Culex Wellness

01/09/2026

🚨 Think Before You Go to the ER or Urgent Care 🚨

According to the State of Maryland, Influenza, RSV, and COVID infections are on the rise. One sure way to catch one—or all three—is by going where others with these infections are already being treated.

We see it all the time:
➡️ Someone goes to Urgent Care or the ER for a non-emergent issue
➡️ Gets diagnosed for one problem
➡️ Leaves exposed to flu, RSV, or COVID
➡️ 2 days later… a whole new illness begins

❗ ERs and Urgent Cares are meant for true emergencies, not convenience. Using them unnecessarily increases your risk of exposure and strains already busy systems.

👶 For children and non-urgent concerns:
✔️ Call or visit your pediatrician or primary care provider
✔️ Get better continuity of care
✔️ Avoid unnecessary exposure to circulating viruses

Let’s protect ourselves, our kids, and our healthcare workers.
Right care. Right place. Right time. 💙

12/27/2025

🤧 It’s flu season…
So naturally we’re seeing:
❄️ Influenza
✔️ Fevers
✔️ Coughs

…but wait—
👀 Why are allergy symptoms clocking in, too?
🌼 Styes
🌼 Itchy eyes
🌼 Runny noses

Flu season used to mean flu season.
Allergens knew their lane.

Now? Seasons are overlapping like calendar glitches.

As the climate and environment shift, so do the patterns we see in kids—winter viruses sharing space with springtime allergies. Confusing for parents, fascinating (and important) for clinicians.

The world is changing.
The immune system is adapting.
And the seasons? Apparently freelancing.

At Culex Wellness, we watch the patterns so families don’t have to guess. 🌍🧠

12/08/2025

According to CDC data this Flu season is starting to look a lot like last year

Last year, this early climb was followed by a sharp spike. So it’s a good time to be extra alert.

If you feel flu-y, act early:

The best window to treat is right at the start of illness.

Protect close contacts (especially high-risk) — ask about prevention options.

Flu can trigger asthma/sensitive airways and flare other chronic conditions.

12/04/2025

10/14/2025

When you’re 4 years old and very sure you heard the doctor say we need to check your “butt pressure” 🫣💨

Her face when we explained it’s actually blood pressure was priceless! 😂
At Culex Wellness Pediatrics, we promise — no “butt pressure” checks here, just lots of giggles and gentle care. 💙

10/09/2025

🌬️☁️Cold, Flu & Mystery Wheeze Season is Here!☁️🌬️

As we head into the official season of sniffles, coughs, and "what is that noise coming from my child?" — here's your friendly pediatric PSA:

💭**“Not all asthma wheezes, and not all that wheezes is asthma.”**
(Yes, that’s a real saying. No, we didn’t make it up. Doctors have sayings too. We’re cool like that.)

👶💨 Just because your child isn’t wheezing like a tiny accordion in the doctor’s office doesn’t mean their airways are in the clear.

🛏️ That nighttime cough-a-thon? Could be signs of sensitive airways.
🩺 That cough that magically disappears during the day and returns like a bedtime ghost? Still important.

🚫 And just to keep things exciting:
Kids swallow things.
Like coins.
Or beads.
Or… is that a Lego head?
These can mimic wheezing, block airways, and definitely aren't part of the recommended airway diet.

✅ So if something sounds off — even if it’s not a textbook wheeze — trust your instincts.
We’d rather check and say, “All good!” than miss something important.

Stay warm. Stay well. And please, keep the change (out of the airways).

— Your friendly team at Culex Wellness Pediatrics 💙

10/08/2025

Here’s the thing—we don’t always need to push harder. Sometimes, we need to step back, trust the process, and look at the whole picture.

🌱 As a pediatrician, I believe health isn’t just about fixing problems—it's about understanding our children deeply, nurturing their bodies, minds, and spirits, and creating an environment where doors open naturally.

✅ A nourishing diet
✅ Sleep that heals
✅ Outdoor play that energizes
✅ Emotional safety
✅ Family connections
✅ And room to just be a kid.

Let’s shift from chasing symptoms to creating space for growth, healing, and resilience. Your child’s body wants to thrive—we’re just here to guide the way.

💬 What’s one wellness habit you’ve added to your family’s routine that’s made a difference?

09/30/2025

🖍️ We truly love every thank you note we receive... but some are just extra special. This one, lovingly scribbled by one of our favorite 3-year-old patients, says more than words ever could. 💖

Gratitude doesn’t need to be spelled right — it just needs to come from the heart.

09/22/2025

Enterovirus is spiking — headaches, dizziness, body aches & more

Just a few weeks ago we reported on unusually high rates of enterovirus. With the return to school, this has now reached a critical level.

This virus often feels like the flu — but is uniquely recognized by headaches, dizziness, sore throat, body aches, chills, and stomach pain.

⚠️ The concern isn’t only the virus itself, which can cause significant illness, but also the added risk of exposure to other viruses when families turn to urgent care or the ER.

At Culex Wellness Pediatrics, our role isn’t to “cure” every illness in the office. Instead, we:
👉 Help families navigate the course of illness.
👉 Manage symptoms so children are as comfortable as possible.
👉 Guide parents on when to seek further care — and when it’s safe to provide comfort at home.

Most importantly, we encourage families to reach out early, before illness peaks and before the ER feels like the only option.

Your child’s care should be personalized, proactive, and safe. 💙

📞 Call us if your child develops these symptoms — we’ll help you make the right plan for your family.

09/10/2025

🚨 Community Health Update 🚨

Over the past month, we’ve seen unusually high cases of Enterovirus in our community — and with the start of school, it’s spreading even faster.

💥 What makes it different?

Feels a lot like the flu: exhaustion, body aches, sore throat

But many families report intense headaches and dizziness — the dizziness in particular is not common with most other viruses, making this a red flag we’ve noticed often.

Unfortunately, Enterovirus isn’t the only virus circulating right now. We’re also seeing:

Parainfluenza → notorious for croup and respiratory infections

Metapneumovirus → can cause serious lung infections, especially risky for children with asthma

👉 Why this matters
The best care isn’t about running random viral tests. Treatment depends on your child’s individual history and predispositions. This is where having an established relationship with your primary care provider makes all the difference.

⚠️ While urgent care may seem convenient, families often tell us they feel dissatisfied with the “one size fits all” approach — and sometimes even leave at risk of catching another virus in the waiting room.

✨ At Culex Wellness, we focus on personalized, whole-child care — because every child is unique, and every illness should be managed with that in mind.