Age Page from the National Institute on Aging: What To Do About Flu.Each winter, millions of people suffer from the flu, a highly contagious infection. It spreads easily from person to person mainly when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Flu -- the short name for influenza -- is caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. It usually is a mild disease in healthy children, young adults, and middle-aged people. However, flu can be life threatening in older adults and in people of any age who have chronic illnesses such as diabetes or heart, lung, or kidney diseases. Can Flu Be Prevented? A flu shot can greatly lower your chances of getting the flu. Much of the illness and death caused by flu can be prevented by a yearly flu shot. The cost of the flu shot is covered by Medicare. Many private health insurance plans also pay for the flu shot. You can get a flu shot at your doctor's office. You also may be able to get a flu shot from your local health department or from other health care providers. No vaccine gives complete protection, and the flu shot is no exception. In older people and those with certain chronic illnesses, the flu shot often is less effective in preventing flu than in reducing symptoms and the risk of serious illness and death. Studies have shown that the flu shot reduces hospitalization by about 70% and death by about 85% among older people who are not in nursing homes. Among nursing home residents, the flu shot reduces the risk of hospitalization by about 50%, the risk of pneumonia by about 60%, and the risk of death by 75 to 80%. Who Should Get the Flu Shot? According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Federal Government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. , the following people are at risk for serious illness from the flu and should get a flu shot every year: * People 65 years of age and older * Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities long-term care facility n. See skilled nursing facility. * Adults and children who have chronic heart or lung diseases * Adults and children with diabetes, kidney disease, or severe forms of anemia * Health care workers in contact with people in high-risk groups * Caregivers or people who live with someone in a high-risk group When is the Best Time to Get the Flu Shot? In the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , flu season usually occurs from November until April. Most people get the flu between late December and early March. The best time to get your flu shot is between September and mid-November. It takes about 1 to 2 weeks after you get the shot to develop protection. Does the Shot Cause Side Effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. ? The flu shot does not cause side effects in most people. Fewer than one-third of those who get the shot have some soreness, redness, or swelling on the arm where the shot is given. These side effects, which can last up to 2 days, rarely interfere with a person's daily activities. About 5 to 10% of people have mild side effects such as headache or low-grade fever for about a day after vaccination. The flu shot is made from killed flu viruses, which cannot cause the flu. With very rare exceptions, the danger from getting flu -- and possibly pneumonia -- is far greater than the danger from the side effects of the shot. One of these rare exceptions is people who have a severe allergy to eggs. The viruses for flu vaccines are grown in eggs and may cause serious reactions in people who are severely allergic to eggs. People who have a severe allergy to eggs should not get the flu shot. Why Do You Need A Flu Shot Every Year? Preventing flu is hard because flu viruses change all the time. This year's flu virus usually is slightly different from last year's virus. Every year the flu shot is updated to include the most current flu virus strains. That's one reason why flu shots will protect you for only 1 year. What Are the Symptoms of the Flu? Flu can cause fever, chills, dry cough dry cough n. A cough not accompanied by expectoration; a nonproductive cough. , sore throat Sore Throat Definition Sore throat, also called pharyngitis, is a painful inflammation of the mucous membranes lining the pharynx. It is a symptom of many conditions, but most often is associated with colds or influenza. , runny run·ny adj. run·ni·er, run·ni·est Inclined to run or flow: runny icing; a runny nose. runny Adjective [-nier, -niest or stuffy nose, as well as headache, muscle aches, and often extreme fatigue. Although nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can sometimes accompany the flu, especially in children, gastrointestinal symptoms rarely occur. The illness that people call "stomach flu" is not influenza. It's easy to confuse a common cold with the flu. Overall, cold symptoms are milder and don't last