Visit A Family Practice Doctor If You Are Experiencing Flu Symptoms

If you are coming down with flu symptoms, you may be asking yourself if you should call a doctor. Medication can help you get better faster, so it's worth it to visit a doctor.



You should call a family practice doctor if you have a fever, headache, cough, extreme fatigue, sore throat, stuffy nose, muscle aches, nausea, or if you are vomiting. If you have trouble breathing or if your fever or sore throat lasts longer than two days, you should call a doctor immediately. If your sore throat lasts longer than 2 days, you may have strep throat. If you have strep throat, your doctor may give you a prescription for antibiotics.



A doctor will diagnose you and he may run some tests in order to make an accurate diagnosis. Your doctor may prescribe antiviral medicine for you. These medicines will shorten the duration of the flu and they are usually taken for 5 days or so. If your body temperature becomes higher than 102 F, even when you take medicine, you should also speak to a doctor.



Certain groups of people are at risk for developing complications from the flu including pregnant women, people who have diseases of the lungs, heart, kidneys, and people with diabetes.



After you visit a doctor, make sure you take good care of yourself. You should get plenty of sleep and rest and drink a lot of fluids. Gargling with salt water may help you relieve your sore throat. Over-the-counter medicines may also reduce some of your symptoms. You should avoid physical exertion, stay away from tobacco and alcohol, and eat soups. Water should not be the only liquid you consume because it doesn't contain enough electrolytes that your body needs. Gatorade and similar sports beverages are good choices.



You can treat aches and fever with over-the-counter medicines like Advil, Motrin, and Tylenol. Aspirin shouldn't be used because it's associated with Reyes syndrome. You can treat your cough with cough suppressants. For nasal congestion, you can take over-the-counter decongestants. However, anybody with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, glaucoma, and thyroid disease should stay away from decongestants.



If you have the flu, you should wash your hands often with water and soap, avoid touching your nose, eyes, avoid contact with people who are sick, and avoid sharing clothes with a person who has the flu. If you have a fever, you should stay home until it is resolved.The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a vaccination. A vaccination will decrease the amount of visits to a doctor, hospitalizations, and the risk of dying from the flu.



You can find a family practice doctor online and it won't cost you a penny. Search through online directories and get the contact information for several doctors in your area. Contact them to see if they accept your health insurance plan and ask questions if you need to. If you want to find out if the doctors in your area are worth paying a visit, check out the online doctor reviews and ratings. Many websites are packed with useful information and they will help you find the best family practice doctor for your needs and budget.

What is H1N1 & What Are the Swine Flu Symptoms? Are You and Your Family at Significant Risk?

An outbreak of the H1N1 virus (swine flu) has recently caused concerns of a worldwide pandemic. As of this writing, the World Health Organization (also known as WHO) reports that thirty-nine countries have documented cases of the disease.



So, what is H1N1? The H1N1 virus, frequently called the swine flu is a virus that causes influenza in humans. The virus has gone through a recent mutation into its current form. Due to this mutation, humans have no protection from the disease. This is why authorities are worried about the chance of a pandemic.



The virus contains 2 genes from a typical pig virus, 1 gene from the avian flu virus, and 1 gene from human influenza virus. So now that we've responded to the query of what is H1N1, what about the symptoms? The symptoms of the H1N1 swine flu virus in people are similar to the those of the typical seasonal influenza virus. They include: fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A number of people have also reported diarrhea and nausea.



And, like the seasonal flu, severe illnesses and death has happened as a result of illness associated with this serious disease. In the U. S. alone, about 36,000 people die each year from flu related issues.



Now that we've covered what is H1N1 and its symptoms, how about H1N1 complications and special risk factors? Typically the following people are at a major risk for complications: people 65 years of age and older, youngsters below the age of five, pregnant individuals, and those with certain chronic conditions. problems. These chronic conditions consist of people with asthma, diabetes, COPD, and people with compromised immune systems. This includes those taking immunosuppressant drugs. People with any of the risk factors above should consult with their physician even before a flu onset occurs.



Medical professionals are worried that a worldwide pandemic could occur at any time. Pandemics seem to spread in waves and frequently pass around the planet 2 or 3 times. The 2nd or third wave is frequently more serious than the 1st. This is how it happened in the 1918 flu pandemic which is thought to have killed at least 50 million people. It is possible a more significant outbreak of the disease will occur during the normal flu season.



If you are worried about the safety your family, or know someone that has some of the special risk factors stated above, do some swine flu preparation. Take steps today to protect yourself and your loved ones from the swine flu. Once a pandemic strikes, it could be too late to do anything.