So you've got H1N1: Now what?

[coot]

C&P'd

So you've got H1N1: Now what?

Lots of rest, lots of fluids; no friends

By SHERYL UBELACKER, THE CANADIAN PRESS

Oh boy. Your throat is sore, you have the sniffles and you're starting to cough. Not only that, but you feel feverish and you're aching all over. In fact, you feel absolutely lousy.

Yes, chances are you have the dreaded H1N1 flu.

So how do you care for yourself and family members who may also come down with the virus? And how do you avoid spreading it to others?

First and foremost, say experts, stay home, take it easy.

"Give a person time to rest," says Dr. Bonnie Henry, director of Public Health Emergency Management at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

"When you're fighting off an infection your body needs rest to recuperate and get rid of the infection," she says. Anyone who catches H1N1 should avoid pushing themselves, particularly by exercising.

"Taking it easy, staying at home resting -- especially in the first few days -- drinking lots of fluids, taking (acetaminophen) to ease fever, aches, and pains makes good sense," says Dr. Andrew Simor, an infectious disease specialist at Sunnybrook.

That's pretty much what Niko Politis of Moose Jaw, Sask., and his girlfriend did. The couple had been at a wedding where some guests had been in contact with children sick with swine flu. "We both got it at the same time," says Politis, 29. "My whole body felt like I'd been trampled by an elephant and I had severe dizziness."

Politis said he doctored himself by slugging cough medicine and taking ibuprofen for the aches and pains. "We drank lots of orange juice, but we were coughing so much that we did not feel like eating."

Lack of appetite can be one symptom of flu, explains Henry, a proponent of chicken soup and other broths which can provide protein and nutrients.

"One of the main reasons young children end up in hospital is because they're not taking enough fluids and they get dehydrated," explains Henry, who recommends giving children juice half-diluted with water to prevent an upset stomach or sports drinks that replace sodium and other electrolytes lost by sweating.

Children under 16 can be treated with kid-sized doses of acetaminophen or ibuprofen, but not ASA because of a link between viral infections and a potentially fatal condition called Reye's syndrome. Decongestants and cough suppressants are not for children under six.

But what if an adult or child with swine flu is not improving?

"The worrisome signs for children is their fever's not coming down, even with medication. They're lethargic and irritable and not eating," Henry says. "Also worry if they're having difficulty breathing, especially young children." Ditto for any blueness around the lips.

"Those are signs they need to go to emergency."

Adults? "If you're having trouble breathing that's a clue there's something else going on like a pneumonia. That needs medical attention.

---

U + H1N1 = STAY-1N-BED

Survivor's guide to that nasty swine flu

Help prevent H1N1 influenza and lessen the impact if you do get sick:

- Get lots of rest. Eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet. Vitamin supplements, especially vitamins A, C and D, can help boost the immune system. Exercise regularly.

- Do not smoke. Tobacco use makes a person more vulnerable to respiratory infections, including influenza.

- Wash hands with soap and water frequently. Use alcohol-based gel if soap and water are not available.

- Avoid crowded environments like theatres, malls and public transit, if possible.

- When the pandemic flu vaccine becomes available, get inoculated.

- Ask your doctor whether you should be immunized against pneumococcal infection, the most common complication of both seasonal and pandemic H1N1 influenza.

The pneumococcal vaccine is routinely given to children aged five and younger.

- The National Advisory Committee on Immunization also recommends that the following individuals get vaccinated: all Canadians over 65; those aged between two and 65 with diabetes, lung diseases like COPD, a compromised immune system, and heart, kidney or liver disease.

- If you do come down with the flu, stay home.