10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

THE FLU BLUES
By Nurse Practitioner Norma Stephens Hannigan

Day 1 – you think you’re going to die. Day 2 – you wish you would! In many parts of the country, the gold and crimson leaves of autumn are falling to the ground, blanketing it in preparation for another winter. In others parts of the country, the weather is still warm and wonderful. But no matter where you are, flu season is fast approaching.

WHAT IS THE FLU? The flu (which is short for influenza) is caused by a virus. Symptoms of the flu include chills, fever, dry cough, muscle aches, runny and/or stuffy nose, fatigue, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. We tend to think of it as a benign disease that everyone gets, hates having, but survives. For the most part, that’s true, but the flu can take a serious toll. Each year, about 200,000 people are hospitalized in the U.S. and 36,000 of them die. Complications of the flu include pneumonia, sinusitis and ear infection. The flu can also worsen chronic illnesses like congestive heart failure, asthma and diabetes. Smoking can make you more susceptible to getting it, and smokers more often die if they do get the flu. People with HIV must be extraordinarily careful not to contract it. Those who work irregular hours and get less than ideal amounts of sleep are also more likely to get sick.

HOW DO YOU GET THE FLU? The flu virus may spread directly through human to human contact, including shaking hands, coughing and sneezing, or it may remain on a surface and you can pick it up by touching that surface. This is why there is so much emphasis on hand washing for good health. We can’t wash every surface we come in contact with but we can wash our hands frequently to avoid passing on our germs or infecting ourselves when we eat or touch our eyes, nose or mouth. Unfortunately, we may be able to pass on the flu virus before we even realize we are sick with it and for about 5 days after we develop symptoms.

HOW DO YOU PREVENT GETTING THE FLU? Getting the flu vaccine annually is the best way to prevent the flu. But, since nothing is 100% sure in this life, there is a slight possibility that one could still get sick. The good news is, however, that even if you do get sick, it is generally a much milder case than you would have gotten if you hadn’t been vaccinated. Each year a new flu vaccine comes out because, being the tricky little bugs that they are, they come in lots of different strains. For this reason, unlike the other vaccines that you get once or twice in your lifetime or much further apart (like tetanus, which is recommended every 10 years), the flu vaccine has to be re-administered annually, depending on which are the most prevalent strains in a given year.

HOW DOES THE VACCINE WORK? The vaccine contains inactivated Influenza A and B virus – just enough to make your body produce substances to fight off any viruses you come into contact with, but not enough to make you sick. Often, a person who just got vaccinated gets sick and blames the vaccine. Truth is, the person who just got vaccinated may already have been infected with the virus but didn’t know it. It is believed to be coincidental if a person gets ill after getting the shot – they were going to get sick anyway. And here’s some good news – the flu vaccine now comes in the form of a nasal spray for those among us who just hate shots! Also, since there has been concern about the possibility that the preservative (thimerosal) used in the vaccine is causing problems like autism, there is now a preservative-free vaccine available for children. And unlike last year, there is no flu vaccine shortage anticipated this time around.

WHO SHOULD GET THE FLU VACCINE? Anyone who wants to avoid becoming ill themselves and, therefore, spreading the disease to those around him or her, should get flu vaccine. However, there are some folks who are considered high priority by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including people with chronic disease, not only lung disease, but others like the ones mentioned before; children ages six months to five years; people over age 50; pregnant women (it doesn’t hurt the baby); people in rehabilitation facilities or nursing homes; health care workers; and people who care for high risk people at home.

WHO SHOULD NOT GET THE FLU VACCINE? People who should not get the vaccine include anyone who has a severe allergy to eggs, babies less than six months old and persons who have had a bad reaction to flu vaccine before or developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (a neurological disorder) within six weeks of receiving flu vaccine previously (believe me, if you have had this syndrome, you know it).

WHEN & WHERE CAN YOU GET THE VACCINE? Flu vaccine becomes available in October or November in most places. Getting your flu shot early allows your body to produce the disease-fighting substances it needs to keep you from getting sick. But, even if you aren’t the first in line, it’s still worth it to get vaccinated, since the germs are around into the early spring. If you have a health care provider, that person may give flu shots in his/her office. Otherwise, the local health department is the place to go (some clinics have vaccination campaigns as well).

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU GET SICK? There are now four different anti-viral medicines available for treating the flu, but they work best if you start taking them within two days of getting ill. It is important to note here that taking antibiotics you have left over from some previous illness is not going to help you in this situation and, in fact, may cause more harm in the long run. Staying at home, resting, getting lots of fluids and taking over-the-counter medications that make you more comfortable, are about the best things you can do while you wait it out. You probably won’t die, but you still might feel like you could. So just hang in there and take care of yourself – it will all be over before you know it!