| Author | Message | ||
     Fltwistygirl |
Well, flu season is here and according to the health care professional we just visited, it seems to be earlier and worse than normal. Since the jury seems to be out from year to year on the effectiveness of the flu shot, generally we pass on it, and instead try to wash hands often, avoid other sickos and usually we stay healthy. Since I usually work outside, and generally with people who have enough sense to realize if they are sick, learning to ride a motorcycle is not what they should be doing, I've been fortunate to not usually get sick during cold and flu season from clients or co workers. Unfortunately there is not a single thing that we can do when someone brings it into the house. That's where we are at today. Our teenager was just diagnosed with influenza B. Starting feeling sick on Wed. but no fever 'til yesterday so I'd written it off as a cold, maybe one with more productive coughs and more discomfort in his ear than usual. Gave him the usual mom standbys: lotsa fluids, vitamen c, chicken noodle soup, mucinex, sudafed, ibuprofen. He usually bounces back but did not so we brought him in. When the test results came back, our provider promptly put on a facemask. Oh crap! So, we have been exposed and I guess now its just a wait and see proposition if either of us get sick. We are equipped with most of the stuff to fight this, and hopefully proper rest, extra vitamens, continued war on germs with handwashing and lysol, keeping hands and face separated, etc. should be helpful. Any other tips from any of you who have generally been successfully in dodging the flu bullet after known exposure? Your input is appreciated! Ride safe and stay healthy! B. | ||
| Garryb |
You can try tamiflu now or at the first sign of symptoms. Seemed to help me some. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Thanks, Garryb. Checked out your website, yum, coffee! Fingers crossed that it does not come down to a point of either of us showing symptoms, but if we do now at least we've got a plan. For those of you who may be interested, here's a link about the U.S. 2012-13 season: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/index.htm If we would have had any suspicion that it was the flu instead of just a common cold, would have done things differently. Can't help but feel a little frustrated with the parents who send their kids to school when sick, but this version of flu didn't cause a fever that we detected til day 5 so easy to miss. | ||
| Babired |
hope your son feels better. I've gotten the flu shot for years. Only time I get sick is when live with the person who is sick it just takes a little longer. Last time I was close to someone sick was in a packed movie theater, they guy sitting next to me was coughing and sniffing all the way through the movie, Argo. I was so pissed he came and sat next to me, no were to get another seat. I didn't catch whatever he had. | ||
| 86129squids |
I'm ambivalent about the flu shot- one year I may get one, the next, maybe not. I've been lucky enough over the years to not get the bug very often. I chalk it up to having worked in restaurants most of my life- also had a GF for many years who worked in childcare and Headstart programs... One thing I found that helps, if you suspect you're developing the flu, is a homeopathic remedy: "Oscillococcunum". Most pharmacies carry it, I've seen it at Wal-mart too. It costs $10-15, but I believe it helps. I like to keep some handy in the medicine cabinet, just in case... It consists of three doses to be taken over 18 hours- you dump a little vial of sugar grains under your tongue every 6 hours. Ideally you should begin this treatment right when you start to feel just a little bit crummy- it seems to work by minimizing the effects of the flu. You still know you're sick, but you remain functional. I've used it a few times over the years- definitely worth the $$$, IMHO. | ||
| Aesquire |
The only time I've had an issue with a flu shot was last year when I got the flue shot AND the pneumonia vaccine at the same time. Got cold symptoms for 24 hours then zip. Worth it if you want to avoid 4 days+ off work, and it seems to work fine. Influenza comes in waves out of China each year, almost always avian ( chicken ) or swine ( pigs ) viruses that mutate when in a humans system. Usually it's a intestinal flu in the original critter and the dried feces gets in a humans lungs, so it becomes respiratory in humans. Lucky for us all, it's usually a poor adaptation and not that bad. ( and why you seldom get flues coming from Kansas. not close to the same human exposure in modern factory farming. ) In the worst cases it's really nasty. I'll skip secondary effects including brain hemorrhage and reproductive damage since worst case is high level of fatalities like 1918. Back then, healthy at noon, sick in the evening and dead by morning scared the daylights out of doctors, and it still does today. That's why they make a big deal out of it. The vaccines, which are reformulated because the threat changes every year, never can get every strain. They are working with last years viruses and what they can glean from current China flu cases, but the Chinese Government although better today than the past, still hates the PR on being the source of flu and doesn't cooperate like it should, and has the usual Socialized medicine failure plus the Chinese "screw em, they're just peasants, we got more where they came from" attitude, plus the whole dirt poor third world crap medicine issues. Vaccines use the "hooks" on the base of the virus as a template to inform the immune system of a threat. ( then your body deals with it ) It's like a lock and key situation, with the hooks different on every strain so the vaccine is actually multiple vaccines and works well on some, but the further away from baseline, the less effective. Since new strains come out every year, it's impossible for a vaccine made in June to have the exact right "hook" info for an August breakout in China, which gets here in weeks, and spreads everywhere in months. There is research on a polycoat vaccine that deals with all flu viruses, but it's not ready for prime time yet. Get the shot. Treat the symptoms. ( prevent dehydration is the major thing ) Antibiotics don't do a damn thing to a virus. If you over use them, they won't work later. So Don't. ( and the side effects are not worth it if it doesn't do a damn thing, and it won't. ) | ||
