Can I Get the Flu Again This Season
Anyone who has had the flu knows it'south non a pleasant feel. Fever, fatigue, runny nose, cough and muscle aches can make you feel pretty miserable. And once you get over the flu, you certainly won't desire to get sick once again.
Well there's practiced news and bad news on that front. I'll start with the bad news. It is possible to get the influenza twice during the same flu flavor. Since in that location are two types of flu strains – flu A and flu B – if yous go influenza A, you can also get influenza B.
But in that location is some good news. If you get influenza A, your body volition develop antibodies for influenza A that provide protection confronting it. Also, while the influenza A antibodies won't protect you from getting influenza B, having influenza A doesn't increase your risk of getting influenza B. Plus flu B typically doesn't cause as serious of an infection.
So if y'all've had the flu in one case, what can yous do to keep from getting the flu over again? The tried and true advice still applies.
ane. Become an annual influenza shot.
The all-time mode to protect yourself and others is by getting the flu vaccine every twelvemonth. It decreases the risk of acquiring the infection and it can decrease the severity if you do acquire information technology.
Influenza viruses aren't like other viruses where yous go them once and you're protected for life. Flu viruses changes from year to year. A lot of research goes into predicting the changes merely it's a prediction, so it'due south not always 100 percent accurate. That's what accounts for some of the variability and effectiveness of the vaccine.
2. Stay habitation when you're sick and encourage others to do the same.
When you're sick or a family fellow member is sick, information technology'due south really important to stay habitation until you're better. For most people, it takes about a calendar week to get over the flu. Staying dwelling that long may exist a hard pill to swallow in a culture of presentism, but information technology'due south something yous really should do.
People infected with the flu can shred the virus for 5 to seven days after developing it. The flu is typically spread through coughing. Cover your coughing by coughing into your elbow and not into your mitt.
To reduce the take a chance of infecting others, sleep in another room from other family members, don't get really shut and avoid high-risk populations such as infants, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.
If y'all or a coworker returns to work or school early, you lot risk getting others sick.
three. Wash your easily.
All the time but specially during flu season, good mitt hygiene is important. Wash your hands frequently with soap and h2o or use an alcohol-based paw sanitizer. Avert touching your easily to your eyes and mouth.
4. Potable plenty of fluids and come across if you're a candidate for an antiviral medication.
1 of the important things for treatment and overall health is hydration. When hydration is recommended, water is e'er ideal. In that location can be a lot of fluid loss with the fever caused past the flu. Medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen tin provide symptom relief.
If yous can kickoff the antiviral Tamiflu in the first 24 to 48 hours of symptom onset, information technology can decrease the symptom duration and viral shedding by about a day. It's also likely tin can decrease the take a chance of severe complications.
Why is the flu so serious?
The flu is well known to predispose people to secondary bacterial infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis and ear infections, amongst others. Information technology'due south actually of import for people to know when they develop flu if they are getting better and and so become worse once more, they need to be evaluated for a secondary bacterial infection.
A significant number of deaths related to influenza are attributed to the secondary infections people develop. These infections can happen at the same fourth dimension patients accept the flu, in that menses right after they develop it or as they are recovering.
Shandra Mean solar day is an infectious illness md at The Ohio State Academy Wexner Medical Center.
Source: https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/what-to-do-to-keep-from-getting-the-flu-again
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