Ask your pharmacistwhat to do if you get the flu

Eamonn Brady is a pharmacist and the owner of Whelehans Pharmacy, Pearse St, Mullingar. If you have any health questions e-mail them to info@whelehans.ie
If you have not yet received the flu vaccine for 2014/15, it is not too late. You can still get the flu vaccination your GP surgery or local pharmacy. The flu vaccine is available from Whelehan’s pharmacy for €15. Last week in the Westmeath Examiner I discussed the flu vaccine; this week I discuss options if you develop flu.
How do you catch flu?
Flu is a highly contagious illness. Influenza is spread from person to person by direct contact, by droplet infection or by contact with materials recently contaminated by nasal or oral secretions. Airborne spread can also occur. For example, a person carrying the virus can spread the illness by coughing or sneezing. A person can spread the virus from 1-2 days before they develop symptoms and for up to a week after symptoms develop. Often people suffering from a bad cold wrongly believe they have flu. Flu causes extreme exhaustion, muscle aches, severe sweats and leaves you so weak you will not be able to get out of bed. Work and other normal routines are not possible with flu.  

What to you if you get flu?
There is no cure for the flu once you get it. Treatment consists of treating symptoms like high temperature and ensuring you are warm and comfortable to prevent complications like pneumonia. The flu will usually run its course within 7 days but it can take up to 3 weeks to recover depending on the strain of flu and the general health of the sufferer. If you are otherwise fit and healthy, there is usually no need to see a doctor if you have flu-like symptoms. The best remedy is to rest at home, keep warm and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. You can take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower a high temperature and relieve aches and pains.
However you should see a doctor if you have flu-like symptoms and you are 65 or over, are pregnant, have a long-term medical condition such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, kidney or neurological disease or have a weakened immune system. This is because flu can be more serious for you, and your doctor may want to prescribe antiviral medication to prevent complications.
Antiviral medicines such as Tamiflu® can reduce the symptoms of flu and shorten its duration, but treatment needs to start soon after flu symptoms have begun in order to be effective. Anti-viral medicines are only available on prescription from your GP and they will only be prescribed if the doctor feels you are at high risk of flu complications. Antibiotics are of no use in the treatment of flu because it is caused by a virus and not bacteria. However, they may me required if you develop complications from flu like a bacterial chest infection.
How can flu be prevented?
The only way flu can be prevented is with vaccination. Adequate hygiene precautions such as regular hand-washing will reduce your risk.

This article is shortened to fit within Newspaper space limits. More detailed information and leaflets is available in Whelehans