San Juan Regional Medical Center is offering tips for Four Corners residents to protect themselves during this particularly severe flu season.
The best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu shot and wash hands often. Signs and symptoms of the flu can include: fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting.
The Centers for Disease Control says most people who get the flu will not need medical care or antiviral drugs. If flu symptoms are apparent, stay home, avoid contact with people, get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, wash hands and use fever-reducing medicine. The CDC recommends people stay home for at least 24 hours after a fever is gone.
High-risk groups should contact their health care provider. They include young children, people 65 and older, pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions.
Seek medical care immediately if one or more of these emergency warning signs arise:
For children: fast breathing or trouble breathing; bluish skin color; not drinking enough fluids; not waking up or not interacting; being irritable to the point of not wanting to be held; flu-like symptoms that improve, then return with fever and a more severe cough; and fever with a rash.For infants: unable to eat; trouble breathing; no tears when crying; substantially fewer wet diapers than normal.For adults: difficulty breathing or shortness of breath; pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen; sudden dizziness; confusion; severe or persistent vomiting; and flu-like symptoms that improve, then return with fever and a more severe cough.Not everyone with flu will have a fever.
For more information, visit www.sanjuanregional.com.
fstone@durangoherald.com
