seasonal flunhschoices

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Seasonal flu - information prescription

Introduction

Flu is a common infectious viral illness spread by coughs and sneezes. It can be very unpleasant, butyou'll usually begin to feel better within about a week.

You can catch flu short for influenza all year round, but it's especially common in winter, which is why it's alsoknown as "seasonal flu".

It's not the same as the common cold. Flu is caused by a different group of viruses and the symptoms tend to startmore suddenly, be more severe and last longer.

Some of the main symptoms of flu include:

a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or above tiredness and weakness a headache general aches and pains a dry, chesty cough

Cold-like symptoms such as a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, and a sore throat can also be caused by flu,

but they tend to be less severe than the other symptoms you have.

Flu can make you feel so exhausted and unwell that you have to stay in bed and rest until you feel better.

Read more about the symptoms of flu.

What to do

If you're otherwise fit and healthy, there's usually no need to see a doctor if you have flu-like symptoms.

The best remedy is to rest at home, keep warm and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. You can takeparacetamol or ibuprofen to lower a high temperature and relieve aches if necessary.

NHS Choices puts you in control of your healthcare

NHS Choices has been developed to help you make choices about your health, from lifestyle decisions aboutthings like smoking, drinking and exercise, through to the practical aspects of finding and using NHS serviceswhen you need them.

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Stay off work or school until you're feeling better. For most people, this will take about a week.

Read more about treating flu at home.

When to see your GP

Consider visiting your GP if:

you're 65 years of age or over you're pregnant you have a long-term medical condition such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease or

a neurological disease you have a weakened immune systemfor example, because you're having chemotherapy or have HIV

you develop chest pain, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or start coughing up blood your symptoms are getting worse over time or haven't improved after a week

In these situations, you may need medication to treat or prevent complications of flu. Your doctor may recommendtaking antiviral medicine to reduce your symptoms and help you recover more quickly.

Read more about antiviral medication for flu.

How long does flu last and is it serious?

If you have flu, you generally start to feel ill within a few days of being infected.

You should begin to feel much better within a week or so, although you may feel tired for much longer.

You will usually be most infectious from the day your symptoms start and for a further three to seven days. Childrenand people with weaker immune systems may remain infectious for longer.

Most people will make a full recovery and won't experience any further problems, butelderly people and people with certain long-term medical conditions are more likely to have a bad case of flu ordevelop a serious complication, such as a chest infection.

Read more about the complications of flu.

How you catch flu



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The flu virus is contained in the millions of tiny droplets that come out of the nose and mouth when someone who i

infected coughs or sneezes.

These droplets typically spread about one metre. They hang suspended in the air for a while before landing onsurfaces, where the virus can survive for up to 24 hours.

Anyone who breathes in the droplets can catch flu. You can also catch the virus by touching the surfaces thatthe droplets have landed on if you pick up the virus on your hands and then touch your nose or mouth.

Everyday items at home and in public places can easily become contaminated with the flu virus, including food,door handles, remote controls, handrails, telephone handsets and computer keyboards. Therefore, it's importantto wash your hands frequently.

You can catch flu many times, because flu viruses change regularly and your body won't have natural resistance tothe new versions.

Preventing the spread of flu

You can help stop yourself catching flu or spreading it to others with good hygiene measures.

Always wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water, as well as:

regularly cleaning surfaces such as your computer keyboard, telephone and door handles to get rid ofgerms

using tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze

putting used tissues in a bin as soon as possible

You can also help stop the spread of flu by avoiding unnecessary contact with other people while you're infectiousYou should stay off work or school until you're feeling better.

In some people at risk of more serious flu, an annual flu vaccine (see below) or antiviral medication may berecommended to help reduce the risk of becoming infected.

Read more about how to stop the spread of flu.

The flu vaccine

A flu vaccine is available for free on the NHS for:



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anyone over the age of 65 pregnant women anyone who is very overweight (with a body mass index over 40) children and adults with an underlying health condition (particularly long -term heart or lung disease) children and adults with weakened immune systems

An annua l flu vaccine nasal spray is also now offered to healthy children aged two, three and four years old, and tochildren in school years one and two.

