Madison County Health Department Advises How to Care for Someone at Home with the Flu

Submitted by Jennifer Weeks, Public Health Educator

(Madison County, NY) Over the past week reports of illness from the flu have increased in Madison County.

“We realize that many people are concerned because of the increase in flu-like illness occurring in our area,” said Eric Faisst, Public Health Director of Madison County Health Department, “That’s understandable. It may help to know that for most individuals, novel H1N1 flu will be no worse than the seasonal flu we are used to. Most people recover from seasonal or novel H1N1 flu without needing medical treatment. In fact, most flu patients can be cared for best at home.”

Flu-like illness includes fever, chills, headache, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, tiredness, and sometimes diarrhea or vomiting.

When caring for individuals at home, give them medications such as acetaminophen or Tylenol to help reduce fever, and make sure they get rest and plenty of fluids.

Individuals who are sick should stay at home until fever has disappeared for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine.

If you are caring for a household member at home who is sick with flu, the most important ways to protect yourself and others who are not sick are to:

Keep the sick person away from other people as much as possible.
Remind the sick person to cover their cough, and frequently wash their hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub, especially after coughing and/or sneezing.
Have everyone in the household clean their hands often, using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
Ask your health care provider if household contacts of the sick person — particularly those contacts who may be pregnant or have chronic health conditions — should take antiviral medications to prevent the flu.

If you are in a group considered at high risk for complications from influenza, you should attempt to avoid close contact (within 6 feet) with household members who are sick with influenza.

Office visits to a healthcare provider may not be necessary for most people with mild flu-like illness as they can recover from the flu at home without medical attention. However, some individuals should get medical care if they have the flu.

People who have conditions that may result in more severe illness from influenza should call or see their health care provider if they have flu symptoms. These people include women who are pregnant, children younger than five, persons 65 and older, and persons of any age who have a medical condition such as diabetes, heart disease, or asthma. Their healthcare providers may decide to prescribe medications for the flu.
Flu patients who become dehydrated require medical attention. Things to be concerned about are dry mouth and tongue, lack of tears, dark circles or sunken eyes, decreased urine output and extreme drowsiness or pronounced lack of interest in their surroundings.
Call your doctor right away or get emergency care in the event of severe or worsening illness. In adults, the signs of severe or worsening illness are: rapid breathing, difficulty breathing; pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, bluish skin color, dizziness or confusion, increasing fever or severe persistent vomiting. In children, the signs of severe or worsening illness include: increased fever, rash, rapid or difficult breathing, bluish skin color, irritability, lack of responsiveness (not waking up or not interacting) and not drinking enough fluids.

More information on seasonal and novel H1N1 influenza and taking care of an H1N1 flu patient at home is available at www.nyhealth.gov and www.cdc.gov. Additional information is also available at www.healthymadisoncounty.org.

Madison County Health Department Advises How to Care for Someone at Home with the Flu

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