Adapted from the CDC - Dr. Pyper
The Flu: What To Do If You Get Sick
Adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
How do I know if I have the flu?
You may have the flu if you have some or all of these symptoms:
Prolonged fever - often in the 40 ° C [ 104° F] range and for perhaps 5 days
Cough – often dry initially extreme fatigue body aches headache
sore throat runny or stuffy nose sometimes some diarrhea and vomiting
What should I do if I get sick?
If you get sick with flu-like symptoms, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people. Most people with the flu feel quite ill but do not need medical care.
However, some people are more likely to get flu complications and should contact their health care provider if they develop flu symptoms:
very young children especially under age 2 & pregnant women
people 65 and older
people with asthma or diabetes, heart or lung disease or with other chronic conditions
It is also possible for healthy people to develop severe illness. Anyone who has emergency warning signs should get medical care right away, usually in the emergency room.
What are the emergency warning signs?
In children
Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish skin color
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that he or she does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Fever with a rash
In addition to the signs above, get medical help right away for any infant who has any of these signs:
Being unable to nurse or take a bottle
Significantly fewer wet diapers than normal
In adults
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness or confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu–like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough
What advice is there for people sick with influenza ?
It is important to stay home and away from others as much as possible.
Avoid public gatherings including work, shopping, social events, church, travel. The CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone.
If you must leave home, wear a facemask if you have one. Wear a scarf over your face to keep from breathing cold outdoor air which will worsen your cough and may lengthen your illness.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or cough into your sleeve if necessary.
Wash your hands frequently, particularly after coughing or touching your nose.
Rest as much as possible to get better faster.
Drink lots of fluids. This will keep secretions thin and avoid dehydration. Most children and adults will not have much appetite for several days and some may vomit. This is often promoted by fever and usually stops when the temperature is lowered..
For children who are not interested in drinking, you may decide to use a medication syringe to administer small amounts of fluids frequently.
Use a pain reliever like Advil/Motrin or Tylenol to help with fever and aches.
Rest your voice and stay indoors to avoid cold air. Also avoid other inhaled irritants like fireplace smoke and aerosols. Moist air will help you to cough less so a vaporizer or some time in steamy bathroom may be soothing or break a coughing spell..
Gargle with a glass of warm water or suck on sugarless hard candy or lozenges.
For dry coughing and night coughing, cough medicines with DM may work well. The pharmacist also has codeine-containing cough medicine “behind the counter” for people over age 12. [ Beware of constipation which can be a side effect ]
For coughing that doesn’t become less frequent using the above measures i.e. for persistent intense coughing, contact your family doctor. An examination and/or a chest xray might be necessary.
On occasion, a strong narcotic-containing cough medicine may be required and this can sometimes be prescribed for children.
As with colds, for nasal symptoms, use Sinus Rinse, a Netipot , or simply lots of saline drops/spray to clear your nose and to thin mucous. Consider “sniffing” instead of blowing which can injure your sinuses and ears.
Antiviral drugs may help some people with severe influenza and for those at highest risk of complications. They are reserved for these situations and should not be used for routine cases of flu.
MOST PEOPLE FEEL BETTER WITHIN A WEEK BUT OFTEN HAVE RESIDUAL FATIGUE AND COUGH FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER INFLUENZA
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