Flu Alert, by Darcee Dunkle, RN

Influenza, more commonly known as "the flu", is invading our lives once again. Winter is the most common time for the flu to strike, and this year it is striking with a vengeance.

Influenza is a highly contagious disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated ten-to-twenty percent of the US population gets the flu each year - an average of 114,000 people are hospitalized for flu-related complications, and around 36,000 Americans die each year from complications of the flu.

The flu virus is transmitted person-to-person via respiratory droplets taht are sent sailing through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Each unprotected cough or sneeze can propel these droplets up to three feet, where they can be deposited on the mouth or nose of anyone nearby. The flu virus can also linger in the air for as long as three hours.

The incubation period for the flu is one to four days, with an average of two days. A person who has the flu is contagiuos beginning one day prior to developing symptoms, up to seven days after getting sick. Children can be contagious for longer than seven days after getting sick.

Flu symptoms are usually sudden in onset and begin with a headache, dry cough, and chills. High fever, extreme tiredness, muscle aches and pains, chest discomfort, and cough are also common with the flu. Adults seldom have gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea with the flu; these symptoms are much more common in children.

So how can we prevent getting the flu? One of the main ways is to avoid people who are sick! If you are the person who is sick, keep your distance from others. By staying home from work or school, and not going out and about running errands, etc., you will help prevent spreading the flu to othres. Be sure to cover your mouth with a disposable tissue when coughing or sneezing (to avoid propelling those droplets through the air) and do not forget to dispose of the tissue once you have used it! Wash your hands well nad often to protect yourself from the flu virus germs. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Also, to prevent getting the flu, be sure to get an annual flu vaccine. There are currently two approved vaccines on the market. The first and most common is the flu shot. This vaccine is made up of inactivated viruses (which is why the flu shot itself does not cause the flu). The newest vaccine on the market is a nasal spray. This vaccine is made up of weakened live influenza viruses. The best time to get a flu vaccine is mid-October to mid-November - before the December to March flu season hits - as it takes the immune system about six-to-eight weeks to respond to the vaccine. However, getting the flu shot at anytime during the winter months is better than not getting it at all. The vaccine needs to be repeated annually, since the imunity from the vaccine is believed to last only about one year, and because the composition of the vaccine is changed every year, based on the flu strains that scientists expect to be most common that year. The flu vaccine is strongly recommended for people 65 and over, residents of nursing homes and other facilities that provide care for chronically ill people, people over six months of age who have certain underlying medical conditions (such as asthma, diatetes, heart or lung disease, etc.), children and teenagers who must take aspirin regularly (therefore at risk of developing Reye's Syndrome if they get the flu), people with regular and close contact to high risk groupds (such as healthcare workers, police, firefighters, etc.), and pregnant women who have a high risk condition (regardless of the stage of pregnancy).

So what if, despite all your precautions, you get the flu? Then you need to get plenty of rest and drink a lot of fluids. Treat the symptoms. Use antipyretics and analgesics (such as Tylenol) to help reduce fevers and relieve aches and pains. However, do not give aspirin to people under 20-years-old, as this has been associated with Reye's Syndrome -- a rare condition that can be fatal! Use antitussives to help guiet coughs. Always check with your doctor before using any over-the-counter medication if you are already taking medications for chronic ailments such as heart or lung disease.

There are new antiviral medications available that have been approved to treat the flu. These must be prescribed by your doctor and must be started within the first 48 hours of your illness to be effective and must be taken for five days.

If you have any further questions regarding the flu, flu vaccines, flu treatment, or antiviral medications and what is best for you, please contact your doctor.