If you are old enough to remember the children’s nursery rhyme, ‘Ring a ring of roses’, you’re probably old enough to receive your free winter flu jab. With the flu season upon us, ‘atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down’ (or at least into bed), is becoming increasingly relevant as we share the tube, buses, and office space with co-workers doing precisely that – coughing and sneezing. So how do we minimise our risk of contracting flu, and where can we get effective flu treatment?
Is flu just a heavy cold?
Both the common cold and influenza are caused by viruses, and both are highly contagious. The main differences between the two are that the common cold appears slowly, and is less severe. It may start with a blocked nose, a sore throat, and feeling tired and unwell, but in most cases, the symptoms go no further. The sufferer can continue their daily routines using off-the-shelf medications, until after a few days or a week, the symptoms wear off.
The flu virus can strike quickly, can affect other parts of the body, and leaves the sufferer feeling drained, exhausted, and needing bed rest. Symptoms of flu can include the following:
- Sudden high temperature.
- Feeling exhausted, tired, and aching limbs and muscles.
- A sore throat, cough, and headache.
- Ear-ache in children.
- Reduced appetite and poor sleep.
- Upset painful stomach, diarrhoea, and feeling sick.
How to minimise the risk of contracting flu.
Unless you move from home to work in a bubble, and spend your working day in said bubble, avoiding the flu virus can be difficult at this time of year. The highly contagious virus can spread simply by shaking hands with sufferers. It can be picked up from door handles and other surfaces that sufferers have touched, and from nasal spray (blowing one’s nose), or spray from coughing. Trying to keep away from work colleagues showing flu symptoms, and washing your hands regularly through your working day, will help minimise your chances of contracting the virus in the workplace.
At home, if a family member is showing signs of infection, provide them separate towels and if possible, a separate bed for the duration. Make sure tissues are disposed of quickly, even if the nose has just been wiped, and regularly wipe down all hard surfaces and door handles that the sufferer may have come in contact with.
Prescribed flu vaccines.
Flu can be a killer, and on average in the UK, nearly 400 people die every winter because of complications from contracting the virus. There are now an increasing number of groups in the UK able to take advantage of an annual free flu jab – people over the age of 65, all children, and adult groups designated at-risk. That includes those suffering long term medical conditions and weakened immune systems. Children from two years old through primary school age are eligible, as are pregnant women.
Those who fall outside these groups can pay privately for their flu jab from certain designated pharmacies and chemists. To maintain maximum protection from flu, you should book your free vaccination every year. The flu virus morphs itself into new strains, and biochemists have to produce new batches annually, to combat the latest type of the virus.
Over-the-counter flu treatments.
If you are developing flu-like symptoms, keep warm, make sure you stay hydrated, and get some extra rest and sleep. If you are otherwise fit and healthy, using over-the-counter treatments can be effective for reducing the symptoms of flu, but they won’t kill the bug so speak to your doctor if your symptoms persist.
Pain killers such as aspirin, ibuprofen, paracetamol, or combinations thereof, will help reduce headaches, and aches and pains. Liquid throat treatments such as honey and lemon will help relieve a sore throat. While adults can try a ‘hot-toddy’ – one shot of whisky, a dessert spoon of honey, and a slice of lemon topped up with boiling water, is said to help sweat out the bug – as well as making you feel a little better.
