The flu season is active in the Kaiserslautern Military Community where military Medical Treatment Facilities are seeing an increase in influenza-type illness. The flu season officially runs through May.
Although the flu can be serious, in most cases rest, hydration and over the counter medications are enough to get you through the illness.
What can be difficult for many is determining if they have the flu or a bad cold and when to see a doctor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that you may have the flu if you have some or all of these symptoms:
• Fever (It's important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Body aches
• Headache
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Sometimes diarrhea and vomiting
As healthcare providers we are frequently asked the following common questions:
What should I do if I get sick?
Although most people with the flu have mild illness and do not need medical care or prescription medication, those who present with severe flu symptoms may receive antiviral therapy. If you get sick with flu symptoms, in most cases, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. The influenza virus can shed for seven days after symptoms start so staying out longer than 24 hours may be warranted.
"The best way to prevent the spread of influenza it to stay home if you are sick, wash your hands, cover your cough and limit your exposure to others," said Major Timothy Whoolery, Chief of Preventive Medicine at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and the Europe Regional Medical Command Consultant for Army Public Health Nursing.
If, however, you have symptoms of flu and are in a high-risk group, or are very sick or worried about your illness, contact your healthcare provider (doctor, physician's assistant, etc.). High risk conditions are discussed later in this article, and in some instances, these individuals should go to the Emergency Room. If you are registered with Relay Health, you can reach your provider by e-mail or call the clinic you are assigned to and ask to speak with your provider's nurse.
Individuals who are at higher risk for complications from influenza include:
• People with asthma
• People with diabetes
• People with heart disease and those who have had a stroke
• Adults 65 and older
• Pregnant women
• People who have HIV or AIDS
• People who have cancer
• Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
For a full list of people at high risk of flu-related complications, see:
"People at High Risk of Developing Flu--Related Complications" at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/high_risk.htm If you are in a high-risk group and develop flu symptoms, it's best for you to contact your doctor. Remind them about your high-risk status for flu.
Healthcare providers will determine whether influenza testing and treatment are needed. LRMC has the medication Tamiflu available which will shorten the course of influenza; however this medication is usually prescribed for those who are most at risk for severe complications. It does help prevent some more serious complications but does not offer much benefit for those who are otherwise healthy.
Do I need to go the emergency room if I am only a little sick?
No. The Emergency Room should be used for people who are very sick. You should not go to the emergency room if you are only mildly ill. However, if you have the emergency warning signs of flu sickness, you should go to the Emergency Room.
If you get sick with flu symptoms and are at high risk of flu complications or you are concerned about your illness, call your healthcare provider for advice. If you go to the Emergency Room and you are not sick with the flu, you may catch it from people who do have it. It's important to remember that during the flu season, wait times in Emergency Rooms become longer.
What are the emergency warning signs of flu sickness?
In children:
• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child 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 eat
• Has trouble breathing
• Has no tears when crying
• Significantly fewer wet diapers than normal
In adults:
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Medicine Safety and Children
About medicines for children:
• Store all medicines out of reach of children. Place them in a locked cabinet where children can't reach them.
• Buy pain and fever medicines that say "children's" on the label. Also, look for the words "acetaminophen" or "ibuprofen" on the label.
• Call the doctor if your child is very small or very large for his or her age so you will be sure to give the right amount of medicine. The dose you give your child depends on the child's age and weight.
• Use a special medicine spoon, dropper, or the cap that came with the medicine. Wash the cap, dropper, or spoon with soap and water after each use.
• Don't give cough or cold medicines to children younger than 4 years of age.
Warning!
Think your child age 18 or younger might have the flu?
Never give them aspirin or products with aspirin in them.
Check all medicine labels to make sure they do not contain aspirin, also called salicylate. Although it mostly affects people age 18 or younger, Reye's Syndrome can strike anyone who takes aspirin products when they have the flu. Reye's Syndrome is a rare, serious illness than can affect the blood, liver, and brain of someone who has recently had a flu virus. This illness can cause confusion, seizures, or coma. Talk to your child's doctor about signs and symptoms of Reye's Syndrome.
How long should I stay home if I'm sick?
The CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or other necessities. Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol. You should stay home from work, school, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings.
What should I do while I'm sick?
Stay away from others as much as possible to keep from infecting them. If you must leave home, for example, to get medical care, wear a facemask if you have one, or cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Wash your hands often to keep from spreading flu to others.
If you have to visit the hospital or clinics:
• Please do not visit patients or staff at the hospital/clinics if you have symptoms of the flu. Signs of the flu include fever, chills, fatigue, headaches or body aches and pain, coughing, sneezing, runny nose or sore throat.
• Please limit visitors to patient areas to two adults per patient at any time. Limiting the number of visitors per patient will help control the spread of the illness.
• Please do not bring your children on hospital visits. Since children are more likely to get sick and spread the flu, it is best to limit their exposure to others in the hospital.
• Please wash your hands and your children's hands frequently. Look for hand-washing stations around the hospital, and use them often. Please make sure to clean your hands when entering and leaving the hospital either by washing with soap or rubbing your hands together with hand sanitizer.
As a general reminder, influenza can affect the entire community. As cases rise, you may see decreased staffing at certain community agencies and experience longer wait times in clinics and the Emergency Room.
For more information about flu, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/
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