Cold and Flu Awareness

The Cold and flu season begins with the coming of fall. As soon as the kids return to school, the germs start flying and before you know it, flu and cold season is upon us. Cold or Flu, that is the question!

Flu symptoms tend to make you sicker than a cold. You know you've got the flu when the onset is sudden, and the symptoms include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, sore throat, cough and a general feeling of tiredness.

We want to provide you with information to keep you as healthy as possible this season. Prevention and appropriate care for your condition is your best safeguard in dealing with the common cold and the flu.

The Common Cold

A cold is an infection of the upper respiratory tract. It's common and relatively harmless - but it sure doesn't feel that way when you have one. If it's not a runny nose, sore throat and a cough, it's watery eyes, sneezing and miserable congestion; or maybe all of the above. Over 200 different viruses cause the common cold. As with the flu, it is commonly spread by contact and airborne germs. The symptoms may be similar to the flu, however the symptoms are typically not as severe and the onset is gradual.

Unfortunately, if you're like most adults, you're likely to have two to four colds a year. Children, especially preschoolers, may have between five and nine colds annually. Colds are particularly prevalent among children attending childcare.

The good news is that your symptoms should improve within a week, although some colds may last as long as two weeks. If a cold lasts longer than that, see your practitioner to make sure you don't have a secondary bacterial infection in your lungs, larynx, trachea, sinuses or ears.

Cold Self-care
You may not be able to cure your cold, but you can make yourself as comfortable as possible. These tips may help:

• Drink lots of fluids. Drink at least eight glasses of fluids and get plenty of rest. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can cause dehydration and aggravate your symptoms.

• If you’re a smoker, stop smoking to prevent further irritation to your nose and throat.

• Take a break from work. Consider staying home if you have a fever or a bad cough, or are drowsy from medications. This will give you a chance to rest as well as reduce the chances that you'll infect others. Wear a mask when you have a cold if you live or work with someone with a chronic disease or compromised immune system.

• Adjust your room's temperature and humidity. Keep your room warm but not overheated. If the air is dry, a cool mist humidifier or vaporizer can moisten the air and help ease congestion and coughing. Be sure to keep the humidifier clean, however, to prevent the growth of bacteria and molds.

• Soothe your throat. Gargling with warm salt water several times a day or drinking warm lemon water with honey may help soothe a sore throat and relieve a cough.

• Choosing over the counter medications. Most practitioners recommend taking a single medication for each symptom rather than a combination (all-in-one) cold preparation. To help relieve nasal congestion, try saline nasal drops. And remember, antibiotics are not helpful in killing common cold viruses.

Prevention
Because so many different viruses can cause colds, no effective vaccine has been developed. But though it may seem that colds are inevitable, you can take some common-sense precautions to slow the spread of cold viruses.

• Wash your hands frequently and teach your children the importance of hand washing. For important information on effective hand washing, click here.

• Always sneeze and cough into tissues. Discard used tissues right away.

• Don't share drinking glasses with other family members. Use your own glass or disposable cups when you or someone else is sick.

• Avoid close, prolonged contact with someone who has a cold. 

The Flu

At least 20 million people, including 500,000 U.S. citizens, died in the 1918 influenza pandemic. Today, as many as 36,000 Americans continue to die each year of what's commonly known as the flu, and another 150,000 are hospitalized. You're especially at risk if you are an older adult, have diabetes, chronic cardiovascular or lung disease, or an impaired immune system.

But anyone can get influenza, a viral infection that attacks your respiratory system, including your nose, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs. Although other viral infections, especially colds and intestinal ailments such as gastroenteritis - a condition that causes diarrhea, nausea and vomiting - are often referred to as the flu, they're not. Real influenza usually doesn't affect your intestines. And while you may cough and sneeze with the flu, you're also likely to have a high fever, chills and body aches - signs and symptoms you won't typically have with a cold.

You're exposed to the flu when someone who's infected with the influenza virus coughs or sneezes, or you touch something they've handled. That's why the flu spreads rapidly anywhere people congregate. Most outbreaks in North America occur between October and May. The peak season is usually late December to early March.

People at High Risk
Most people consider the flu to be a seasonal annoyance, but it can lead to serious complications, such as bacterial pneumonia. Until recently you were considered to have a higher risk of complications from influenza if you were 65 or older. But in April 2000, a panel formed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggested that people ages 50 to 65, especially those with chronic diseases, also were at increased risk and should be vaccinated. 

