By Dr. JoshbrPrickett, Medical Director, North Tarrant E-Care EmergencybrCenter
While the recent Ebola scarebrdominated headlines in the Dallas area as well as the rest of the nation, thebrbeginning of flu season was largely pushed aside by the media as anbrafterthought. But influenza is an extremely serious health threat as well,brsending an average of 200,000 Americans to the hospital each year and killingbranywhere from 3,000-49,000 people annually.
Get Your Flu Shot
There are, however, severalbrsteps people can take to help stop the spread of the flu. The most importantbrone is getting a flu shot every year to protect yourself.
What we commonly call “thebrflu” is actually a disease made up of several different viruses thatbrcontinually change, or mutate. Birds and other animals carry many types ofbrstrains that can often mutate and infect humans. The reason these are sobrserious is that humans have not developed immunity to them. As a result, thesebrdifferent forms of the virus can potentially cause a pandemic, or a diseasebrthat affects a large portion of the population spread over a wide geographicbrarea.
According to the Centers forbrDisease Control (CDC), researchers identify three or four influenza virusesbrthey believe will be the most prevalent. The National Institute of Allergy andbrInfectious Diseases then develops vaccines to attack these different strainsbrbefore they become pandemics. They do this by injecting chicken eggs withbrstrains that pose the biggest threat and then harvesting them to produce the vaccine.brOnce the vaccines are ready, medical professionals will be able to quicklybrrespond to outbreaks.
The vaccine basicallybrimitates the flu virus to help develop immunity in the person receiving thebrshot. While it can often result in minor discomfort such as a fever, it will usuallybrnot result in any illness. After the infection disappears, antibodies arebrproduced that “remember” how to fight the disease, a process that usually takesbra few weeks. While there's a chance you could still get the flu in the time itbrtakes these antibodies to form, getting a shot is still your best chance ofbravoiding the disease.
While it's important thatbreveryone receive a flu vaccine injection, it's particularly crucial for thosebrwho are at higher risk of serious influenza complications, such as youngbrchildren, people age 65 or older, women who are pregnant, and others who havebrchronic conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, asthma or diabetes.
Other Steps You Can Take
In addition to having yourbryearly flu shot, there are everyday things you can do to help prevent thebrspread of the disease. Here are some CDC recommendations:
· brAvoid any closebrcontact with someone who has caught the disease.
· brIf you are sick,brstay home for at least 24 hours after your fever has dissipated, unlessbrsymptoms are so severe you need to emergency center or a hospital.
· brWhen you sneeze,brcover your mouth and nose with a tissue, and then immediately throw the tissuebraway.
· brWash your handsbroften throughout the day with either an alcohol-based hand rub or soap andbrwater. As much as you can, keep from touching your nose, mouth and eyes.
· brDisinfect andbrclean objects and surfaces that could have been contaminated with influenzabrgerms.
There are several differentbrantiviral drugs you can take if you do catch the flu that come in the form ofbrliquid, inhaled powder or pills. However, you can only get these bybrprescription. These drugs have proven to be effective in not only preventingbrserious complications but also shortening the duration of the illness. Theybralso do a good job of reducing the severity of symptoms. Antiviral medicationsbrtypically are most effective if you start them within two days of becoming ill.
You can keep track of thebrspread of the flu through several different websites. For example, the CDCbrprovides weekly updates on the spread of influenza, as well as a map detailing the areas of thebrcountry where the disease isbrmost prevalent. Staying as informedbras possible and taking the right precautions will provide you the best chancebrof getting through flu season safe and healthy.
To get a flu shot or lean more about preventing thebrspread of influenza from doctors near Southlake, visit E-Care Emergency Centersbrfor emergency or urgent care. Check in online or call 817-281-7277.
JoshbrPrickett, M.D., is currently medical director for the North Tarrant location ofbrE-Care Emergency Center in North Richland Hills. Dr. Prickett graduated frombrthe University of Oklahoma Medical School and has been practicing emergencybrcare in Oklahoma, Minnesota and Texas since 1989. He has been married tobrhis wife Carin for over 29 years. They have a son Jonathan, a daughterbrWhitney, and a son-in-law John. Dr. Prickett and his family are active in theirbrlocal Church and love being a part of the Southlake community.