HomeHealthCare







	9. HOME HEALTH CARE FOR THE FLU PATIENT During pandemic periods, you may be susceptible to such a new disease. During such a period, though, the more common seasonal flu and colds will also circulate as usual. At the onset of such an illness, you may not be able to tell the difference among flu varieties and colds, and there are many other viruses that may circulate that never get identified. What are the symptoms? A pandemic flu (currently the “bird flu” or H5N1) or a seasonal flu will usually cause three or more (or all) of the following symptoms: High fever, chills Sore throat Body and muscle aches Headache Cough – dry or productive Nausea Vomiting Diarrhea Abdominal pain Stuffy nose Clear or green runny nose Irritated, red eyes If “pandemic flu” is not circulating, which it isn’t at the moment, then the symptoms would point to a seasonal flu, or something else. In any event, call you doctor. He or she may be able to prescribe medications to lessen the severity or shorten the duration if it is the “flu.” Early onset of symptoms With symptoms as above, many people may be inclined to “tough it out,” take over-the-counter medications and go to work or school—DON’T! It is best to go home, stay there, and keep distance from your family members. Call your doctor. Treat the symptoms - decide which symptoms are bothering you or a family member the most, and focus on treating those first. For example, ibuprofen for head and body aches and fever, a cough medicine if needed, a nasal decongestant if needed. It is safe to mix these three types of medicines. Alternatively, you can give a multi-symptom cold and flu medicine that treats a variety of symptoms, assuming all the symptoms are present. Drink lots of fluids Prescription anti-viral medications – prescription medications such as Tamiflu are known to be effective for addressing early stages of the seasonal flu, either reducing severity or shortening the overall duration of the illness. There is no way to determine whether Tamiflu and other “anti-viral” medications would be effective with a pandemic flu; and such medications will be in very short supply. Also, medications such as Tamiflu must be taken at the onset exposure and infection. Once symptoms present themselves, it may be too late for such antivirals to be effective. Again, while Tamiflu has been shown effective taken early with the more common seasonal flu, it can not be determined at this time whether Tamiflu might be effective in treating a new pandemic strain. And, Tamiflu does not “cure” the flu. Later stages of illness Know the difference between a cold and the flu. If you don’t have a fever, you probably don’t have a flu. A cold can last two or three weeks; most people are better within seven to ten days. On the other hand, without proper care or attention, a flu virus can lead to bronchitis or pneumonia, each of which can cause permanent health damage. Each year, more than 100,000 people in the United States are hospitalized and about 36,000 die due to the “seasonal flu” and its complications. What should we do? Wash your hands. Frequent washing with warm water and ordinary soap for 10 seconds is one of the simplest and most effective ways to avoid catching a cold or the flu. Use antibacterial alcohol-based foams and gels when you don't have access to soap and water; use a hand sanitizer such as Purel. Disinfect your home regularly. Spray and wipe down surfaces in your bathroom and kitchen with a mild solution bleach in water to kill viruses and bacteria Eat a well-balanced diet. It's essential to building a healthy immune system, and it provides sources of energy and nutrition for optimal growth and development. Take a daily multivitamin especially when you're fatigued or stressed. It helps ensure that you will receive an adequate dose of minerals and vitamins Get plenty of rest. On average, humans require seven to eight hours of sleep every night. Lack of sleep can lower the immune system's ability to react when needed. Without sufficient sleep, the immune system is hard-pressed to keep up with its nightly repair work, and creates an opening for opportunistic diseases Stock your medicine cabinet with a supply of single-symptom drugs such as pain relievers, cough suppressants, and antihistamines, as discussed in Section 3. Cold symptoms tend to appear in sequence, not all at once, so multi-symptom formulas often give you too much or not enough medicine for any given symptom. Caring for yourself or someone who is sick During a pandemic period, that means when a new pandemic flu is circulating, many people will get sick, to some degree. There are steps you can take to better manage your condition while minimizing the potential for others around you getting sick. Again, even during a pandemic period, you will not know for sure whether you have a pandemic version (such as the H5N1) or something else, such as the “seasonal flu.” If you are alone, be sure to follow the recommendations above, and call family and friends to let them know. There will be support groups in New Canaan, including at most churches, who can also help monitor your condition If your symptoms persist or get progressively worse, call you doctor again for advice, and make sure your family, friends, and others know of your status. Again, many churches will have set up lines of communication for such purposes. If you are at home with other family members, stay in one bedroom. If possible, one family member should be the designated caregiver to attend to your needs. When a caregiver enters your room, you should put on a medical mask, if you have one and are able. The caregiver should also put on an N95 respirator, if available. The caregiver should wear latex gloves if handling anything in the room Try to ventilate the room apart from the rest of the house, and keep doors closed Bedding should be changed often or upon exposure to body fluids Wash bedding including mattress pads, sheets, blankets, pillow cases, pillow covers, etc., using detergent and bleach, at the highest heat setting, and dry at the highest setting in your dryer. Use disposable dinnerware and utensils if possible If conditions worsen Colds and seasonal flu viruses run their course in several days, and dissipate. A pandemic virus may also run its course and disappear. However, you may expect that a pandemic virus will last longer, and your symptoms may be incrementally more pronounced. The New Canaan Health Department, Red Cross, and the Office of Emergency Management along with various community and church organizations have been preparing for various contingencies to help you and your family manage illness and attendant needs during a pandemic period. Whether you live by yourself or are helping to manage one or more illnesses in your family, you will not be alone! (Please also see the Section 10 about Medical Assistance.)