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Indiana has been upgraded into the wide-spread flu category which is the highest level of concern. The Indiana State Department of Health revealed that 79% of flu-like illnesses the last week of January 2011 tested positive for influenza. The state of Indiana experienced two additional influenza associated deaths the last week of January 2011. Everyone, please take the following precautions and read the following reminders to assist you and your loved ones in staying healthy: Know how to recognize the flu without having to diagnose it!
The signs and symptoms of the flu are:
• Fever* or feeling feverish/chills
• Coughing and/or sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Headaches and/or body aches
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
* It's important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.
If you are taking care of someone at home who has flu, you should protect yourself and other people in the household • Avoid being face-to-face with the sick person. When holding small children who are sick, place their chin on your shoulder so that they will not cough in your face.
• If close contact with a sick individual is unavoidable, consider wearing a facemask or respirator, if available and tolerable.
• Ask the person’s health care provider about any special care that might be needed, especially if the person is pregnant or has diabetes, heart disease, asthma, or emphysema.
• Ask the patient’s health care provider whether the patient or you, as the caregiver, should take any type of antiviral medication.
• Keep the sick person away from other people as much as possible, especially others who are at high risk of complications from influenza.
• Make sure everyone in the household cleans their hands often, using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Ask your healthcare provider if household contacts of the sick person—particularly those contacts who may have chronic health conditions—should take antiviral medications such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) or zanamivir (Relenza®) to prevent getting the flu.
• Get medical care right away or call 911 if the person you are caring for shows any type of the following signs or symptoms:
Also, call your doctor or 911 when in doubt! • Has difficulty breathing or chest pain
• Has purple or blue discoloration of the lips
• Is vomiting and unable to keep liquids down
• Shows signs of dehydration, such as feeling dizzy when standing, being unable to urinate, or (in infants) crying without shedding tears
• Has seizures (for example, uncontrolled convulsions), or
• Is less responsive than normal or becomes confused.
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Flu Information - Stay Healthy!posted Feb 11, 2011 12:35 PM by Tammy Havard |