenza surveillance systems indicate that overall influenza activity is decreasing in the country at this time, novel H1N1 outbreaks are ongoing in parts of the U.S., in some cases with intense activity.
CDC is continuing to watch the situation carefully, to support the public health response and to gather information about this virus and its characteristics. The Southern Hemisphere is just beginning its influenza season and the experience there may provide valuable clues about what may occur in the Northern Hemisphere this fall and winter.

 

CDC Response

CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to the outbreak. CDC’s response goals are to reduce the spread and severity of illness, and to provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this new public health threat.

CDC is issuing updated interim guidance in response to the rapidly evolving situation.

Clinician Guidance

CDC has issued interim guidance for clinicians on  identifying and caring for pateints with novel H1N1, in addition to providing interim guidance on the use of antiviral drugs. Influenza antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) with activity against influenza viruses, including novel influenza H1N1 viruses. The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during this outbreak is to treat people hospitalized with influenza illness, and to treat people at increased risk of severe illness, including pregnant women, young children, and people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes and other metabolic diseases, heart or lung disease, kidney disease, weakened immune systems, and persons with neurologic or neuromuscular disease.