Seasonal Influenza Treatment Specialist Questions and Answers

There’s always one thing we can rely on to turn up every year, just like Thanksgiving or Christmas, and that is seasonal influenza, or the flu. Different strains of the virus may make us sit up and take note (like H1N1/swine flu did in 2009/2010) but on the whole the experience is the same for those unlucky ones who fall victim:

• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Fever and chills (although not everyone will have a fever)
• Fatigue

Most people with seasonal influenza will have relatively mild symptoms and they should stay home and avoid contact with other people, except to get medical care. For those who have a more serious illness, or are at a higher risk of serious complications, antiviral drugs may be a treatment option. People in this category include young children (especially under 2 years of age), adults 65 years of age and older, pregnant women, and people with certain medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease. 

Although most people who get flu will recover in a few days, some people will go on to develop potentially life-threatening complications. Sinus and ear infections are examples of moderate complications from flu, while pneumonia is a more serious one. Other serious complications can include inflammation of the heart or brain and multi-organ failure – such as respiratory or kidney failure – and sepsis. Flu can also make chronic medical problems such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease worse. Prevention is better than cure, and there are things that we can do to minimize the risk of catching the flu or passing it onto others. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s 2021-2022 flu prevention campaign is “Take Three Actions to Fight Flu”. Those three actions are:

CDC’s recommendation is that every person six months and older should get a flu vaccine every season, with only rare exceptions. It is particularly important for people who are at a higher risk of developing serious complications. Flu vaccination has important benefits as milder symptoms can result in fewer doctor visits and less missed time from work or school. It can also reduce the number of flu-related hospitalizations and deaths. 

There are several easy preventive steps that we can all take to reduce the spread of flu:

• Don’t come into close contact with someone who is sick.
• If sick, stay away from others as much as possible.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue; throw it or flush it after use.
• Wash hands frequently using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
• Avoid spreading germs by not touching the eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Clean and disinfect objects and high-contact surfaces.
• Stay at home for at least 24 hours after any fever has abated; it should have gone naturally, without the use of medication.

Antiviral drugs are not antibiotics. They are prescription-only medicines that come in the form of pills, liquid, intravenous solutions, or an inhaled powder. Antiviral drugs can help treat flu by reducing the severity of the illness and shortening the time that a person is sick by 1 or 2 days. Antiviral treatments should be started early within 2 days of getting sick – particularly for those who are in hospital or who have a greater chance of developing serious complications, either due to age or pre-existing medical condition. Antivirals, however, are not needed for most people who get flu who are otherwise healthy.

Dr. Reddy and her team of medical professionals at Reddy Urgent Care clinics in Downtown Long Beach, Bixby Knolls, Huntington Beach and Paramount, CA offer urgent care facilities for everyone, from children to seniors, seven days a week. Call us today for all your urgent care needs or simply walk in. No appointment necessary! We serve patients from Downtown Long Beach CA, Bixby Knolls Long Beach CA, Paramount CA, East Side CA, and Los Altos CA.