If you’ve got the flu, here’s what to do
Treatment can reduce the length and severity
Flu deaths and hospitalizations are surging in one of the most severe flu seasons in recent memory. The outbreak is far from over, and 53 children have died, health officials say.
But if you or a family member gets the flu, there’s no reason to panic. Most adults and children can weather the storm without ending up seriously ill or in a hospital. Here’s what you need to know about flu treatment:
Question: Is there a drug that can cure the flu?
Answer: No drug will instantly transform a feverish, hacking, achy mess into a work-ready picture of health. But there are antiviral medications that can help you feel better sooner, especially if you start them in the first day or two of symptoms. In studies, medications cut a day or so off the typical five- to six-day illness.
The drugs also can lessen complications such as pneumonia, said Arnold Monto, a professor of public health at the University of Michigan and spokesman for the Infectious Disease Society of America. The most-used is Tamiflu, known by generic name oseltamivir; it comes in pill and liquid form. Other antivirals are given as intravenous or inhaled treatments. All work by stopping flu viruses from multiplying.
People who are especially sick or at high risk — including infants, pregnant women, people with heart disease and everyone older than 65 — are strongly urged to seek antiviral treatment, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
Q: How do I get an antiviral drug?
A: You need a prescription. Best idea: If you have a regular doctor, call the office and describe your symptoms. If you have a fever and cough, aches and pains, and other flu symptoms, “many doctors will prescribe over the phone” in an active flu season such as this one, Monto said.
If you or your child sounds especially sick, the doctor still may ask you to come in, said Flor Munoz, an associate professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine and a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Q: Should I ask for an antibiotic?
A: No. Antibiotics fight bacteria, and the flu is caused by a virus. The picture changes if you develop a bacterial complication, such as pneumonia or an ear infection. You might need an antibiotic if you are still getting sicker after several days, you redevelop a fever or you have trouble breathing.
Q: What about non-prescription drugs?
A: It’s fine to use acetaminophen to lower fevers and relieve aches and pains, even in infants, Munoz said. Older children and adults can use acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
The pediatrics academy says children younger than 4 should never take over-the-counter cough medicines because they do not work and can have serious side effects. Q: I don’t have the flu yet. Should I still get a vaccine? A: Yes.