The best time to have the vaccine is in the autumn, between September and early November. If you think youmight need it, contact your local GP surgery.

You should have the flu vaccination every year so you stay protected, as the viruses that cause flu change everyyear.

For more information on who should have the flu vaccine and how to get it, read the sections on the flu jab foradults, the flu jab for pregnant women and the children's flu vaccine.

Other types of flu

As well as seasonal flu, there are several other types of flu. These include:

bird (avian) flu a type of flu spread among birds that affects humans in rare cases

swine flu the type of flu that was responsible for the flu pandemic in 2009-10 "gastric flu" (gastroenteritis) an infection of the digestive system, which can be caused by bacteria or

viruses such as the norovirus

Click on the links above for more information about these types of flu.

Symptoms of flu

The symptoms of flu usually develop within one to three days of becoming infected. Most people will



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feel better within a week.

However, you may have a lingering cough and still feel very tired for a further couple of weeks.

Main symptoms

Flu can give you any of the following symptoms:

a sudden fever a temperature of 38C (100.4F) or above a dry, chesty cough a headache tiredness and weakness chills

aching muscles limb or joint pain diarrhoea or abdominal (tummy) pain nausea and vomiting a sore throat a runny or blocked nose sneezing loss of appetite difficulty sleeping

Is it flu or a cold?

It can sometimes be difficult to tell if you have flu or just a cold, as the symptoms can be quite similar. The maindifferences are:

Flu symptoms:

come on quickly usually include fever and aching muscles make you feel too unwell to continue your usual activities

Cold symptoms:

come on gradually



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mainly affect your nose and throat are fairly mild, so you can still get around and are usually well enough to go to work

When to visit your GP

If you are otherwise fit and healthy, there's usually no need to visit your GP if you have flu-like symptoms.

You should just rest at home until you feel better, while keeping warm, drinking plenty of water and takingpainkillers if necessary. Read more about how to treat flu.

Consider visiting your GP if:

you're 65 years of age or over

you're pregnant you have a long-term medical condition such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease or

a neurological disease you have a weakened immune systemfor example, because you're having chemotherapy or have HIV you develop chest pain, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or start coughing up blood your symptoms are getting worse over time or haven't improved after a week

In these situations, you may need extra treatment to prevent or treat complications of flu.

Treating flu

Usually, you can manage flu symptoms yourself at home and there's no need to see a GP. Most peoplefeel better within a week.

You should consider seeing your GP if you're at a higher risk of becoming more seriously ill. This includes peoplewho:

are 65 or over are pregnant have a lung, heart, kidney, liver or neurological disease have a weakened immune system have diabetes

In these cases, your GP may suggest taking antiviral medication.



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Managing your symptoms at home

If you're otherwise healthy, you can look after yourself at home by resting, keeping warm and drinking plenty ofwater to avoid dehydration.

If you feel unwell and have a fever, you can take paracetamol or anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen tolower your temperature and relieve aches. Children under 16 shouldn't be given aspirin.

Stay off work or school until you're feeling better. For most people, this will take about a week. See your GP if yousymptoms get worse or last longer than a week.

Read the page on preventing flu for more information about stopping the infection spreading to others.

Antiviral medication

In 2009, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended that doctors should considertreating people in the at-risk groups mentioned above with the antiviral medications oseltamivir (Tamiflu) orzanamivir (Relenza) to reduce the risk of complications of flu.

Antivirals work by stopping the flu virus from multiplying in the body. They won't cure flu, but they may help slightlyreduce the length of the illness and relieve some o f the symptoms.

Recent research has suggested that Tamiflu and Relenza may not be effective at reducing the risk of flucomplications and could cause side effects, so not all doctors agree they should be used.

But there is evidence that antivirals can reduce the risk of death in patients hospitalised with flu. In the light of thisevidence, Public Health England says it is important that doctors treating severely unwell patients continue toprescribe these drugs where appropriate.

For more information, read Effectiveness of Tamiflu and Relenza questioned and the NICE guidelines onantivirals to treat influenza.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics aren't prescribed for flu as they have no effect on viruses, although they may be prescribed if youdevelop a complication of flu, such as a bacterial chest infection.



