From the perspective of a currently healthy person, getting the flu may not sound all that bad. So you feel a little weak and achy, and you miss a few days of work — it's not the end of the world, right? Well, for some people that may be the case, but for others, especially those who are "high risk," getting the flu could result in a detrimental health crisis. And being high risk doesn't just mean people with severely compromised immune systems. The group includes children under two, adults over 65, pregnant women and people with pre-existing conditions like asthma and heart disease. When anyone in this group gets the flu, odds are much higher that they'll have complications that could lead to hospitalization and even death.
So if you happen to contract the flu, and you're otherwise a healthy, relatively young adult, that doesn't mean you should treat it like it's no big deal, because, for the person you're standing next to on the train platform or in the grocery store, it very well might be.
With that in mind, here are nine things you shouldn't do if you find out you have the flu.
You're actually contagious from one day before you start experiencing flu systems through the first five to seven days of being sick. Since there's nothing you can do about that first day, the best way to prevent your flu from spreading is to limit your exposure to others as much as possible while you're experiencing symptoms. The best way to do this, of course, is to stay at home in doors for the duration of your illness, and limit your interaction with loved ones, especially children. That means no kisses or hugs until your symptoms subside, and since the flu can travel in microscopic particles when you cough or sneeze, it's also probably best to keep away from main living spaces — like the living room and kitchen — too.
If you must venture out, keep your mouth and nose covered with a medical grade mask or a thick scarf to limit spreading the virus. Try not to touch public surfaces with your hands, or if you must, wash your hands regularly before and after.
It may be tempting to go to the hospital if you're experiencing uncomfortable symptoms, but experts caution against it for many reasons unless it's a true emergency. You'll be exposing many other people to the flu virus, you'll be exposing your immune-compromised self to other potentially more dangerous viruses and you'll likely have to wait a long, long time to be seen considering the uptick in emergency visits during flu season, just to name a few.
That said, there are symptoms you can look out for that denote a potentially severe case of the flu that may require hospitalization. They are: Difficulty breathing and/or shortness of breath, sudden dizziness, sever headache, severe vomiting and confusion. If you have any of these symptoms, a trip to the ER might be warranted.
New parents are especially prone to assuming every illness their child has is worthy of an ER visit, but that can be unhelpful and a dangerous decision to make. However, if your child experiences any of the severe symptoms previously noted, taking them to the nearest hospital may be the best course of action. Here are a few others to watch out for that are often seen in children with a severe case of the flu: difficulty waking up or interacting with others, not able to drink fluids, bluish color to the face and/or chest and a stiff neck.
If your child is an infant under three months, has a fever over 100.3 degrees F, won't eat, doesn't produce tears when crying, and has fewer wet diapers than normal, they may need immediate medical attention.
Some people may think that the flu shot will help them feel better faster if they're already sick with the flu. This is, unfortunately, not the case. If you get the flu shot when you're sick, you're asking your immune system to not only continue fighting the virus you currently have, but to make antibodies against perhaps a different strain of the flu at the same time. That's a lot of work for your already compromised body, and as a result, it may actually take longer for you to recover.
Influenza, or the common flu, is a respiratory virus. While few people may experience vomiting and diarrhea with the flu, they're usually children. Common flu symptoms are coughing, headache/fever, chills, body aches and fatigue. If your primary symptoms are all related to your digestive track, you likely have a different sort of bug.
If your flu symptoms aren't what you'd consider severe, but they last longer than five to seven ays, it might be a good idea to see your primary healthcare provider. They can assess your symptoms and prescribe you an antiviral medication that should help shorten the duration of your symptoms. This is also a good alternative to the hospital for anxious parents of a flu-stricken child.
You should rest while you're recuperating from the flu, but lying down can actually tax your lungs more. Avoid this by propping yourself up with pillows so that your chest and head are angled above the lower half of your body.
If you or your child has a fever, taking a cold shower or bath will actually make you/them feel worse. It's better to take a lukewarm bath instead as it gives the body a chance to relax rather than tense up as it will when hit with extreme cold.
Children under 18 who have the flu have a higher chance of getting Reye's Syndrome, which can do damage to the liver and brain. Aspirin has also been linked to Reye's Syndrome, so giving aspirin to a child with the flu is an especially bad idea. Acetaminophen (commonly found in Tylenol) and ibuprofen (commonly found in Advil) ae much safer and more effective at reducing fevers.
