Getting Over the Flu Can U Get the Flu Again if a Infected Person Is Around You With the Flu

Each year, millions of people suffer from seasonal flu, which is often called the flu. Flu is a respiratory illness caused past viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs.

Flu can be a balmy disease for some people. For older people, especially those who take other health problems, the influenza tin be very serious and even life-threatening. Getting a flu vaccine every year can help forbid the influenza. The vaccine is safety, constructive, and bachelor for piddling to no cost to you.

How serious is the flu?

Nigh people who get the influenza feel ameliorate subsequently a few days to 2 weeks. Withal, the flu can exist serious, and some people will develop other wellness problems, called complications, considering of the flu. Complications can exist mild, such as a sinus or ear infection, or more serious, similar pneumonia.

Anyone tin can get ill from the influenza, simply some people are more likely to have complications. Yous are more at adventure for flu and its complications if you:

• Are age 65 or older
• Have certain medical conditions such equally asthma, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease
• Have heart disease or have had a stroke
• Alive in a nursing home or other long-term care facility

Pregnant women and children younger than five years old are besides more likely to get very sick from the influenza. Acquire more near people at increased take chances for flu and its complications.

Why is the flu more unsafe for older adults?

The flu is more unsafe for older adults for a few reasons. I reason is that the immune organization — which helps your body fight infections — weakens as you lot age. For example, because your trunk is busy fighting off the influenza, yous might choice upwards a second infection such as pneumonia. A 2d reason is that older adults are likewise more than likely to take other health weather, like diabetes, that increase their run a risk for complications from the flu.

The good news is the flu vaccination reduces your hazard of getting the flu and of getting seriously ill if you exercise go sick with the flu. Flu vaccination is especially helpful for people with chronic wellness conditions. For example, it has been linked to lower rates of eye problems (cardiac events) among people with heart disease and fewer hospitalizations among people who accept chronic lung illness or diabetes. Learn more almost the benefits of influenza vaccination.

How does the flu spread?

The flu is contagious, which means information technology spreads from person to person. It mostly spreads through droplets in the air when people with flu coughing, sneeze, or talk. It can spread from up to half-dozen feet abroad. Although it isn't as common, the flu can also spread from surfaces, for example, if y'all touch something the virus is on and then touch your olfactory organ, mouth, or optics.

It'south possible to spread the influenza before you feel sick and when y'all have symptoms. Typically, people with the flu can spread it a day before, and upwardly to a week afterwards feeling sick. Young children and people with weakened immune systems may be able to spread the influenza for even longer. If you or someone you know is ill with the influenza, take steps to assist preclude spreading the disease.

Is it the flu, a common cold, or COVID-19?

The common cold, influenza, and COVID-19 tin all cause like symptoms. If you have symptoms, talk with your health care provider. Your provider tin can help determine the cause of your illness and help you have steps to feel better.

A cold is often milder than the flu. The influenza and COVID-19 have similar symptoms, but COVID-19 spreads more easily and symptoms tend to be more severe. It's besides more mutual to have a change in your sense of smell or sense of taste with COVID-xix.

People with the flu can have fever, chills, dry cough, general aches and pains, and a headache. They feel very tired. Sore throat, sneezing, stuffy olfactory organ, or stomach problems are less common. What some people telephone call "tummy flu" is not influenza. Learn more about the differences betwixt the flu and a common cold and influenza and COVID-xix.

Common symptoms of a common cold, the flu, and COVID-19

The chart beneath shows common symptoms. Not anybody will have these symptoms. Your symptoms may exist more or less severe, or yous may only have a few. If you experience sick, stay abode and call your doctor

Mutual Symptoms	Cold	Flu	COVID-xix
Fever and/or chills		✔	✔
Headache		✔	✔
Muscle hurting or torso aches		✔	✔
Feeling tired or weak		✔	✔
Sore throat	✔	✔	✔
Runny or stuffy nose	✔	✔	✔
Sneezing	✔
Coughing	✔
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing		✔
Airsickness and diarrhea		✔
Alter in or loss of taste or odour			✔

How can you prevent the flu?

The almost effective manner to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine every year. Anybody 6 months and older should go a flu vaccine. Getting your flu vaccine reduces your risk of getting the influenza. It also reduces your chances of existence hospitalized or dying if you exercise get sick with the flu.

