General Health Question about the Flu

[Woollyhats]

No medical training (or rather, I'm not allowed to give medical advice with what I have).

My worst flu was when I was a child - I became unable to eat or drink, which left me on an IV until I recovered in the hospital.

Adults typically vomit less, but you still have to make sure you drink and eat enough. If you can't keep anything down get a gravol --- if you have no fluids or food your body has no enrgy to draw on.

Try to keep your fever down, take aspirin/iboprofin/aleve, they'll all make you feel less pain and bring the fever down at the same time.

If you have asthma or anything, make sure you have your puffers as well...

And then sleep.

When you're better, try taking vitamin C, if you can't afford the supplements (...Like me), just eat some oranges for breakfeast/snacks. Also take the flu shots when you can (I don't know if they're free there, obviously if you can't afford them don't). Even with the flu shot you can still get the flu, but it will be less severe.

The flu is getting scary here. In the algoma region (the segment of the province I live in), we got our first confirmed report of H1N1 this year, swince flu last year, and we have a confirmed flu outbreak right now. I know the two flu viruses are the same perse, but the difference is that this year we have the more dangerous strain, and it had to appear in a hospital in a neighbouring city. So I'll be getting my shots as a general rule when I can now.

[Rosie]

Though I'm not at all in the medical field both my wife and I are recovering from the flu, and my wife needed to be seen at both Urgent Care and the ER so I have a good idea of when to seek emergency treatment. Everything that I have read stated that the main cause of death with the H1N1 flu (in my area at least it is responsible for virtually all cases) is pneumonia. If you have pain in your ribs, trouble breathing, or sudden onset of confusion head directly to the ER. All are signs of possible pneumonia. Also, you said that you have had the flu twice in a month, *typically* once you get it you then have the antibodies and do not get it again. This could actually be a secondary infection, which could be potentially very serious and warrant a trip to a doctor/urgent care/ER and antibiotics. Note, the flu itself cannot be treated with antibiotics, but many of the secondary infections can. Idk if you have any medical conditions, but if so there are a whole slew of other things to look out for. Diabetics are 3x as likely to die from the flu so keeping on top of blood sugar is a necessity.
One more thing, this year the flu is hitting people between 18 and 65 very, very hard. A 28 year old friend of a friend died from it just after Christmas. Please err on the side of caution.
I hope you're on the mend soon. xx

[partis]

Move to england… i,ll get you a flu jab and wrap you up in blankets

[Bowyn Aerrow]

Well I would eat solids if they would stay down.

I just slept another 7 hours. And I'm going back to bed as soon as I get this water and ensure down in my gullet.

I am prone to pneumonia, I have had it several times in my life started off as flu. As such I keep my pneumonia vaccine up to date (as well as tetanus since I played with rusted metal a lot) This doesn't feel like pneumonia, and it feels just the the flu feels.

I'll give it a couple days see how I'm managing.... If I can't eat solid food without it rebounding by lets see Monday, I will go to urgent care clinic.

[Rainbowmum]

I am certainly not a doctor but I do have a nursing background.
Simple test for dehydration pinch the skin on top of your hand if it stays together for longer than a second you may need to be on a drip.

You will have to watch your input/output fluids yo make sure you are hydrated.

What color is your mucus at the moment ?
Yellowish green time to go get some antibiotics.

Any wheezing?

On the holistic side of things onions are great antitoxins you can place someon the bottom of your feet ,it really does work.

[Bowyn Aerrow]

Mucous is yellow white, no wheezing, but a touch difficult to take deep breaths. Mostly what is disturbing me is the in ability to keep solids down. Twice in a month is a bit I think.... IDK.

[MisterTinkles]

I just know all the "usual" problems.............

Nausea
Dizziness
Feeling really cold
Feeling really hot
Your equilibrium is wobbly
Cant drink or eat anything
Everything, even water, makes you throw up

[Tyrion]

I have no idea where to put this, its not sexual health...

This flu season I hear is pretty wicked, I'm on round two in a months time. Feeling pretty shitty if you know what I mean....

Yeah I know high fever should be tended by doctor, but what other symptoms screams 'its time to visit the Emergency Room or you will end up yet one more flu death this year!'?

I'm hoping one of you people who have real medical training to a degree instead of utilizing Web MD can give me a fair idea here.




BTW According to Web MD I have cancer...

I don't have a medical degree, but I will say that the things to look out for from my own experience, is a high fever and / or fluid in your lungs. I've had the flu turn into pneumonia twice, and it sucks, to say the least. It landed me in the hospital for 3 days at one point.

From what i've seen, It seems that when the flu kills someone, it's often because it turns into pnemonia or a bacterial infection in the lungs.

I think if there's even the slightest worry it's best to see your doctor.

[MisterTinkles]

Mucous is yellow white, no wheezing, but a touch difficult to take deep breaths. Mostly what is disturbing me is the in ability to keep solids down. Twice in a month is a bit I think.... IDK.

Well, I have always been told...."you know when it's serious, when you can't keep food down".

So I would say thats a "dead giveaway" that you need to go to the Dr.!!!!!


[COLOR="Blue"]The one major thing I have learned from having the flu over my lifetime, is it can always be a lot worse than what you think it is, or how you feel it is.

I had the flu once and did not have any flu symptoms, but was feeling run down. I happened to go to the Dr. for another reason, and after he saw my bloodwork, he told me if I had waited to see him for another week or two, I could have been laid out in the hospital....or worse. It was turning in to "walking pneumonia".

Aside from feeling a little tired, I had no indications I was sick. Much less THAT sick!!!!

So, if you even feel sick in the least, or even get a slight fever......GO TO THE DR.!!!!!!!
Dont wait around for it to get worse.

[/COLOR]

[matty7]

having asthma like I do can make the flu a killer so in the uk im on the vaccination list every year, if I feel a cold or worse coming on I take Echinacea supplement on the recommendation of the chemist who does the prescribing...not just serving - it helps boosts your immune system ,, here's a random lnk I just found http://www.smart-publications.com/articl...nfections-