What is influenza?

Influenza, often called the flu, is an acute infection of the upper airway caused by an influenza A or B virus.

Getting sick with influenza also puts you at risk of other infections. These include viral or bacterial pneumonia which affect the lungs. The risk of complications can be life-threatening. Seniors 65 years and older, very young children, people who have lung or heart diseases, certain chronic health conditions or weakened immune systems are at greater risk.

Healthy pregnant women in the second half of their pregnancy are at greater risk of hospitalization following infection with influenza virus.

In Canada, thousands of people are hospitalized and may die from influenza and its complications during years with widespread or epidemic influenza activity.

How can you prevent influenza?

You can reduce the risk of getting influenza or spreading it to others by:

• Washing your hands regularly
• Cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces that a lot of people touch
• Promptly disposing of used tissues in the waste basket or garbage
• Coughing and sneezing into your shirt sleeve rather than your hands
• Staying home when you are ill
• Getting an influenza vaccine

Getting an influenza vaccine can help prevent you from getting sick with influenza and from spreading it to others.

Who is most at risk?

Complications from the flu can include serious conditions, like pneumonia or heart attacks and, in some cases, death. Flu causes about 12,200 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths in Canada each year.

Some people are more vulnerable to complications and hospitalization from the flu:

• babies under 6 months old are too young to get the flu shot, but they’ll get some protection if their parent got the flu shot while they were pregnant
• children under 5 years of age, because their immune systems are developing, and their airways are small and more easily blocked
• people 65 years old and older, because their immune systems are weaker and they are more likely to have an underlying condition that increases their risk

• pregnant people, because their immune system, heart and lungs change – especially later in pregnancy – making them more likely to get seriously ill from the flu
• people with underlying health conditions, such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes

Symptoms of the flu

Symptoms typically appear 1 to 4 days after you’ve been exposed to the virus, but you’re still contagious even if you don’t show symptoms yet.

Most people who get the flu will recover within 7 to 10 days.

You may have caught the flu if you have:

• fever
• chills
• cough
• runny eyes
• stuffy nose
• sore throat
• headache
• muscle aches
• extreme weakness and tiredness
• loss of appetite

Some people may have diarrhea or vomit, though this is more common in children than adults.

If you get the flu

Be sure to:

• stay home and get plenty of rest
• drink lots of fluids
• avoid caffeine
• speak to your doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist about over-the-counter medications that can help you feel better (such as basic pain or fever relievers), but do not give acetylsalicylic acid (ASA or Aspirin®) to anyone under 18 years old
• treat muscle pain using a hot water bottle or heating pad – apply heat for short periods of time
• take a warm bath
• gargle with a glass of warm saltwater or suck on hard candy or lozenges
• use spray or saline drops for a stuffy nose
• avoid alcohol and tobacco

Call your doctor or nurse practitioner if:

• you don’t start to feel better after a few days
• your symptoms get worse
• you are in a high-risk group and develop flu symptoms

When in doubt, call your pharmacist.

Speak to your Square 1 Health Group Pharmacist Today!

 (P) 905-232-4007      (Email) pharmacy@sq1healthgroup.com

Sources: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/ , https://www.ontario.ca/page/government-ontario