Seasonal Influenza (Flu)

It is very difficult to predict when any year's 'seasonal influenza' will actually strike. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for your body to develop an immune response. Get vaccinated now so that you will be protected when flu season begins. Everyone 6 months and older should get a yearly flu vaccine. Ample supplies of influenza vaccineare now available.

Influenza (commonly called the "flu") is an infection of the nose, throat, and lungs. It is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. The information below describes common flu symptoms, how to protect yourself and those close to you from getting the flu, and what to do if you get sick with flu-like symptoms.

Common Flu Symptoms

Influenza usually starts suddenly and may include the following symptoms:

• Fever (usually high), Chills
• Body aches
• Headache
• Tiredness (can be extreme)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Diarrhea, nausea and/or vomiting (more common among children than adults)

Having these symptoms does not always mean that you have the flu. Many different illnesses, including the common cold, can have similar symptoms.

Diagnosing the Flu:

It is very difficult to distinguish the flu from other infections on the basis of symptoms alone. A doctor's exam may be needed to tell whether you actually have the flu, or may have developed a complication of the flu. There are tests that can determine if you have the flu, as long as you are tested within the first 2 or 3 days of illness.

If you develop flu-like symptoms and are concerned about your illness, especially if you are at high risk for complications of the flu, you should consult your healthcare provider. Those at high risk for complications include people 65 years of age or older, people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), pregnant women, and young children.

Complications from the Flu:

In some people, the flu can cause serious complications, including bacterial pneumonia, encephalitis, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes. Children and adults may develop sinus and/or ear infections.

Different Reactions to the Flu:

The flu can cause mild to severe illness and at times can lead to death. Although most healthy people recover from the flu without complications, some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), are at high risk for serious complications from the flu.

How the Flu Spreads:

The flu usually spreads from person to person in respiratory droplets when people who are infected cough or sneeze. People occasionally may become infected by touching something with the influenza virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes.

Healthy adults may be able to infect others 1 day before getting symptoms and up to 5 days after getting sick. Therefore, it is possible to give someone the flu before you know you are sick as well as while you are sick.

Best Protection against the Flu: Vaccination:

The single best way to protect yourself and others against influenza is to get a flu vaccination each year. Two kinds of flu vaccine are available in the United States:

The "flu shot" — an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus that can't cause the flu) given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease).

The nasal-spray flu vaccine - a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for "live attenuated influenza vaccine" or FluMist®). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.

Yearly flu vaccination should begin in September or as soon as vaccine is available and continue throughout the influenza season, usually into December, January, and beyond. This is because the timing and duration of influenza seasons vary. While influenza outbreaks can happen as early as October, most of the time influenza activity peaks in January or later.

Treating Flu Symptoms:

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) help lower fever and reduce the severity of body aches.
• If using only one of the above does not reduce your symptoms sufficiently, you may use both types of medicines, alternating doses every 2 – 4 hours between the two of them. Do NOT use aspirin.
• A fever does not need to come all the way down to normal. Most people will feel better when their temperature drops by even 1 degree.
• Over-the-counter cold medicines may make some of your symptoms better. Cough drops will help with your sore throat.
• Getting a lot of extra rest, drinking plenty of clear liquids, and avoiding alcohol and tobacco will also significantly help treat your flu symptoms.

Typical Course of Flu:

• Most people with milder symptoms feel better in 3-4 days. They do not need to see a doctor or take antiviral medications.
• For those people who may need them, antiviral drugs are available by prescription only to treat and prevent the flu.
• Doctors may give antiviral drugs to people who get very sick from the flu or people who are high risk for developing complications from the flu.
• These medicines may shorten the time you have symptoms by about one (1) day. They work better if you start taking them within 2 days of your first symptoms.
• Children at risk of a severe case of the flu may also need these medicines.

Caution:

Whenever you are feeling poorly, not sure what you have, feel that your symptoms are getting worse, or simply feel ‘in your gut' that something of significance is going on, there is no substitute for a doctor's visit and examination. It is very difficult to give a timeframe within which one should see a doctor for any or all potential medical problems. Just remember to be conservative and error on the side of seeing a doctor either too early in the course of or in general for a benign problem.