| Drkside79 |
Lots of fluids and rest. Get the shot. there's really no reason other than an allergy to eggs not to get it. It's effectiveness is a crap shoot. they tend to guess right but it only protects from the top few strains. Even partial matches tend to help. they provide some protection and a shorter less sever infection. Always keep in mind that the flu is a very good highly effective virus that kills a lot of people each year. take what precautions you can. While you may be healthy enough to beat it. those you come in contact with may not be. | ||
| Fast1075 |
I get my shots every year. I have fairly well controlled COPD and I don't take chances with respiratory illness. On the other hand, if I do get congested, a couple of vials of albuterol and ipratrpopium really clear you out. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Thanks all for the good info here. "I was so pissed he came and sat next to me, no were to get another seat. I didn't catch whatever he had." I've had similar experiences with co-workers being sick at the office where there is less opportunity to escape their creeping crud than working out on the m/c training range. In the office, I've been livid that despite coworkers being eligible for paid sick leave, they still came into work sick. If you are sick, stay home. Period. It never failed, one of us got sick, then it spread thru the office like wildfire and we had skeleton crew departments for days. Thanks for the well wishes for the not so little man, he is doing better, actually eating again today, yay! "I chalk it up to having worked in restaurants most of my life- also had a GF for many years who worked in childcare and Headstart programs... " This may be an obvious question, but how does being in those industries lend itself to stronger immune systems? Exposure to more germs? My better half, Greg, has been in the restaurant industry for years and rarely gets sick. The bad part is he has usually had no sick leave to take in the event he did get sick. Not sure if that is a predominately Florida thing, but it's not one I am a fan of. Sick people dealing with food...yuk! "One thing I found that helps, if you suspect you're developing the flu, is a homeopathic remedy: "Oscillococcunum"." Something to look into for sure. I picked up some pomegranate juice on a friends advice and am sipping on it now. I've been a fan of apple cider vinegar and swear I've warded off sinus infections drinking it and using a neti pot. "Antibiotics don't do a damn thing to a virus. If you over use them, they won't work later." Antibiotics are scary to me. I only use them when absolutely necessary, and have developed allergies to some over time. I've got to be super sick with a blazing sinus or other infection before I agree to take them. Prevention is a much better plan and if we dodge this flu bullet we will be getting flu shots. "While you may be healthy enough to beat it. those you come in contact with may not be." Good point! | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
I refuse to get flu vaccines. Spent six years in the Navy.. six years of mandatory flu mists (live virus), and six years of being miserable exactly once a year immediately following the vaccination. I'd rather take my chances. Already got my annual sickness out of the way this year. One day throwing up still beats getting the vaccine and being totally "blah" for a week in my opinion. I generally just stay hydrated and keep Halls Defense drops handy throughout the winter months. They're loaded with vitamin C and actually quite tasty. | ||
| Drkside79 |
Mist is a live virus. Shots arent | ||
| Cityxslicker |
it isn't earlier the H1N1 pump and dump was over by Thanksgiving; the real one to watch is what they are cooking up under the guise of H1N5; Rouche Pharma has that one too. Pure Mission Impossible trype - engineer the virus; manufacture and distribute the 'cure' The 2013 season will be a nice uptick in profit for the portfolio - but the real 'epidemic' is the 2015 season. Old Russian homeopathic - put an onion on the windowsill in every room, cut the ends off and peel its first layered outer core - if there are viruses in the house - that damn thing will be black and pussi by the morning - pitch and repeat. | ||
| Geedee |
Colloidal Silver and heaps of good quality Vitamin C. | ||
| Teeps |
My mother swears by zinc lozenges. Preventing exposure is the only sure way to stay healthy. Because, by the time symptoms are recognized; it's too late. Nothing is going to knock out a virus except your body's defenses. | ||
| Etennuly |
When is flu season anyway?  I feel like I cheated having it in late July of this year. I had the flu shot last winter also. | ||
| Aesquire |
Because the strains change every year, it's like antivirus software. If you don't update, you are not protected. And some viruses won't be covered. Some people have had bad reactions to zinc. ( some people have bad reactions to something... ) Vitamin C is always good, you cannot OD on it with any rational dose. 2 grams a day won't hurt you. ( Won't help you more than 1 gram either, you just wizz it away. ) Vitamin E, and some others WILL hurt you if you megadose, so read up before making your body a chemistry experiment. |
