Caring for the Flu at Home

Your symptoms indicate you very likely have either the seasonal flu or the H1N1 flu. The best advice we can offer as your health care provider is to stay home, get plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids and treat your symptoms with over-the-counter medications, such as a pain reliever or a cough suppressant.

 The fact you are not receiving more aggressive treatment – for example, with prescription medications – may surprise you. We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions to clarify why:  Why am I not being tested for H1N1 flu when I have symptoms?There are several reasons we are not testing patients if they are generally healthy and have flu-like symptoms. They include:

• The treatment we recommend would not change even if a test was doneThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends only testing those patients who are in the hospitalTesting adds unnecessary costs
• Testing delays your treatment and our ability to care for other patients

  Why am I not being given antiviral medication (such as Tamiflu®) to treat my symptoms?

• Persons who are not at higher risk for complications or do not have severe influenza requiring hospitalization generally do not require antiviral medications for treatment or to prevent the disease Prescribing antiviral medication adds unnecessary costs
• Prescribing antiviral medications delays your treatment and our ability to care for other patients

 Are other health care providers offering testing and prescribing antiviral medications?

• No. All health care providers in our region have agreed to follow the CDC guidelines for generally healthy patients who have flu-like symptoms

 What can I do to feel better?

• Stay at home. Do not do to work or school or other places where people congregate. You will only increase the likelihood of spreading the diseaseGet plenty of restDrink plenty of fluids to keep yourself hydrated. This includes water and non-caffeinated sports drinks. Avoid alcohol
• Treat your symptoms with over-the-counter medications, such as a pain reliever, cough medicine and throat lozenges and spray

 What if I don’t start to feel better in a couple of days?

Call your health care provider. Do not come into the hospital Emergency Department, Urgent Care or your primary care provider unless your symptoms get worse to include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion or severe or persistent vomiting.

PREVENTING INFLUENZA

What can you do to prevent influenza?

• Clean your hands often with soap and water or alcohol based hand sanitizer.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and wash your hand afterwards. Put used tissue in wastebasket.
• Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve if you don’t have a tissue
• Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth to prevent germs from entering your body.
• Stay home from work, school and errands and avoid contact with others if you have flu symptoms
• Avoid close contact, if possible, from others that may be infected
  

Symptoms of Influenza

• Sudden onset of illness   
• Chills
• Headache
• Stuffy nose/ Runny nose (runny nose is expected to last 5-10 days
• Cough (cough is expected to last 2-3 weeks)

• Sore throat
• Muscle aches
• Diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and/or exhaustion occur more commonly in children
• Fever higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (fever is expected to last 2-3 days)
• Feelings of weakness

How to Treat Influenza Symptoms

• For a runny nose with profuse discharge, blow or suction the nose
• For a blocked nose, use nasal washes (warm water or saline drops) and a humidifier if the air in the home is dry.
• A young infant can’t nurse or drink from a bottle unless the nose is open.

• Cough medicine: For a mild cough of hoarseness, use 2-5mL corn syrup as needed for children younger than 1, and cough drops for children older than 4 years of age.
• Sore Throat: For mild sore throat, give warm chicken broth if less than 1, and hard candy for children older than 4 years of age

Caring for someone with Influenza

• Household members should avoid sharing personal items
• Disinfect door knobs, switches, handles, toys and other commonly touched surfaces around your home

Disinfectant:

        1 gallon water

        ¼ cup bleach                                                                                    

        Mix up a fresh batch every time you use it

• Use detergent and hot water when doing laundry
• Wash your hands regularly
• Wear disposable gloves when in contact with body fluids
• Keep infected individual separate from other members of the family

*Use ibuprofen (Advil TM) or acetaminophen (Tylenol TM) for fever, sore throat and general discomfort.

Liquids

• If the person is NOT vomiting, offer small amounts of liquid frequently to prevent dehydration, even if he or she does not feel thirsty. If the ill person is not eating solid foods, include liquids that contain sugars and salts, such as broth or soups, sports drinks like Gatorade (diluted half and half with water), Pedialyte or Lytren (undiluted), ginger ale, cola, and other sodas, but not diet drinks or drinks with high amounts of caffeine. Regular urination is a good sign of hydration.

    Electrolyte Drink (use ONLY for 12 years and older)

1 quart water

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. table salt

3-4 tbsp. sugar

¼ tsp. salt substitute

Mix well and flavor with lemon juice or sugar-free kool-aid.

• If the person is vomiting, do not give any liquid or food by mouth for at least 1 hour. Let the stomach rest. Offer clear liquids in small amounts and gradually increasing the amount once vomiting has ceased. After 6-8 hours of a liquid diet, without vomiting, add solid food that is easy to digest (saltine crackers, dry toast, soup, mashed potatoes, or rice). Gradually return to a regular diet.

Recommended minimum daily liquid intake, if not eating solid food:

• Young children- 1 ½ oz. per pound of body weight per day (multiply 1.5 times the weight of the child)
• Older children and adults- 1 ½ to 2 ½ quarts per day ( 3-5 8 oz. cups or 2-3 12 oz. cans or bottles

Signs of Dehydration

• Weakness or unresponsiveness
• Decreased saliva/dry mouth and tongue
• Skin tenting or turgor: check this by picking up layers of skin between your thumb and forefinger and gently pinching for 1 second. Normally, the skin will flatten out into its usual shape right away. If dehydrated, the skin will “tent” or take 2 more seconds to flatten out.    
• Sunken eyes
• Infants: dehydration symptoms would be fewer than 3 wet diapers in the last 24 hours.
• Decreased output of urine, which becomes dark yellow in color from dehydration.
• Dehydration in infants and the elderly can be dangerous, seek medical attention immediately if symptoms continue to worse

Reducing a Fever

• Give plenty of fluids
• Fever-reducing medication
• Sponge bath with lukewarm water

When to seek medical assistance

CHILDREN    

• Difficulty breathing, fast breathing, or bluish color to the skin or lips
• Not drinking enough fluids – (signs of dehydration- dizziness when standing, absence of urination (less than 3 times per day), or in infants a lack of tears when they cry)
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not interacting – less responsive than normal
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and a worse cough
• Convulsions (seizures)
• Fever lasts more than 3 days
• Infant younger than 2 months old with fever and poor feeding

ADULTS

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Sever or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and a worse cough
• Infant younger than 2 months old with fever and poor feeding,

Influenza Stay at Home Toolkits

Recommended items for people to include in their emergency kits at home:

• Thermometer
• Alcohol wipes
• Fever Reducing Medication
• Juices & liquids
• Bleach
• Plastic/paper utensils, plates, cups, and napkins
• Tissues                              
• Canned soup –(chicken noodle)

• Hand sanitizer
• Trash bags
• Surgical masks
• Disposable gloves
• Nonperishable foods
• Cough and cold symptom medication