Fall is Flu Season!
Influenza (flu) is a highly contagious viral infection that attacks your nose, throat and lungs. It is contracted through coughs, sneezes, and talking as the virus travels through air droplets from an infected individual.
Prevention against the flu
According to the CDC, anyone who is over 6 months of age is recommended to get a flu vaccine every season. Staying up-to-date on your flu vaccine can help reduce flu illnesses, trips to the doctor’s office, and days missed at work and school. Getting your yearly vaccine will help protect your immune system and provide optimal protection against the flu. While it may not completely prevent you from catching the flu, it can lessen flu symptoms.
There are additional preventative actions that can be taken each day to help stop the spread.
If you know someone is sick; avoid close contact, and if you feel like you are sick then do your best to keep your distance from others.
If you or your child are coughing and/or sneezing make sure to cover noses and mouths. For kids, you can teach them the “dracula sneeze.” This is done by simply teaching them to cough into the elbow.
Wash your hands often and well with soap and warm water. If there is no soap and water available, you can opt for alcohol based hand sanitizer.
Limit touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as this can increase the spread of germs.
What to do if you become ill
If one contracts the flu it usually will resolve on its own, but there are individuals at higher risk for developing complications related to the flu. Those at higher risk include children under age 5, adults 65 and older, nursing home residents, pregnant women, Native Americans, those with chronic illnesses, and those who are obese.
The flu may resemble the common cold, however a cold will develop slowly and the flu will come on more suddenly. The contagious period may begin 1 day before symptom onset or 5 days after. Common signs of the flu include fever, muscle aches, chills, sweats, headache, dry cough, shortness of breath, tiredness, weakness, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, eye pain, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. In most cases, you may not need to visit the doctor and can treat the symptoms at home, but if one were to experience difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, chest pain, ongoing dizziness, seizures, worsening of existing medical conditions, or severe weakness and muscle pain then you may need to seek medical care.
If you become ill with the flu, antiviral drugs may be available from your doctor. It is important for you to avoid contact with others as you may be highly contagious. The CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours of being fever free without the use of fever-reducing medications. You will also want to take extra precautions by covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, throwing your tissues away, washing your hands, and disinfecting surfaces. For more treatment tips, visit the CDC’s website.
There’s good news though - seasonal flu activity is low at this point. Let's stay ahead of the flu this year by making sure you’re updated on your flu vaccine! September and October are good times to get vaccinated, but if you are unable to get yours before the end of October you can still receive protection during peak flu season.