FLU tracker for the 2010-2011 season

Thought I would add some info to help people figure out if they might have the flu, what to do about it and most important; how to prevent it!!

CDC list of symptoms:

Be Aware of Common Flu Symptoms
Influenza usually starts suddenly and may include the following symptoms:

Fever (usually high)
Headache
Tiredness (can be extreme)
Cough
Sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Body aches
Diarrhea and vomiting (more common among children than adults)
Having these symptoms does not always mean that you have the flu. Many different illnesses, including the common cold, can have similar symptoms.

LINK

What to do if you think you have it:

Make them comfortable.
Give them plenty of fluids.
Keep them in bed.

THIS website has a great day-by-day breakdown of what to expect and what you can do about it.


PREVENTION

Both the cold and flu viruses are mainly passed to individuals through moisture droplets produced during conversation, coughing or sneezing. They can also be passed from touching something that has been contaminated. The following tips will cover both building up the immune system to be more resilient to the virus and preventative measures if you may have come in contact with the cold or flu virus.

THIS website goes on to list some great (and unexpected) ways to boost your immune system and keep you healthy through the flu season. They briefly mention vitamins and talk about going into the sun to get your D....but if you live where I do, that may not be an option.

I would like to also add a recomendation: Go to your local store and stock up on vitamin D3 now. I just recently found 5000 iu pills in the grocery store. I didn't know they came that high without a prescription so I was pretty excited about it. They are not expensive and play a HUGE part in keeping us healthy.

Good luck and good health!

reply to post by westcoast


Well Westcoast I spoke too soon. that is what I get, LOL.

The stomache bug hit our family over the weekend. 17 yo daughter began throwing up Friday midnight and it continues till mid morning. Then a moderate fever came, followed by severe headache. All is well today except she feels weak, and staying home one more day. She reported one classmate also throwing up.

Some of our other immediate family members are now reporting feeling nausea since yesterday, but no other symptoms....... yet..........

We have pretty much ruled out food borne illness, since we all went out for Mexican Friday night, and no one else immediately became sick, even if eating the same thing as my daughter. Still I suppose the chance is there.

reply to post by Brandyfro


There is a difference between Norovirus and the actual Flu. Please look up Norovirus on CDC or on a search engine, it is highly contagious too. Throwing up usually means Norovirus which is a nasty bug but people can also throw up with the actual flu through it is less common.
My neighbors little boy would throw up when he got the flu but it was besause he was coughing so hard he would gag himself, he also had severe asthma.

Bird Flu is back and just been detected
www.abovetopsecret.com...
by PurpleDog UK
started on 12/9/2010 @ 06:06 PM

Thought I would check back in here. Hope your family is all better Brandyfro.

Norovirus, I think, is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed and a lot more common than we realize. The key to the real flu is that is long acting. You do not get over it in a few days or even usually a week. It's more like two to three before you are fully recovered.

Interesting side note here. I just read over my imployers declination form today for the flu vaccination. I work at a hospital. I have declined it every year. Last year there was a simple declination form. This one is more like a legal contract. It says a bunch of stuff about understanding that by refusing it I realize that I am putting other employees and patients at risk of a life-threatening illness. I do not like the way it is worded AT ALL.

I have decided that I am not going to sign it. We'll see what happens. If I am approached openly about it I am simply going to refuse. I don't think they can make me. They can go ahead and fire me for it for all I care. I am so sick and fed-up with the healthcare agencies right now that I really just don't care anymore!

No more bouts of flu around here. Seems either the season over early or getting a late start.

Just bumping this up to see if it's really as quiet as it seems.

I know that around here, we seem to be past the flu...for the time being anyways. So far a VERY mild year, thank God!! Now, if the birds and fish would just stop dying.

EDIT TO ADD: HERE is a link to the CDC flu map of the states.

I find this very interesting. Anyone correct me if I am wrong, but typically, you see the flu begin up in the Pacific Northwest and work it's way East, SouthEast. This is due to the weather, dampness, lack of sunlight, etc. This year, if you click on the above linked map and then select on the previous week feature, you will see that back at the begining of October it does in fact seem to begin in th PNW and also on the East Coast. Then it starts to spread out in the midwest and south, as usual. Then...it takes a weird turn. It seems to die out in the PNW and midwestern states, but erupt in the SE states. It is now being reported as widespread in the south and SE states, but fading still fading up in my area. I wonder why this is???? Possibly because of the wierd weather? It is a proven fact that vitamin D has a huge role in our imune system and fighting the flu. Could the cold weather and lack of normally huge amount of sunshine in these states be taking a toll? Hmmmmm....

This is going to be so hard to track. This flu bug spreads like wildfire. After you are around it, you will be sick in a day or two. My oldest had a bug that made him empty his stomach in a hurry, body ached the works. Just when we thought he was good, he was sick again. Turned out to be strep. (He had swine flu last year we think...they dont test for any particular strain, just an approximate and he was positive for a h5 strain.)

On my school bus, I believe they have all been out sick with the flu on one of my routes now, and about half way through the other route. If one kid was sick on Monday his neighbors were sick on Tuesday. I could see it coming though. The color in the face goes grey a week or two before, and for a week before, they do not feel well.

Im finding this is hardest on the adults than it is on the kids. When adults come down with it, it is violent, and leaves them down for a good 5 days.

My little girl is sick with the flu now. Poor thing started throwing up yesterday but is feeling a bit better today.

The main thing I see is that no one is going to the Dr. for this. Money is beyond tight. They wait to see if it gets serious then go to the ER if it does. ER rehydrates sometimes gives an antinausea med, and ships them out the door. No testing is being done. No one wants to pay for it. Especially the hospitals.

Ya my oldest had strep and of all the symptoms the sore throat was the least of them. BUT I dont think it is what everyone else was getting. He never really got grey in the face. I could be wrong though.

Quick edit to add that I take Bcomplex and D vitamins every day. I have not gotten sick. There were a few days where I was tired and my body ached but that was it. Considering I practically swim in germs all day every day...I think that says something about those vitamins. I did not get the flu shot either...never do.