Everywhere you turn people are talking about the flu. Do I have the flu? Who’s most susceptible to the flu? What can I do to keep from getting the flu? The three-letter word is being discussed on talk shows and newscasts, in breakrooms and classrooms, and nearly everywhere in between. More specifically, people are discussing the seasonal flu, H1N1, vaccines, health risks, symptoms, and more. To address concerns regarding the flu, Paris Community Hospital/Family Medical Center has compiled the following resources.

To prevent the spread of H1N1 and seasonal flu:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleanser.
• Avoid contact with ill persons.
• When you cough or sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your sleeve (if you do not have a tissue). Throw used tissues in a trash can.
• After you cough or sneeze, wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand gel.
• Eat right and get enough rest.
• Take antiviral medications if recommended by your physician.
• If you think you are ill with the flu, avoid close contact with others as much as possible. Stay at home and do not send ill children to school. Seek medical care if you are severely ill (such as having trouble breathing or keeping fluids down). There are antiviral medications for prevention and treatment of swine flu that a doctor can prescribe. Do not go to work, school, or travel while ill.

If you become ill and experience and of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care. Warning signs that need urgent medical care include:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

If your child becomes ill and experiences the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care. Warning signs that need urgent medical care include:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve, but then return with fever and worse cough

For further information on the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu consult
the following sources:

• Paris Community Hospital/Family Medical Center’s availability of the seasonal flu vaccine
• Flu announcements from the Edgar County Health Department
• Information on H1N1 from the State of Illinois
• H1N1 information from the CDC
• Seasonal Flu information from the CDC
• Flu.gov