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Diagnosed with the flu
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Posted 4 months ago Diagnosed with the flu If you have been diagnosed with the flu, you should stay home and follow your health care provider’s recommendations. Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist about over-the-counter and prescription medications to ease flu symptoms and help you feel better faster. Are there ways to treat the flu or its symptoms without medication? You can treat flu symptoms without medication by: How can I treat congestion? Decongestants can ease discomfort from stuffy noses, sinuses, ears, and chests. Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist about which kind is right for you. How can I treat coughing and sore throat? Cough medicine, cough drops, and throat lozenges can temporarily relieve coughing and sore throat. Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist about which kind is right for you. How can I reduce fevers and discomfort? Fevers and aches can be treated with a pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, for example), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin), or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) (Aleve).If you have kidney disease or stomach problems, check with your health care provider before taking any NSAIDS. Is it safe to take flu medications with other over-the-counter or prescription medicines? Many over-the-counter medications contain the same active ingredients. If you take several medicines with the same active ingredient you might be taking more than the recommended dose. This can cause serious health problems. Read all labels carefully. If you are taking over-the-counter or prescription medications not related to the flu, talk to your health care provider or pharmacist about which cold and flu medications are safe for you. What are antiviral medications and how can they help?
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| Posted 4 months ago How do I treat the flu? Antiviral medications are prescription pills, liquids, or inhalers used to prevent or treat flu viruses. They are approved for adults and children one year and older. There are four antiviral drugs approved for treating the flu in the United States—oseltamivir (Tamiflu), zanamivir (Relenza), amantadine (generic), and rimantadine (Flumadine). On December 21, 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the approved use of Tamiflu to treat children as young as 2 weeks old who have shown symptoms of flu for no longer than two days. Tamiflu is the only product approved to treat flu infection in children younger than 1 year old. If you get the flu, antiviral medications can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious complications from the flu. Antiviral medications work best when started within the first two days of getting sick. If you are exposed to the flu, antiviral medication can prevent you from becoming sick. Talk to your health care provider if you have been or may be near a person with the flu. Do I need antibiotics? Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections. They are not effective against viral infections like the flu. Some people have bacterial infections along with or caused by the flu and will need to take antibiotics. Severe or prolonged illness or illness that seems to get better but then gets worse may be a sign of bacterial infection.
What You Should Know About Flu Antiviral Drugs
Yes. There are prescription medications called “antiviral drugs” that can be used to treat influenza illness. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) that fight against the flu in your body. Antiviral drugs are not sold over-the-counter. You can only get them if you have a prescription from your doctor or health care provider. Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics, which fight against bacterial infections. If you get the flu, antiviral drugs are a treatment option. Check with your doctor promptly if you have a high risk condition (see box on next page for full list of high risk conditions) and you get flu symptoms. Flu symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Your doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs to treat your flu illness. |
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| Posted 4 months ago Should I still get a flu vaccine? Yes. Antiviral drugs are not a substitute for getting a flu vaccine. While not 100% effective, a flu vaccine is the first and best way to prevent influenza. Antiviral drugs are a second line of defense to treat the flu if you get sick. When used for treatment, antiviral drugs can lessen symptoms and shorten the time you are sick by 1 or 2 days. They also can prevent serious flu complications, like pneumonia. For people with a high risk medical condition, treatment with an antiviral drug can mean the difference between having a milder illness versus a very serious illness that could result in a hospital stay. Some side effects have been associated with the use of flu antiviral drugs, including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, runny or stuffy nose, cough, diarrhea, headache and some behavioral side effects. These are uncommon. Your doctor can give you more information about these drugs
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| Posted 4 months ago Studies show that flu antiviral drugs work best for treatment when they are started within 2 days of getting sick. However, starting them later can still be helpful, especially if the sick person has a high risk health condition or is very sick from the flu. Follow instructions for taking these drugs. There are two FDA-approved antiviral drugs recommended by CDC this season. The brand names for these are Tamiflu generic name oseltamivir) and Relenza (generic name zanamivir). Tamiflu is available as a pill or liquid and Relenza is a powder that is inhaled. (Relenza is not for people with breathing problems like asthma or COPD, for example.) To treat the flu, Tamiflu® and Relenza® are usually prescribed for 5 days, although people hospitalized with the flu may need the medicine for longer than 5 days. Yes. Children and pregnant women can take antiviral drugs. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is approved for the treatment of influenza in persons aged 2 weeks and older. Oseltamivir is also approved for the prevention of influenza in persons aged one year and older. Zanamivir (Relenza) is approved for the treatment of influenza in persons aged 7 years and older; and for the prevention of influenza in persons aged 5 years and older. It’s very important that antiviral drugs be used early to treat people who are very sick with the flu (for example people who are in the hospital) and people who are sick with the flu and have a greater chance of getting serious flu complications, either because of their age or because they have a high risk medical condition. Other people also may be treated with antiviral drugs by their doctor this season. Most otherwise-healthy people who get the flu, however, do not need to be treated with antiviral drugs.
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| Posted 4 months ago Following is a list of all the health and age factors that are known to increase a person’s risk of getting serious complications from the flu:
•Asthma
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