
A friend of my daughter’s called me last week to ask me why he had lost his hearing. Excuse me, but how was I suppose to know.
He suddenly lost his hearing for 30 minutes and he expected me to know the reason why. I may have an RN license, but I am not a magician with a magical diagnostic wand. Without details and clues, I can’t give an answer. Sometimes I feel like a HELP center.
I get calls like that all the time. It happens frequently when you are a medical professional. Lately I have been answering questions about the H1N1 virus. As long as questions are logical, I don’t mind giving answers.
I blame the media for scaring the wits out of people with this flu epidemic. Although it is very serious, people are getting carried away with fear. Wondering if it is safe to eat bacon and if it is possible to give the flu to the dog are a couple of the irrational questions I have been asked.
Even though there is plenty of information available, there continues to be a lot of questions. I thought I would post a few of the most frequent questions I have been asked.
What is the difference between the regular flu and the H1N1 flu?
They are similar in that they are spread the same way – through coughing, sneezing, and close contact and both are highly contagious. They differ in the way the illness progresses. Initially the symptoms begin the same for both, but the H1N1 tends to worsen after 5 days with the onset of severe respiratory symptoms that may progress to pneumonia.
Why are younger people developing more severe cases with life threatening complications?
It is related to immunity. Although this is a new strain of flu and no one is totally immune, this virus has similarities to the swine flu that occurred in the 1950s and 1960s. Older adults having been exposed to those earlier strains appear to be less susceptible to this current one. Those younger than 50 years of age are less immune, especially those 25 and younger. Without any immunity and even with good health this flu presents a greater risk to them.
What are the symptoms?
Early symptoms are identical. Coughing, sneezing, sore throat, fever, body aches, chills, and fatigue. Diarrhea and vomiting is possible also. If you have the regular flu, the symptoms last a few days. The H1N1 lasts 7 days and longer. The respiratory system is most affected by the H1N1. Any difficult breathing should prompt a call to your doctor immediately. The only way to determine which strain is causing the illness is with a swab test.
What is the best way to prevent getting sick with the flu?
Precautions for transmission are the same for both strains. As simple as it sounds, FREQUENT HANDWASHING with soap and water is the most effective way of preventing infection. The average person touches their face, nose, or eyes 10 times a minute. The virus may linger on doorknobs, tabletops, phones, keyboards, keys, and other objects touched by an infected person for hours. Touching an object contaminated with the virus and then touching your face transmits the flu to you. Hand sanitizers are effective when soap and water is unavailable.
Assume that all surfaces are contaminated. Many people are infected with the virus for 5 days before symptoms develop and are actively spreading the infection during that interval.
The use of masks is controversial. Unless the mask is worn correctly covering and tightly sealing over the mouth and nose, it is worthless. Viruses are minute and smaller than bacteria. Most masks allow viruses to filter through.
Disinfecting household surfaces with diluted chlorine bleach is effective in killing the virus.
Avoiding large crowds and gatherings reduces the risk of becoming infected.
Flu vaccines are effective but it may take the body 2-3 weeks to develop immunity to the flu. During that interval you are susceptible to the illness.
The oral antiviral drug Tamiflu is used to treat flu progression. It can lessen the symptoms and duration of the illness. It is only effective if given during the first 48 hours of initial onset of symptoms. It is NOT given prior to contracting the infection as a preventative to developing the flu. Like all medications, side effects are possible and it must be prescribed by a physician.
What is the difference between the nasal flu mist vaccine and the injected vaccine?
The nasal mist is made with live flu virus. That means that minute weakened amounts of live virus are misted into the nose. Immunity occurs by actually developing a low level case of the illness. A few days after the mist, very minor flu symptoms may occur, but disappear rapidly. It should only be given to those younger than 49 with a healthy immune system.
The injected vaccine is an inactivated killed flu virus. It does not cause the illness or flu symptoms to develop as a result of the injection. In a different manner, the killed vaccine causes the body to develop antibodies against the proteins of the particular killed virus injected, thereby producing immunity. It is recommended for older adults and anyone with chronic disease, a less effective, or weakened immune system that might have a more difficult time fighting off illness.