How to help prevent the spread of flu at your home. David D’Aquin
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Break out the VapoRub and Pedialyte — it’s flu season.
We all dread the flu, and yet we keep acting like powering through it — still going to work, interacting with others, dragging ourselves to happy hour — is the only answer.
We (and doctors) are here to tell you that that approach is wrong.
El Paso has seen over four times more cases of the flu this season than last, prompting city officials to release a health advisory to providers and patients to take early action against the flu.
More: Four times more flu cases reported in El Paso over last year
Keep these things in mind as you navigate flu season.
How to avoid the flu when everyone’s got it
"The key is if you feel like you’re going to get the flu, please don’t go out in public," said Dr. Ken Berumen, regional medical director for emergency medicine at the Hospitals of Providence. "Don’t go to work, because you’re going to make everybody sick."
Berumen said there’s no way to really tell how hard the flu will hit, but that things like exhaustion, stress, smoking and working too many hours can make you more susceptible to getting the flu.
To stay healthy-ish during flu season, consider eating nutrient-rich foods and being mindful of stress and exhaustion levels.
"It’s just the basics of taking care of yourself," Berumen said.
But the easiest way to help prevent the spread of the flu is to practice constant and thorough hand washing, Berumen said. Wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water. Sing the alphabet if you need an idea of how long 20 seconds is.
More: Season’s first flu-related death in region reported as officials warn of increased cases
"People hold their hands up to their mouth to sneeze or cough, and then they touch a doorknob and that’s how it goes through your entire household," Berumen said.
It’s not too late to get a flu shot, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll be 100 percent immune from the disease.
"The flu vaccine is a best guess of what happened in the southern hemisphere from 6 months ago. Oftentimes the flu vaccine is a hit or miss," Berumen said.
Is this a cold or the flu?
Berumen said it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish the flu from a cold, but that the flu will feel significantly worse.
Physicians can sometimes diagnose the flu over the phone, or they’ll ask a patient to come to the office through a separate entrance so as not to infect people in the waiting room.
Flu symptoms include high fever, runny eyes and nose, extreme sore throat, body aches, chills, headaches and fatigue.
Berumen said it’s critical to talk to a physician within three days of the onset of symptoms, especially for patients with weakened immune systems.
So you’ve got the flu
If you do get the flu, there are two treatments a doctor can prescribe: Tamiflu and Relenza. Tamiflu is taken twice a day for five days, while relenza is inhaled.
"It doesn’t sound like a lot but it’ll cut down the disease by about a day. But when you have the flu, a day is a lot," Berumen said.
People wait for their turn at the Vaccinations for Health clinic at the El Paso Fire Department’s Safety, Health Outreach Center, 5415 Trowbridge Drive, on Wednesday.
Most people can get over the flu without a prescription, Berumen said, but those with weakened immune systems need to take precautions and keep an eye out for secondary infections, like pneumonia, that can develop after the flu.
Berumen said a signs of a possible secondary infection include chest pain that’s different from body aches, trouble breathing and coughing up a lot of sputum. These symptoms can also be an indicator that it’s time to make a trip to the emergency room, Berumen said.
"Anything that’s significantly different is a sign of a possible secondary infection," Berumen said.
If you do get the flu, the key to getting better is plenty of rest and fluids.
"Don’t try and push yourself by doing all the things at the house you haven’t done just because you’re suddenly at home for five days," Berumen said.
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Things like ibuprofen and Tylenol can help with body aches, and Berumen said any kind of fluid you can keep down is good. Some drinks, like Pedialyte, contain extra electrolytes to help tackle dehydration.
If you or someone in your household has the flu, isolation can help prevent the disease from spreading. Being bundled up alone may sound bleak, but maybe you’ll get the chance to catch up on new episodes of Black Mirror.
Sara Sanchez can be reached at 546-6147; ssanchez@elpasotimes.com; @siempresarita on Twitter.
Yolanda Palomares of El Paso gets a flu vaccination from El Paso Fire Department paramedic Lt. Edward Montoya Wednesday.
Do’s and Don’ts of the flu
Don’t: Go to work. Seriously, don’t be that coworker. You risk the chance of infecting your colleagues and extending your own bout with the flu.
Do: Call your doctor within three days of the first appearance of symptoms. This is especially important for people with weakened immune systems, including those with diabetes or on dialysis.
Don’t: Sneeze or cough into your hands. If you have to sneeze or cough, do it into your elbow to reduce spreading the flu.
Do: Get plenty of rest and fluids. Bring out your favorite blanket, slather on some vapo-rub and don’t feel guilt for taking multiple day-naps. Drink water, juice and Pedialyte to help fend off dehydration.
Don’t: Neglect your overall health. Factors like stress, exhaustion, smoking, working too many hours and not eating well can make you more susceptible to the flu.
Do: Wash your hands constantly and thoroughly. Wash with soap and water after you cough or sneeze, after visiting the bathroom and after being in contact with those with the flu.
Free flu vaccines
The El Paso Fire Department is offering free flu vaccines to uninsured residents. Vaccinations for Health provides free influenza, blood pressure and glucose screenings to patients 18 and older, and pneumonia vaccines to those 65 and older.
Jan. 17: Fire Station 17, 8803 Alameda Ave., 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 24: EPFD Safety, Health Outreach Center, 5415 Trowbridge Dr., 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 31: EPFD Safety, Health Outreach Center, 5415 Trowbridge Dr., 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
The service is free to residents of El Paso and Hudspeth County who are 18 and older and do not have medical insurance or are on Medicaid.
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