Your Health: Youth tennis players need a rest

Overserved

Youth tennis players who play no other sport run a greater risk of injury, a local study has found.

The study by Loyola University Health System looked at 3,366 matches in United States Tennis Association junior competition. Players who specialized in tennis to the exclusion of other sports were more likely to withdraw from tournaments for medical reasons, typically injuries.

Dr. Neeru Jayanthi, lead author of the study who plays and has coached tennis himself, recommended that children take a rest from tennis to avoid overuse injuries and play multiple sports to develop other muscles and skills.

Tamiflu tips

With the H1N1 flu virus continuing to spread and common seasonal flu due to begin circulating this month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the following guidelines:

While antiviral treatment is most effective within 48 hours of the onset of a flu, studies show hospitalized patients still benefit later from oseltamivir, or Tamiflu. So all hospitalized patients with suspected or confirmed H1N1 should receive antiviral treatment.

Outpatients also benefit, particularly those with risk factors for severe illness who are not improving. Risk factors include asthma, heart disease, diabetes, HIV or other immune deficiency, or kidney, liver or blood disorders.

People without risk factors - who make up 40 percent of children and 20 percent of adults hospitalized for swine flu - may also benefit. As the CDC puts it, "No risk factors does not mean no antiviral treatment."

One concern, though, is that overuse of antivirals will lead the virus to develop resistance to the treatment.

Visitor restrictions

More local hospitals have announced visitor restrictions due to the H1N1 flu virus, also known as swine flu. Children are prohibited because they are common carriers of the bug.

Vista Health System in Lake County and Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge do not allow those 18 and younger on patient floors, though Vista makes exceptions for terminal or life-threatening cases.

St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, Adventist GlenOaks Hospital in Glendale Heights and other Adventist hospitals in Bolingbrook, Hinsdale and LaGrange ban visitors under 12.

Sherman Hospital in Elgin bans visitors under 16 and limits visitors to two at a time.

Rush University Medical Center in Chicago also bans visitors under 16.

Any one with flu symptoms within the past 24 hours should not visit a hospital.