Step 1: Call Your Doctor if You Think You Have Swine Flu
- If you are experiencing flu symptoms, and believe you may have been exposed to swine flu, contact your doctor immediately. They can take a swab of mucous and send it to the appropriate state laboratory to determine if you actually have swine flu.1 While the treatment you receive will depend on the severity of your symptoms, an accurate diagnosis will help your doctor properly plan your course of treatment.
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Step 2: Caring for Swine Flu at Home
- most patients with swine flu in the United States have been successfully cared for at home. If someone in your household has swine flu, there are several things you should do.
- Take precautions to avoid spreading the disease to any one else.
- Make sure the sick person gets plenty of rest and clear fluids.2
- Although over the counter medications may be useful in alleviating flu symptoms, do not give medications containing aspirin to children or teenagers because of the danger of Reye's Syndrome.
- Ask the doctor if the patient, as well as other family members, should be taking an antiviral drug.
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Step 3: When an Antiviral Drug Should be Prescribed for Swine Flu
- Viruses can develop resistance to medications used to treat them. The H1N1 virus is resistant to two commonly prescribed antivirals, amantadine and rimantadine. As of April 2009, Tamiflu and Relenza were still effective in reducing the severity and duration of swine flu symptoms.
- The CDC has issued guidelines for which patients who have confirmed, probable or suspected novel influenza should be treated with antivirals:
- All hospitalized patients
- Children under 5, and adults over 65
- All nursing home residents
- Patients 18 and younger taking long term aspirin therapy
- Patients who have chronic illnesses, such as chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), kidney, liver, he matological, neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders
- Immunosuppressed patients
- Pregnant women
- People in the high risk groups above, and their close contacts, may be prophylactically treated with Tamiflu or Relenza to prevent swine flu. Prophylactic treatment should be continue for 10 days after the last confirmed exposure
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Step 4: Signs that Immediate Medical Ca
re is Needed for Swine Flu
- While most U.S. swine flu patients to date have been successfully cared for at home, there are symptoms that require immediate medical attention. These include:
Sunday, August 16, 2009
How to Get Swine Flu Treatment
Health Swine flu : Symptoms & precautions
Swine Flu is a respiratory disease
, caused by a strain of the influenza virus known as H1N1.
Although, H1N1 is the same strain that causes seasonal outbreaks of flu in humans, the latest type is different as it is a mutated version containing genetic material that is generally found in strains of the virus that affect humans, birds and swine (pigs).
What has happened this time is that the flu viruses from humans and pigs have swapped genetic components with each other, and evolved into a completely new variety – Hence the absence of any concrete treatment plan for it.
Although the strain may have originated in pigs, it is now a wholly human disease and is being transmitted person-to-person.
Symptoms:
The first symptoms of swine flu are fever (greater than 100°F or 37.8°C), sore throat, body ache and fatigue. Some patients have also complained about running nose, diarrhoea and vomiting.
Persons who have travelled overseas recently should be extra cautious and seek medical help immediately if they have these symptoms.
But these symptoms alone would not suggest that a person is infected by Swine Flu, as it can be confirmed only after testing a respiratory specimen, that’s taken from the suspected case within the first four to five days.
So it is important to seek medical help if one feels that he/she has flu.
Precautions:
As the flu is now spreading by people-to-people to contact, the infection primarily spreads when a person comes in close contact with an infected person. The simple way to minimise the risk is by covering the mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing and wearing a mask while going close to the infected person.
Maintaining high level of hygiene is also important and one should always wash hands frequently with soap and water.
Since influenza spreads through both air and contact with contaminated surfaces, surface sanitizing may help prevent some infections. For that alcohol is an effective sanitizer, bleach can also be used to sanitize rooms or equipment that have been occupied by patients with influenza symptoms.
Treatment:
People with the flu are advised to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids, avoid using alcohol and tobacco and, if necessary, take medications such as paracetamol (acetaminophen) to relieve the fever and muscle aches associated with the flu.
However, the best way would be to get in touch with your doctor, who can help you get the right treatment.
Preventive medications are not advisable as it may lead to the development of resistance to the only known effective drug Tamiflu – the government of India has adequate stock of the drug.
Emergency Help:
If any person has all or any of the above mentioned symptoms he/she should not panic and get themselves tested in any of the government hospitals.
At present everyone is aware how the epidemic Swine Flu is broadening around the globe.
The most shocking revelation which is observed about the epidemic swine flu keeps snatching away the lives of people ranging from 20-50; hale and hearty fraction of the population.
Swine Flu in the opposition of seasonal Flu.
Swine Flu includes symptoms alike high fever and chills, lethargy, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, lack of appetite, coughing, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, and headaches.
Swine Flu Prevention Tips :-
(1) We can't say it enough: Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands! "Hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after touching objects, surfaces or another person's hands can physically remove cold viruses.
(2) When water isn't available, use alcohol-based liquid hand sanitizers frequently, especially when hand washing is really not possible. If using a gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. It does not require water to work; the alcohol in it will kill hand germs. But remember that not all germicidal lotions will adequately kill cold viruses.
(3) If you sneeze or cough, cover your nose or mouth.Avoiding rubbing or touching your eyes and nose. "Don't touch your face. Cold and flu are often spread by hand-to-hand contact, so avoid directly facing an individual who is coughing and sneezing." If you do sneeze into your hands, make sure you clean them, and do this EVERY time you sneeze or cough.
(4) Limit your exposure (even brief contact) to those "sufferers," especially during the first several days of their flu symptoms.
(5) Stay home if you're experiencing any flu symptoms. Do not report to work.
(6) For individuals who are excessively stressed, some studies favor the use of daily vitamin C during the cold and flu season.
(7) Eating a balanced diet and getting adequate sleep is a good first step in keeping your immune system from getting overly stressed.When you're rested, you will be better prepared to fight off illness.
(8) Remind your children to practice healthy habits. And of course that means lots of hand washing, covering their mouth when they cough or sneeze and using hand sanitizers when water isn't available.
(9) Routinely clean and disinfect."Remember,disinfecting actually destroys germs, it doesn't just clean surfaces.Follow instructions of all disinfectants.Germs may live on countertops and surfaces for hours or even days.
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