What You Need To Know About the Flu!With the flu season here, it is important to really understand what the flu is and how it impacts our lives. In this blog we are going to look at a few topics including common flu symptoms, pathophysiology of the flu, and the best treatment for the flu. What Are Some common flu Symptoms?A few common flu symptoms include:
For example, cold symptoms may make it difficult for a person to get out of bed and perform everyday activities. Further, flu symptoms may force an individual’s body to completely shut down. Most people who experience the flu will recover in a few days to less than two weeks, but some people will develop complications (such as pneumonia) as a result of flu, some of which can be life-threatening and result in death. What Is The Flu?The flu is a contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus that attacks the upper and lower portions of the respiratory tract. People are most frequently affected by the flu in winter and spring. During these seasons, the flu virus may be more prone than ever before to spread from person to person via respiratory secretions. For instance, a person who handles items contaminated by someone who is currently dealing with the flu virus may be exposed to flu germs. In this scenario, a flu virus infection may occur. The flu virus affects men, women and children. However, the Mayo Clinic (2021) indicated that the following populations are most at risk: young children under age 5, and especially those under 6 months; adults older than age 65, residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, and pregnant women and women up to two weeks after giving birth. What is the best treatment for the flu?Fighting the flu can be a difficult task. If someone believes that they have contracted the flu virus, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs may help quickly alleviate various flu symptoms. For example, oral or nasal decongestants often help flu sufferers reduce swelling in the nasal passages. On the contrary, people who are experiencing flu-related sneezing or nasal discharge can be administered an antihistamine to help remedy their symptoms.
When used as treatment, the use of antiviral drugs can lessen symptoms and shorten the time you are sick by 1 or 2 days. They also can prevent serious flu complications, like pneumonia. For people at higher risk of serious flu complications, treatment with antiviral drugs can mean the difference between milder or more serious illness possibly resulting in a hospital stay. For those who desire to find the best and most effective treatment, it may be beneficial to consult with your family physician. Expert consult allows an individual to receive an introspective examination of his or her flu symptoms. Subsequently, the CDC recommends immediate treatment for people who have flu or suspected flu and who are at higher risk of serious flu complications.
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During times like these in which it is important to protect oneself from COVID while taking every precaution necessary to stop the spread, it is also important to be ready to provide care to patients experiencing other health emergencies. Over 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year. Performing CPR is a viable method used to give patients the best possible chance of survival. As we experience this pandemic, hands-only CPR is a good option to keep both the patient and the rescuer as safe as possible. Getting CPR certified and learning how to perform hands-only CPR is an excellent way to help your community during these difficult times. With knowledge of CPR and First Aid you will learn life-saving skills and gain the confidence to be able to support those in need during an emergency medical crisis. Is It Safe to Perform CPR During the COVID Crisis?To prevent the transmission of COVID-19 it is important to use social distancing while wearing masks and using sterile gloves. Due to the threatening nature of the disease, it is understandable that many individuals may be hesitant to perform CPR on someone they don't know. However, researchers have acknowledged that there is a low risk of COVID-19 transmission during CPR when the rescuer is wearing a mask. Therefore, yes, you should absolutely perform CPR in the event of a medical emergency, even during the present day COVID crisis. According to the AHA, the risk of death from cardiac arrest is high with approximately 90% of patients experiencing cardiac arrest outside of the hospital dying. As such, the risk of contracting COVID-19 from CPR might very well be lower than the chance that the patient will pass away from cardiac arrest. As such, many health experts recommend that CPR is performed whenever possible, including during the era of COVID-19. Experts recommend that, during the pandemic, patients wear a mask during defibrillation. What IS HandS-Only CPR?Hands-only CPR is a new CPR method in which no mouth to mouth is required. With hands-only CPR, the rescuers only administer chest compressions while no artificial ventilation is given. Is this method effective? With hands-only CPR the chest compressions help maintain circulation and restore blood and oxygen flow to the organs and research has even indicated that this method can be equally effective as traditional CPR with ventilation. Since no breaths are given during hands-only CPR, there is decreased passing of air droplets between the rescuer and the patient. Thus, the likelihood that COVID-19 can be passed is smaller than with traditional CPR. Hands-only CPR can be both a safe and viable method to assist someone in cardiac arrest with a very low risk of transmitting the virus while even allowing the rescuer to continue to wear a mask. Learn CPR With Help-A-Heart CPR?Our CPR and First Aid training courses here at Help-A-Heart CPR are a great option for anyone looking to learn CPR. In our CPR and AED classes, you'll become empowered and gain knowledge on various topics including how to administer adult, child, and infant CPR, when and how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), and how to assist both conscious and unconscious choking victims.
Here at Help-A-Heart CPR were are here to answer any question you may have. With small class sizes, students leave the classroom feeling confident in their skills. We offer our CPR and AED courses at a variety of times and locations across Texas and the Southern United States so that you can fit training into your busy schedule. So, are you ready to start saving lives? Get your CPR certification today! To register for a class, go ahead and give us a call at (210) 380-5344 or use our online contact form today. |
AuthorDr. Tracy A. Jones is the CEO of Help-A-Heart CPR, LLC and an American Heart Association, ASHI, and American Red Cross Master Program Trainer, Instructor, & AHA Faculty Member located in San Antonio, Texas. Archives
October 2024
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