as long as the flu. How Serious Is Flu? Most people who get the flu recover completely in 1 to 2 weeks, but some people develop serious and possibly life-threatening complications. While your body is busy fighting off the flu, you may be less able to resist a second infection. Older people and people with chronic illnesses run the greatest risk of getting secondary infections, especially pneumonia. In an average year, flu leads to about 20,000 deaths nationwide and many more hospitalizations. How Is Flu Treated? If you get the flu, rest in bed, drink plenty of fluids, and take medication such as aspirin or acetaminophen acetaminophen (əsēt'əmĭn`əfĭn), an analgesic and fever-reducing medicine similar in effect to aspirin. It is an active ingredient in many over-the-counter medicines, including Tylenol and Midol. to relieve fever and discomfort. Antibiotics are not effective against flu viruses. However, four drugs have been approved to treat people who get the flu: * amantadine amantadine /aman·ta·dine/ (ah-man´tah-den) an antiviral compound used as the hydrochloride salt to treat influenza A; also used as an antidyskinetic in the treatment of parkinsonism and drug-induced extrapyramidal reactions. (Symmetrel), * rimantadine (Flumadine), * zanamivir (Relenza), and * oseltamivir (Tamiflu) When taken within 48 hours after the onset of illness, these drugs reduce the duration of fever and other symptoms. These drugs are only available by prescription. Call your doctor if you have any signs of flu and: * Your fever lasts; you may have a more serious infection. * You have breathing or heart problems or other serious health problems. * You are taking drugs to fight cancer or other drugs that weaken your body's natural defenses against illness. * You feel sick and don't seem to be getting better. * You have a cough that begins to produce phlegm phlegm humor effecting temperament of sluggishness. [Medieval Physiology: Hall, 130] See : Laziness . * You are worried about your health. Facts About Flu * The flu can be very dangerous for people 65 and older. * The flu can be prevented. * A flu shot is necessary each fall for people in high-risk groups. * The flu shot is covered by Medicare. * The flu shot is safe. It can't cause the flu. * The flu shot and the pneumococcal vaccine pneu·mo·coc·cal vaccine n. A vaccine containing purified capsular polysaccharide antigen from the most common infectious types of Streptococcus pneumoniae, used to immunize against pneumonococcal disease. can be given at the same time. For More Information For more information about health and aging, contact the National Institute on Aging The National Institute on Aging is a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, located in Bethesda, Maryland. Formed in 1974, NIA's mission is to improve the health and well-being of older Americans through research. It is the primary U.S. Information Center at 1-800-222-22225 or 1-800-222-4225 (TTY (TeleTYpewriter) See teletypewriter and TDD/TTY. (hardware) tty - /tit'ee/ (ITS pronunciation, but some Unix people say it this way as well; this pronunciation is not considered to have sexual undertones), /T T Y/ 1. teletypewriter. 2. ). The website address is http://www.nih.gov/nia. The NIA NIA National Institute on Aging (NIH) NIA National Indoor Arena (UK) NIA National Intelligence Agency (South Africa and Thailand) NIA National Institute of Accountants distributes a number of other free Age Pages, including "Shots for Safety." Information about flu and other adult immunizations also is available from the following groups. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 301-496-5717 http://www.niaid.nih.gov Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Immunization immunization: see immunity; vaccination. Information Hotline 1-800-232-2522 http://www.cdc.gov Food and Drug Administration 1-888-463-6332 http://www.fda.gov American Lung Association The American Lung Association (ALA) is a non-profit organization that "fights lung disease in all its forms, with special emphasis on asthma, tobacco control and environmental health". 1-800-586-4872 http://www.lungusa.org National Coalition for Adult Immunization Suite 750 4733 Bethesda Avenue Bethesda, MD 20814 http://www.nfid.org/ncai February 2000 National Institute on Aging U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Noun 1. Department of Health and Human Services - the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979 Health and Human Services, HHS Public Health Service National Institutes of Health * Go to Top of Page * Go to ElderPage * Go to AoA Home Page * Go to AgePage Menu * Go to Quick Index * Go to Site Index Developed by the National Institute on Aging Hypertext conversion by Saadia Greenberg - -- last modified Friday, May 26, 2000 11:31:36 |
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