In addition, you're at increased risk of catching the flu or experiencing severe complications if you:

• Are a resident of a nursing home or other chronic-care facility.

• Are a child-care provider.

• Take care of people with a high risk of acquiring influenza.

• Will be in your second or third trimester of pregnancy during flu season.

• Have a weakened immune system from infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), leukemia or antirejection medications you take following an organ transplant.

• Have diabetes or a heart, kidney or lung condition. If you have diabetes, you're at greater risk of flu complications, such as pneumonia, and are three times more likely to die of the flu than are people without diabetes.

• Children are at high risk if they:

  • Have asthma or another chronic lung condition.

  • Have cardiovascular disease. Children with cardiovascular diseases often have mild congestion in their lungs, making them more susceptible to viral illnesses.

  • Are taking medications to suppress their immune systems.

  • Have sickle cell anemia, HIV infection, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or chronic metabolic diseases or are on long-term aspirin therapy. Aspirin therapy puts children age 16 and younger at risk of Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.

  • Are between 6 months and 23 months of age.

Flu Self Care
Unless you're at risk of complications from influenza, your practitioner may suggest the following:

• Drink lots of fluids. Drink at least eight glasses of fluids. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can cause dehydration and aggravate your symptoms.

• If you’re a smoker, stop smoking to prevent further irritation to you nose and throat.

• Get plenty of rest.

• Adjust your room's temperature and humidity. Keep your room warm but not overheated. If the air is dry, a cool mist humidifier or vaporizer can moisten the air and help ease congestion and coughing. Be sure to keep the humidifier clean, however, to prevent the growth of bacteria and molds.

• Choosing over the counter medications. Most practitioners recommend taking a single medication for each symptom rather than a combination. And remember, antibiotics are not helpful in killing the flu virus.

Prevention

• Flu vaccine is the single most effective means for preventing infection with the flu virus and the complications that are associated with flu. To be properly protected, however, everyone must be re-vaccinated each year because the flu viruses change each year.

• Wash your hands frequently and teach your children the importance of hand washing. For important information on effective hand washing, click here.

• Always sneeze and cough into tissues. Discard used tissues right away.

• Don't share drinking glasses with other family members. Use your own glass or disposable cups when you or someone else has the flu.

• Avoid close, prolonged contact with someone who has the flu.

The Use of Antibiotics for Colds and Flu

Antibiotics often are seen as the wonder drugs of the 20th century, successfully treating serious and life-threatening diseases. After the discovery of penicillin more than 50 years ago, hundreds of other antibiotics were created to combat bacterial infections. But just a few years after their introduction, a troubling pattern emerged. Bacteria frequently treated with the same antibiotic eventually would develop resistance to the drug, and a stronger medication would have to be used. The bugs would soon learn to resist that drug also. This created a cycle in which increasingly powerful drugs were needed. 

Although antibiotics have greatly improved our ability to treat many infectious diseases, their increased use has created a resistance problem and a growing public health concern.

• Antibiotics are intended for bacterial infections. Don’t take them for viral infections such as colds, coughs or the flu.

• If your practitioner determines that you don’t have a bacterial infection, ask about ways to help relieve your symptoms. Don’t pressure him or her to prescribe an antibiotic.

If your practitioner prescribes an antibiotic for a bacterial infection:

• Take the medicine exactly as prescribed.

• Take the antibiotic until it’s gone, even if you’re feeling better. Don’t save the medication to treat yourself or others later.

Above all, smart use of antibiotics is the key to controlling the spread of resistance. It’s therefore your responsibility to partner with your practitioner in the appropriate and sensible use of antibiotics.

Despite even the best prevention efforts, sometimes a secondary bacterial infection can occur. If your cold or flu doesn’t resolve in a week or two, consider checking with your practitioner again.

VMG FLU CLINICS ARE STARTING IN OCTOBER. STOP BY OR CALL AND MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT FOR YOUR FLU SHOT TODAY!

Please stop at the bulletin board in the reception areas for more information and handouts, or check out the websites below.

More resources on this month’s health topic:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/fluvirus.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/nip/flu/

http://www.state.ma.us/dph/cdc/epii/flu/flu1.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community/