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Complications of flu

Complications of flu mostly affect people in high-risk groups, such as the elderly, pregnant women andthose who have a long-term medical condition or weakened immune system.

This is why it's important for people in these groups to have the annual flu vaccination and consider seeing theirGP if they develop symptoms of flu.

Chest infections

The most common complication of flu is a bacterial chest infection, such as bronchitis. Occasionally, this canbecome serious and develop into pneumonia.

A course of antibiotics usually cures a chest infection or pneumonia, but it can very occasionally become life-threatening, particularly in the frail and elderly.

Worsening of existing conditions

In some people with long-term health conditions, getting flu can make their condition worse.

For example, people with lung conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mayfind that their symptoms become more severe when they get the flu.

In people with diabetes, flu can affect blood sugar levels, potentially causing hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar)or, in people with type 1 diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis (a dangerous condition caused by a lack of insulin in the

body).

If you have type 1 diabetes or have type 2 diabetes and take insulin, it's a good idea to monitor your blood sugarlevel more closely while youre feeling unwell.

Pregnancy complications

If you get flu while you're pregnant, there's a small risk that the infection could cause problems with yourpregnancy.

Flu may cause you to go into premature labour (before 37 weeks of pregnancy), or it may result in your babyhaving a low birth weight.



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Occasionally, getting flu during pregnancy can result in a miscarriage or stillbirth.

Rare complications

Less common complications of flu include:

tonsillitisinflammation of the tonsils otitis media an infection of the middle ear sinusitisinflammation of the lining of the sinuses (small, air-filled cavities behind your cheekbones and

forehead) febrile seizures (convulsions)a fit that can happen when a ch ild has a fever meningitis infection in the brain and spinal cord encephalitis inflammation of the brain

Click on the links above for more information about the symptoms of these conditions and to find out how they'retreated.

Preventing flu

There are three main ways of preventing flu: good hygiene, such as handwashing and cleaning, the fluvaccination and antiviral medication.

Good hygiene

To reduce your risk of getting flu or spreading it to other people, you should always:

make sure you wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water clean surfaces such as your keyboard, telephone and door handles regularly to get rid of germs use tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze put used tissues in a bin as soon as possible

Read more about preventing the spread of germs.

The flu vaccine

The annual flu vaccine can help reduce your risk of getting flu each year, although it's not 100% effective because



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it doesn't work against every possible type of flu virus.

A flu vaccine is available for free on the NHS for:

anyone over the age of 65 pregnant women anyone who is very overweight (with a body mass index over 40) children and adults with an underlying health condition (particularly long -term heart or lung disease) children and adults with weakened immune systems

Adults over 18 and children aged six months to two years in these groups are given an annual injection, whilechildren aged two to 18 are given an annual nasal spray.

The annual nasal spray is also now given to healthy children aged two, three and four years old, and to children inschool years one and two.

The best time to have the vaccine is in the autumn, between September and early November. If you think you needit, contact your local GP surgery. Find your nearest GP surgery here.

You should have the flu vaccination every year so you stay protected. The viruses that cause flu change every yearso this winter's flu will be different from last winter's.

Read more about:

Who should have the flu vaccine? How the flu vaccine works. The flu vaccine for children. Which children can have the flu vaccine?

Antiviral medication

Taking the antiviral medicines oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza) to prevent flu is recommended if all ofthe following apply:

there is a lot of flu around you're over 65, pregnant, or have a medical condition that puts you at risk of complications of flu, such as

diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease or a neurological disease

you have been in contact with someone with a flu-like illness and can start antiviral treatment within 36-48



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hours you have not been effectively protected by vaccination

You are not effectively protected by vaccination if you:

have not been vaccinated since last winter cannot be vaccinated or have been vaccinated, but it hasn't taken effect yet (this can take up to two weeks) have been vaccinated against a form of flu virus that's different to the type going around

If there's an outbreak of flu in a residential or nursing home where the flu virus can often spread very quicklyantiviral medication may be offered to people if they have been in contact with someone with confirmed flu.

For more information, read the guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) onantivirals to prevent influenza.



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