Flu Season – The Worst Time Of The Year!
INTRODUCTION: Flu (influenza) season means the months of the year when many people have it and it’s easy to catch. Outbreaks normally begin suddenly and occur mostly in the late fall and winter. It is a respiratory infection caused by a number of different viruses. Vaccines are usually administered in the fall, before flu season begins and are available as a shot or nasal mist.
Shots are most important for: persons 65 or older, nursing home patients, children over 6 months old, people with health problems such as asthma or with long-term diseases, such as HIV or heart disease, children or teen-agers who must often take aspirin, people who are often around older persons or those with health problems. Symptoms may be mild or severe – and if they’re mild can become severe without warning.
SYMPTOMS: If you get infected with the virus, you will usually feel symptoms 1 to 4 days later. Signs of the flu may include: fever, chills, headache, muscle ache, dizziness, lack of appetite, tiredness, cough, sore throat, runny nose, nausea or vomiting, weakness, ear pain, diarrhea. They come on with out warning and are worse than those of the common cold however; having these symptoms does not guaranteed that you have the flu. Many different illnesses, including the common cold, can have similar symptoms. It is very hard to distinguish the flu from other infections on the basis of these signs alone.
If you develop flu-like symptoms and are concerned about your illness, especially if you are at high risk for complications, you should consult your health-care provider. Based on your signs, your doctor can usually tell if you have influenza, especially during times when a lot of it is going around. After 5 days, fever and other signs have usually disappeared, but a cough and weakness may continue for a while. All symptoms are usually gone within a week or two.
VACCINES: Two kinds of flu vaccines are available in the United States: The “flu shot” – an in-activated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm OR the nasal-spray – a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause influenza (sometimes called LAIV for “live attenuated influenza vaccine” or FluMist). On October 24, 2007 CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended expanding the use of the nasal influenza vaccine LAIV (FluMist) to include healthy children ages 2-4 years old without a history of asthma or recurrent wheezing.
Anyone who’s at risk for getting really sick needs to get a flu shot, or vaccine. It’s good for kids who are around older persons and younger kids (like little brothers and sisters) to get the shot also. If you get the vaccine, or shot, it will protect you from getting a bad case of the flu. Whichever one you get, you need to get a new vaccine every year because the flu virus changes each year and the vaccine is created to fight the viruses that are going to be a problem this year.
The flu vaccine is usually offered between September and mid-November, although it may be given at other times of the year. Because it prevents infection from only a few of the viruses floating around that can cause flu-like symptoms, it is not a guaranteed protection against getting sick. Call your doctor or local public health department about availability in your area.
TREATMENTS: Many people treat their flu by simply Resting in bed, Drinking plenty of fluids, Taking over-the-counter medicine such as aspirin or acetaminophen (Tylenol). You can develop complications if you get a bacterial infection, which can cause pneumonia in your weakened lungs. Treatment is usually not necessary for children, but if the illness is diagnosed early and the patient is at risk of developing a severe case, it can and should be started. Treatment will only help however; If started early and only if the illness is actually influenza. Treatment includes bed rest and plenty of fluids; anti-viral drugs may also be prescribed.
CONCLUSION: Influenza usually starts suddenly and may include the following symptoms: Fever (usually high), Headache, Tiredness (can be extreme), Cough, Sore throat, Runny or stuffy nose, Body aches, Diarrhea and vomiting (more common among children than adults). A doctor’s exam may be needed to tell whether you have developed the flu or a complication. There are tests that can determine if you have influenza as long as you are tested within the first 2 or 3 days of illness.
In some people, the illness can cause serious complications, including bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes. The flu can cause mild to severe illness and at times can lead to death.
Although most healthy people recover from influenza without complications, some persons, such as older people, young children, and people with a number health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), are at high risk for serious complications. The virus usually spreads from person to person in respiratory droplets when persons who are infected cough or sneeze. People occasionally may become infected by contacting something with the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes. The single best way to protect yourself and others against influenza is to get a vaccination every year.
The influenza shot is approved for use in persons older than 6 months, including healthy people and persons with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease). October or November is the best time to get a vaccination, but getting vaccinated in December or even later can still be beneficial since most influenza activity happens in January or later in most years.