DON'T BELIEVE A DAMN WORD YOU READ ON THIS WEBSITE!
The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. Moderators on this forum make every effort to review the material posted on this site however, it is not realistically possible for a one man team to manually review each and every one of the posts atomicbobs.com gets on a daily basis.
The content of posts on this site, including but not limited to links to other web sites, are the expressed opinion of the original poster and are in no way representative of or endorsed by the owners or administration of this website. The posts on this website are the opinion of the specific author and are not statements of advice, opinion, or factual information on behalf of the owner or administration of Atomicbobs. This site may contain adult language, if you feel you might be offended by such content, you should log off immediately.
Not all posts on this website are intended as truthful or factual assertion by their authors. Some users of this website are participating in internet role playing, with or without the use of an avatar. NO post on this website should be considered factual information on face value alone. Users are encouraged to
USE DISCERNMENT
and do their own follow up research while reading and posting on this website. Atomicbobs.com reserves the right to make changes to, corrections and/or remove entirely at any time posts made on this website without notice. In addition, Atomicbobs.com disclaims any and all liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly as a result of a post on this website.
This website implements certain security features in order to prevent spam and posting abuse. By making a post on this website you consent to any automated security checks required by our system to authenticate your IP address as belonging to an actual human. It is forbidden to make posts on this website from open proxy servers. By making a post on this website you consent to an automated one time limited port scan of your IP address which is required by our security system to validate the authenticity of your internet connection.
This site is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. You should not assume that this site is error-free or that it will be suitable for the particular purpose which you have in mind when using it. In no event shall Atomicbobs.com be liable for any special, incidental, indirect or consequential damages of any kind, or any damages whatsoever, including, without limitation, those resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether or not advised of the possibility of damage, and on any theory of liability, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this site or other documents which are referenced by or linked to this site.
Some events depicted in certain posting and threads on this website may be fictitious and any similarity to any person living or dead is merely coincidental. Some other articles may be based on actual events but which in certain cases incidents, characters and timelines have been changed for dramatic purposes. Certain characters may be composites, or entirely fictitious.
We do not discriminate against the mentally ill!
Fair Use Notice:
This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Users may make such material available in an effort to advance awareness and understanding of issues relating to civil rights, economics, individual rights, international affairs, liberty, science & technology, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
At some point freedom of speech and copyright law merge. The following interpretation of "Fair Use" and subsequent posting policy were developed with the assistance of qualified legal council however, we are not lawyers and cannot offer you legal advise as to the limits of "Fair Use"
In accordance with industry accepted best practices we ask that users limit their copy / paste of copyrighted material to the relevant portions of the article you wish to discuss and no more than 50% of the source material, provide a link back to the original article and provide your original comments / criticism in your post with the article.
Though legally each situation is evaluated independently according to guidelines that were intentionally left open to interpretation, we believe generally this policy represents "Fair Use" of any such copyrighted material for the purposes of education and discussion.
You are responsible for what you "publish" on the internet. You must be sure any copyrighted material you choose to post for discussion on this forum falls within the limits of "Fair Use" as defined by the law.
If you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe a post on this website falls outside the boundaries of "Fair Use" and legitimately infringes on yours or your clients copyright
we may be contacted concerning copyright matters at:
If you require a courier address please send a fax or email and we will provide you with the required information.
For expedited human review & removal of potential copyright violations we encourage users & copyright holders to utilize the "Report Copyright Violation" button that accompanies each post published on this website.
In accordance with section 512 of the U.S. Copyright Act our contact information has been registered with the United States Copyright Office. "Safe Harbor" noticing procedures as outlined in the DMCA apply to this website concerning all 3rd party posts published herein.
If notice is given of an alleged copyright violation we will act expeditiously to remove or disable access to the material(s) in question. It is our strict policy to disable access to accounts of repeat copyright violators. We will also ban the IP address of repeat offenders from future posting on this website with or without a registered account.
All 3rd party material posted on this website is copyright the respective owners / authors. Atomicbobs.com makes no claim of copyright on such material.
Please be aware any communications sent complaining about a post on this website may be posted publicly at the discretion of the administration.
---
DON'T BREAK THE LAW!
---
Other than that you can do / say whatever you want on this forum.
We reserve the right to block access to this website by any individual or organization at any time for any reason whatsoever or no reason at all.
| 
