The beanies are on and mulled wine is back. Winter has crept up on us, and you’ve probably already heard “there’s something going round”, be it in the office or on the playground.
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2017 proved just how contagious influenza, ‘the flu’ can be. “Last year’s flu season in Australia was the largest since 2009, with about 250,000 laboratory-confirmed cases,” GP Dr Jill Gamberg of Double Bay Doctors said. “This is a huge underestimate, as many people did not get tested.”
Signs and symptoms
“Typical flu symptoms are fever, chills, a cough, sore throat, runny or congested nose, muscle aches, joint pain, headaches, fatigue, and sometimes nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea,” Gamberg said. “Sounds pretty horrible, right?”
Let’s not make things complicated.
Sinus or ear infections, and pneumonia are complications that can stem from influenza.
“These can result from either the influenza virus alone or from the flu plus a co-infection with a bacteria,” Gamberg said. “The flu can trigger other possible serious complications which include inflammation of the heart, brain, or muscles, and multi-organ failure (failure of the lungs, heart, and kidneys), leading to hospital or intensive care admissions.
“Influenza can also make chronic medical problems worse,” Gamberg said. “Asthmatics may experience asthma attacks, and people with heart disease may experience a heart attack, for example.
“The most serious complication of influenza is death.”
What can we do to beat the flu?
“Get a seasonal influenza vaccination,” said Gamberg. “Any person from six months of age can have the vaccine, as long as they don’t have a medical reason to not have the immunisation.”
The vaccine is government-funded and free if you belong to a high risk population. “The highest risk populations are the elderly (over 65s), young children, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, people with chronic health conditions, and pregnant women,” Gamberg said.
Is it true that you get the flu from the flu vaccine?
“You cannot get influenza from the vaccine!” Gamberg exclaimed. “The vaccine is inactivated. There is no live virus in it.”
How can you prevent the spread of influenza?
You’ll be infectious the day before your symptoms start, Gamberg said, so initially it’s hard not to spread the flu. “Adults are most infectious in the first 3-5 days of their illness and children can be infectious for 7-10 days.
“Cover your face when you cough or sneeze, throw used tissues in the bin, wash your hands thoroughly and often, and stay home until you’re well,” Gamberg said. “It can take up to two-to-three weeks to recover fully.” Although tempting to not take another sick day, or to catch up with your mates over drinks a few days into the flu, you’ll only be putting your recovery on pause - and getting your colleagues and friends sick in the process.
Treatment
This mainly involves symptomatic management, Gamberg said. “Simple pain medications and anti-inflammatories can be helpful, plus plenty of fluids and rest. Anti-viral medications can possibly shorten the length of illness and decrease the potential of complications, but they need to be started within 48 hours from flu-onset, and tend to be most useful for at- risk populations.”
Prevention is the ultimate goal.
“Please get your flu shot,” Gamberg said. “My family and I have. That way we can protect ourselves, our families, our communities and our country.”
- Healthshare is a joint venture with Fairfax Media designed to improve health outcomes for regional Australians by improving access to information and health practitioners.