Jae Condon on the ongoing battle against the Flu.
Winter is again upon us allowing us to wear this year’s black (whatever that is), eat lots of stews (I always thought that Casserole would make a great drag name) and get the flu. Call me old fashioned, but I am firmly of the opinion that one virus at a time is enough for anyone to deal with.
Flu is caused by the Influenza virus, which is highly contagious and is spread through coughing, sneezing, kissing and touching contaminated surfaces. The symptoms of the Flu can last for up to a week and include high fever, joint pain, fatigue, sore throat, headache and a dry non-productive cough. This dry cough can sometimes develop into a productive cough.
There’s a lot we can do to avoid the flu and minimise the severity and duration of symptoms.
Prevention
Whatever you do, just don’t smoke.
Quitting smoking is the single best thing that you can do for your health. The surfaces of your lungs provide an important and specialised immune defense. Like your skin, lung tissue prevents lots of bugs from getting inside your body. Lung tissue is much more fragile, as it has to allow oxygen in and carbon dioxide out.
Smoke from yours and another person’s cigarettes can and will cause damage that stops your lungs from working effectively. The lung scarring which occurs in every smoker leaves your lungs more prone to the flu and other infections – causing more damage – and so on and so on. There are many ways you can give up, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Smoking can also cause erectile dysfunction and premature ageing of the face, so enough said.
Consider vaccination
The Flu vaccine has been around for many years and is highly effective in preventing people from getting the flu. The vaccine contains some genetic flu information that stimulates your body into recognising the flu and having immunity. It is not possible to get the flu from the vaccine as the genetic material used is inactive.
There is a small chance of experiencing flu-like symptoms as the vaccine does stimulate your immune system. The vaccine offers protection against certain strains of the flu so it is also possible to become unwell with a different strain of the flu. The Flu like any other infection will deplete your CD4 count, so getting vaccinated not only helps to prevent the flu but can also preserve your CD4 count.
Until recent years the NSW Department of Health provided free flu vaccination to ‘at-risk’ populations including people living with HIV. For the last two years this funding has been withdrawn. Needless to say the uptake has been greatly reduced. The department had previously announced the availability of the vaccine with a campaign encouraging people to discuss it with their doctor. This campaign has also been withdrawn, which means this useful reminder is no longer around to prompt discussion.
Some workplaces like ACON pay for their staff to get the Flu vaccine for free so check with your employer. Otherwise it will cost the price of a normal prescription. The vaccine may not be for everyone, so discuss with your GP or HIV specialist.
Rug up
Your grandmother was right! Wearing warm clothes gives protection from the flu and other bugs. If parts of your body (especially chest and neck) get cold they can become dehydrated and allow less blood flow. This can allow the flu to take hold more easily. So it’s hats, scarves and gloves this season. When choosing gloves, think wool for public and rubber for private.
Why not buy a red scarf from BGF to keep your neck warm. The BGF scarves are stylish and warm and the money helps other people living with HIV. These scarves can also be a handy way for certain gentlemen to recognise each other on buses and trains. Keeping warm also by staying indoors, keeping your home and workplace warm and drinking cups of soup and tea throughout the day.
Keep tissues handy
Always cough and sneeze into a tissue or hanky. Make sure your home and workplace have plenty of tissues around. Hankies can be washed and tissues discarded. Keep spare tissues on you in case someone else needs one. It’s a nice thing to do and it just might help stop the flu spreading to you.
Wash your hands
After you sneeze or cough, remember to wash your hands as the flu virus can easily spread beyond your tissue. Encourage others to do this as well. You can make signs to put around your workplace. Many people use disinfectant hand lotions as we are not always close to a hand basin. If you do use a hand basin pump-packs are better at preventing the spread of bugs than cakes of soap.
Spray and wipe
Surfaces, surfaces, surfaces. Any surface that can be touched or sneezed on is a potential place for the flu to hang out and catch a ride. Using a good quality surface cleaner and a clean cloth can rid most surfaces of the flu. Think telephones, keyboards and mice, door handles, lift buttons and hand rails.
Avoid hay fever
Australia has a high rate of allergies at this time of year. This is partly because of the way that our plants pollinate. Instead of relying on insects many pollen are carried on the wind. Keeping allergy symptoms under control helps maintain your body’s natural immune defenses (ears, nose and throat and airways). Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking allergy medication just in case it can interact with your other medication or cause side effects.
Taking vitamins
There are a range of complimentary therapies that are touted as being able to prevent the flu and/or reduce symptoms. The only products that are supported by research to my knowledge are Echinacea, Vitamin C and Zinc. Other vitamin deficiencies can compromise immunity but they are rare in Australia. These deficiencies can be treated but should be formally diagnosed. Having said that taking a good quality Multivitamin can rarely do harm and can be a good source of antioxidants.
Treatment
If you do get the flu there is a lot you can do to reduce symptoms and duration.
Rest
Take time off from work – you have permission. Not only will you feel better sooner, but you will not give the flu to others at work, or on your way to work, or on your way home from work, or at the coffee shop etc, etc, etc. If we all did this there would be a lot less flu around.
If your think your workplace might question you, get a medical certificate. Many doctors will think it reasonable to suggest that someone living with HIV should take enough time off to fully recover, and will provide a certificate for this purpose. The certificate does not have to mention your HIV status.
When you are feeling unwell and work is busy, you might feel guilty about taking time off. Speak to others about your concerns, and similarly allow others time off without making them feel selfish. This goes double if you manage staff - remember what goes around comes around.
Paracetamol
Paracetamol in its various guises helps with pain, inflammation and fever. A generic brand will be just as effective as a pricy brand. Some cold and flu preparations contain all sorts of ingredients but will usually be based on paracetamol or aspirin.
Other ingredients like pseudoephedrine can make you feel like you have more energy, but won’t usually do more than buzz you up temporarily. Symptoms like a cough or blocked nose can be treated with other agents and these should be recommended by your doctor or pharmacist. There are a range of lozenges, sprays and other preparations that can help with symptoms available at retail pharmacies.
Many swear by a hot toddy
Your grandmother could have been right about this one as well. Many swear by taking a brew of brandy and lemon juice in warm water or tea at bed time with Panadol. There is little research but a lot of anecdotal evidence for the effectiveness of these preparations. If the least you get is a good night’s sleep when feeling awful, then why not? Darlings please remember the Australian standards for alcohol consumption, and like Mary McKillop use for medicinal purposes only.
See your doctor
You should consult your doctor if your symptoms worsen after several days, or you have a noisy cough that produces green phlegm. This can be a sign of a bacterial infection that might respond to antibiotics. Other Health conditions like asthma or bronchitis can worsen if you get the flu. Talk to your doctor about a management plan just in case.
If a bacterial chest infection is left untreated, and you are spending a lot of time lying down, you can be at risk of developing pneumonia. Your doctor would rather you come in to have a check up than for your condition to worsen. If you have trouble breathing go straight to hospital.
As well as having a doctor for HIV many people also have a GP. Many HIV doctors provide GP care as well. Make sure you know whom to see for what. You can check by telephoning your clinic. You can also ask about after-hours services in case you need a doctor late at night. If your HIV team are not geared to provide GP services they can often recommend someone.
Cheer up
If you do get the flu and you are feeling rotten, try to have a giggle. Watch a sitcom or phone a friend. Maybe they will offer to bring you a basket of fruit and make you a warm cup of tea.
Jae Condon is Client Liaison Officer (Positive Services and Health Promotion) at ACON. If you have any questions for Jae, he can be contacted at the Positive Living Centre on 9699 8756
