FLEE THE FLU & AVOID H1N1
By "DocNurse" Norma Stephens Hannigan
When I hear about H1N1, it reminds me of the movie Star Wars and its lovable robot, R2D2. Unfortunately, H1N1 is not a lovable robot, but a potentially deadly virus that has invaded our world again during the past year. H1N1, also known as novel influenza or swine flu, is a virus similar to the one that causes regular seasonal “flu” (short for influenza, from the Latin word influentia, meaning influence). In olden days, people believed that epidemics were influenced by the stars.
The term swine flu is a confusing one because it makes people think they can get it from being around pigs or eating pork, but this is not the case. It is called swine flu because of the genetic likeness between this new flu and the flu that pigs can get. So, in order to cut down on the confusion, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) preferred to call it H1N1, its more scientific name. This new virus cropped up in addition to the plain old seasonal flu.
Anyone can get the H1N1 flu, and most people will get over it without a problem, but there are some groups that are more likely to have serious complications from it than others. These groups include pregnant women, persons with chronic illness like diabetes, emphysema, asthma, heart disease and illnesses that decrease the disease-fighting ability of the immune system (like HIV, or people who are going through chemotherapy treatments for cancer or have had an organ transplant). Children less than five years old are also at greater risk for developing complications. While people older than 65 are less likely to get H1N1, they are more likely to have severe complications if they do get it.
H1N1, like other bacteria and viruses, is spread through the air or by touching something that has the virus on it. When infected people talk, cough or sneeze, the germs get sent out into the air and they are breathed in by other people. Or, if the virus is on a surface, a door knob, let’s say, the next person who comes along and grabs the door knob will get the virus on his/her hand. Then, if that person touches their nose, mouth or eyes, the virus can sneak in through those “openings” and make them sick. The symptoms of H1N1 are very similar to symptoms of the regular seasonal flu. They include fever, runny nose, sore throat, a cough and generalized body aches – some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, as well. H1N1 can also cause pneumonia.
So, how dangerous is H1N1? The CDC estimates that as many as 16,000 people died in the United States between April and December of last year. Many more people were hospitalized – about 250,000. The majority of people who died had a chronic illness or some other situation that made them less healthy to begin with. The number of flu-related hospitalizations and deaths has decreased in the first weeks of 2010, but could increase again at any time.
The good news is that we have an effective flu vaccine that can prevent us from getting H1N1. The vaccine was manufactured and tested the same way that seasonal flu vaccine is prepared and there is no evidence that H1N1 vaccine is more dangerous than seasonal flu vaccine – in fact, they are about the same, as far as safety goes. The vaccine comes as a nose spray or a shot. Ask your health care provider which one is better for you. There was a shortage in 2009, but there is plenty to go around now. You can receive seasonal flu vaccine and H1N1 flu vaccine at the same time. Everyone should consider getting the vaccine and discussing it with their health care providers to make sure it’s appropriate. Washing your hands frequently during the day, especially after coughing or sneezing, is also a great way to prevent the spread of flu and other diseases. Also, you should avoid sharing utensils and dishware.
Some of you may have heard that the H1N1 vaccine is dangerous. Perhaps you even heard about the young woman who claimed she could only walk backward and run normally but couldn’t walk or talk normally when she was moving forward or at rest? Even if this were true, there are only about 1-2 people out of 100,000 every year who develop any kind of neurological (brain/muscle) problem whether they had the flu shot or not. It turns out that she has recovered from her condition. All medications, even the “natural” ones or the ones we buy without a prescription, can sometimes cause these strange side effects.
The concern for flu vaccine is Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a disorder that can cause paralysis. In the majority of people, though, even this is reversible. The question really is: which is more dangerous – the flu, be it seasonal or H1N1 – or the vaccine? Looking at the numbers, there are many more people who were hospitalized and died from the flu than developed complications from the vaccine.
If you do develop symptoms of the flu, the best thing to do is see your health care provider. He or she can help figure out if this is really what you have and, if necessary, prescribe an anti-viral medicine. As with any infectious illness, we don’t want to use antimicrobials (antibiotics and anti-virals like Tamiflu) without a real need to. Using those medicines without a good reason can cause resistance of viruses and bacteria, creating germs that no medicines can cure. Most people will get better within about 4-5 days with rest, pain relievers, fluids and TLC.
Vaccines are one of the greatest discoveries we have made in the past two centuries. Yes, it’s possible to occasionally have an unpleasant complication from having one, but, in general, the benefits far outweigh the risks. Do yourself (and those around you) a favor by protecting yourself from the flu and H1N1 so you can ride out of town with the flu left behind. You can try to flee the flu, but, truth is, it is not that difficult to protect yourself from getting sick at all. Stay healthy!
~ Dr. Norma Stephens Hannigan, who recently graduated with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, teaches at Columbia University in New York and has treated many truck drivers at the various clinics she has worked over the years. She currently writes from her home in Newburgh, New York.