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INFLUENZA - a patient's guide
Editorial Team
Overview
Influenza makes you feel much worse than a cold
It is highly contagious and spread by coughing and sneezing
Bad aches and pains are strong signs you may have the
flu
Other symptoms include weakness, fever and the shivers
It can be serious in the elderly and people with weak
immune systems
The flu can lead to pneumonia in serious cases and can
be fatal
The flu vaccine is nearly 90 percent effective in preventing
the illness
The elderly and people with chronic diseases are strongly
advised to have a shot
What is it?
The flu is not just a bad cold. It is a virus which causes
much more serious symptoms than a cold.
The flu is highly contagious and is spread by coughing
and sneezing. Epidemics usually strike in late autumn and
continue during winter.
It can be severe in the elderly or people with weak immune
systems, and can lead to pneumonia and death.
There are two main strains of the influenza virus, type
A and type B, with A being the most serious strain and the
cause of the worst epidemics.
The incubation period is between one and two days.
The flu can be prevented by a flu vaccine which is nearly
90 percent effective.
What are the symptoms?
The flu may feel like a cold at first, but the symptoms
get quickly worse, leaving the patient tired and weak. Bad
aches and pains in the back and limbs are tell tale signs
of the flu.
Initial symptoms include headache, tiredness, the shivers,
feeling hot or cold, and aches and pains. These may be followed
by a sore throat, coughing and a runny nose.
The infection may spread to the lungs causing bronchitis
or pneumonia.
As other serious conditions such as meningitis and pneumonia
may cause similar symptoms, it is advisable to have an examination
with your doctor.
Some warning signs of other conditions could be severe
headache, sore neck (meningitis) or bad coughing, breathing
problems and chest pains (pneumonia).
What can be done to help?
There is no cure for the flu. Antibiotics do not help,
unless a secondary bacterial infection has developed.
Bed rest is the best remedy. Drink lots of fluid and take
paracetamol to ease the symptoms. Orange and lemon juice
may help.
Consult your doctor if the symptoms get worse or you don't
feel better after a few days.
How can it be prevented?
The flu vaccine is effective at preventing the illness
in the majority of people who get it.
It is approximately 90% effective in preventing both types
A and B, and will possibly reduce the severity of infection
in someone who does still get it.
It takes up to 14 days after an injection for the vaccine
to become fully effective. People are immune for about one
year.
The flu vaccine is changed every year in response to the
changing viruses going around.
Strong candidates for a flu injection include the elderly,
people with chronic diseases, and those with weak immune
systems, and health care workers.
People wanting to avoid having time off work or being
sick on holiday may also want to be immunised.
Pregnant women, people with bleeding disorders and people
allergic to eggs should not have a flu injection.
Side effects from the injection include feeling off colour
for a day or two and swelling at the injection site.
Future trends
Public health programmes will concentrate on targeting
at risk groups for the vaccine.
There are also predictions of a new flu virus emerging,
causing a worldwide epidemic in future.
Getting help
Your doctor, or practice nurse will be able to help.
Some employers offer free flu injections.
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