Your nostril seems as purple as Rudolph’s, your head is spinning like a dreidel, and also you’re feeling as congested as vacation visitors.
One second you might be chillin’ like Frosty, and the following you might be as heat as a chestnut roasting on an open fireplace.
Either you drank an excessive amount of eggnog, ate too many latkes, or flu season has arrived.
Common signs of influenza
Influenza classically presents with the fast onset of excessive fever, chills, physique aches, headache, fatigue, and dry cough. Respiratory signs normally observe, resembling a sore throat, nasal congestion, and a runny nostril.
If you could have been naughty, Santa could not carry you any presents, and you may additionally endure from purple eyes, abdomen pains, nausea and vomiting. In younger infants, influenza could include problems resembling croup, bronchiolitis, dehydration, pneumonia, or hospitalization.
Unlike the widespread chilly, influenza may cause excessive spiking fevers lasting for as much as 5 days, and you could really feel such as you had been run over by a reindeer. Some individuals could take a number of weeks to recuperate their vitality and really feel like themselves.
Influenza is not any joke.
Grandma’s Chicken Soup and different treatments
The remedy of influenza is basically about holding somebody comfy. Drinking fluids will assist keep hydration, whereas Tylenol or ibuprofen will assist management fever and muscle aches.
Over-the-counter cough and chilly treatments may additionally enable you to really feel extra comfy however is not going to enable you to recuperate any sooner.
Rest is crucial. Scientific research have really proven that your grandmother’s rooster soup actually is efficient, and it tastes nice, too.
If recognized within the first 48 hours of signs, your physician could suggest an antiviral treatment, resembling Tamiflu. If began early sufficient, Tamiflu could scale back the length of signs by a number of days, and make you much less contagious to others.
Tamiflu may additionally be given to shut contacts as a method of stopping influenza as soon as there was an publicity.
Since influenza is a viral an infection, antibiotics is not going to be efficient within the remedy of major influenza an infection. If a secondary bacterial infection develops, resembling an ear an infection or pneumonia, your physician could prescribe an antibiotic to assist deal with the bacterial an infection.
Listen to your Mom
How many occasions has your mother informed you to cowl your mouth and nostril once you cough and sneeze, and to scrub your arms after you blow your nostril? Either your mother was previously the top of the CDC, or she is simply actually good.
It seems that influenza is unfold by microscopic droplets from coughing and sneezing and from direct contact with snot and saliva. Frequent hand-washing is an efficient option to reduce contagiousness to others.
An individual is most contagious 24 hours earlier than the onset of signs and through their most symptomatic intervals.
Shedding of the virus in nasal secretions (aka contagiousness) can proceed for at the very least per week, typically longer in babies.
The incubation interval is mostly one to 3 days from the time an individual is uncovered to the time that the fevers and aches start.
Get your flu vaccine
Depending on the yr and the strains of influenza which can be circulating, the flu vaccine could also be as much as 80 p.c efficient in stopping influenza.
Traditional targets for the flu vaccine embody people with persistent medical circumstances. It is now advisable that everybody 6 months and older obtain the flu vaccine.
The effectiveness of the flu vaccine has not been established for youngsters youthful than 6 months of age, so it’s strongly advisable that every one shut contacts and members of the family obtain the flu vaccine to assist maintain their younger kids higher insulated from publicity.
Other advisable high-risk teams embody the aged, pregnant ladies, breastfeeding mothers, shut contacts of high-risk people, and anybody else who takes care of kids.
Children youthful than age 9, who’re receiving the flu vaccine for the primary time, are inspired to return for a booster shot one month after the primary dose to determine a stronger immune response.
It’s by no means too late to get the flu vaccine, so exit and get one as we speak in the event you can.
Can the flu shot trigger the flu?
No! The flu shot doesn’t trigger the flu.
Ahhh-choooo
Remember that not all that coughs, sneezes, aches and vomits is attributable to influenza. You should still catch respiratory infections apart from influenza as a result of the flu vaccine solely protects towards influenza.
If you wish to stop sickness and keep away from that “running-into-the-Festivus-pole-feeling,” bear in mind to cowl your mouth and nostril, wash your arms continuously, keep house when you find yourself sick, get your flu vaccine, and thank your grandmother for her scrumptious rooster soup.