In improver to getting your flu vaccine, yous can help stop the spread of flu by:

• Washing your hands
• Roofing your mouth when you cough or sneeze
• Staying home when you are sick
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick

Who should you get a influenza vaccine and which one should you choose?

Flu typically spreads in the fall and winter. It ordinarily starts to spread in Oct and peaks between December and February. That's why this fourth dimension is called the flu season.

It takes at to the lowest degree two weeks for your influenza vaccine to start working, so try to get vaccinated by the stop of October. All the same, getting vaccinated after Oct can still help protect you from the flu. Because older adults may lose immunity from a flu vaccine more rapidly, try to avoid getting vaccinated likewise early (before September).

Several flu vaccines are bachelor. There are likewise two types of high-dose vaccinations specifically for people 65 years and older that create a stronger allowed response after vaccination. Talk with your health care provider or pharmacist nigh which vaccine is best for you.

Where tin you get a flu vaccine?

You can get your flu vaccine at your doctor's office or from your local wellness department. Many grocery and drug stores also offer flu vaccines. Visit Vaccines.gov to observe a location well-nigh you.

Why exercise yous demand a influenza vaccine every year?

You need a influenza vaccine every year for 2 reasons. First, influenza viruses change and the flu vaccine is updated each year to target the flu viruses that are predictable to spread that year. Second, the protection you get from a flu vaccine lessens with fourth dimension, especially in older people. Getting your flu vaccine every fall gives y'all the best protection from that year'south flu viruses.

What are the side effects of flu vaccines?

The influenza vaccine is safe and cannot give you lot the influenza. Most people take no problem with a flu vaccine.

The most common side furnishings are soreness, redness, or swelling where you lot were vaccinated. Some people as well become a headache, fever, nausea, or muscle aches. These side effects may get-go presently subsequently getting the vaccine and can last upwardly to two days. They typically exercise not arrive the way of daily activities.

Even people with mild egg allergies can safely get most flu vaccines. Egg-gratis influenza vaccines are as well available. Y'all should non go vaccinated if you have had a severe allergic reaction to the flu vaccine in the past. Talk with your health care provider nigh your options for flu vaccines and side effects.

How much does getting a flu vaccine cost?

Virtually people can get a flu vaccine for little to no out-of-pocket cost. Medicare and well-nigh individual health insurance plans will cover the cost of your influenza vaccine. However, some insurance plans require that you receive your vaccine at a specific location. Check with your insurance company. If you do not have wellness insurance, contact your local or state health section.

What tin you lot do if y'all get the flu?

If yous become the flu, there are steps y'all tin have to feel better. Deed fast! First, talk with your wellness care provider. The influenza and COVID-nineteen have similar symptoms, so you may need to get tested for an authentic diagnosis. This volition also help determine which medications might make y'all feel meliorate.

There are prescription drugs, called antivirals, that are used to treat people with the flu. If you take them within 48 hours subsequently the flu begins, these drugs can make you experience better more quickly. Antivirals can too help reduce your risk of complications from flu. Antibiotics do not help you recover from the flu. Still, they are sometimes prescribed to help you recover from a secondary infection if it is acquired by bacteria. Bacteria are a unlike blazon of germ than viruses.

If you lot are sick, rest and beverage plenty of fluids like juice and water, but not alcohol. Medicine, such equally acetaminophen or ibuprofen, can bring downward your fever and might help with the aches and pains. Information technology is important not to smoke if you are ill with the influenza. It is a respiratory affliction that tin infect your lungs as well as your nasal passages. These aforementioned areas are likewise afflicted by smoking. Take it like shooting fish in a barrel as much equally you can until yous are well.

Monitor your symptoms and talk with your doctor if your symptoms worsen or get astringent. For case, if you:

• Have a fever that goes away and and so comes back. That may be a sign of another infection.
• Start having animate or heart problems or your other wellness problems worsen.
• Feel ongoing pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen .
• Go along to feel sick and yous are not getting better.
• Take a cough that brings upwardly thick mucus.

For more data near the influenza

Centers for Affliction Control and Prevention (CDC)
800-232-4636
888-232-6348 (TTY)
cdcinfo@cdc.gov
www.cdc.gov

This content is provided by the NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA). NIA scientists and other experts review this content to ensure it is authentic and up to date.

Content reviewed: Dec 01, 2021

giffordfrorcut.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/flu-and-older-adults