diagnosed with the flu: managing symptoms, vaccination and self-care
7 minute read
don’t ignore flu-like symptoms like fever, cough and body aches. if you’re in a high-risk group, talk to a healthcare provider right away for advice and management.
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the flu, or influenza, gets talked about like it’s something that commonly happens in the winter and if you get it, no big deal, you just have to cope with feeling crummy for a few days.
not true. some people are in bed with sniffles and a fever that passes, but the flu can be a hard-hitting wallop to your system as it tries to fight off the infection. that added stress can lead to serious complications like pneumonia or stroke, even in healthy people. and if you have underlying health problems such as diabetes, asthma or heart disease, the risk is that much greater. the virus spreads easily and can infect your nose, throat and lungs.
every year in canada an estimated five to 10 per cent of adults and as many as 20 to 30 per cent of children are infected with flu, typically in the late fall and winter. kids are back to school, and what’s now called “freshman flu” strikes the wave of college and university students starting their first fall term. it’s also a time of year when we’re all spending more time indoors in closer contact with others.
the public health agency of canada notes the 2022 to 2023 flu season was “relatively early, extraordinary in intensity, and short in length,” with a total of 74,344 laboratory-confirmed influenza detections reported out of 1,188,962 total laboratory tests. this is both the most detections, and most tests ever recorded in a single season, as test counts have increased dramatically from pre-pandemic seasons that saw an average of 276,592 tests and 47,018 detections from 2014 to 2015 through to the 2018 to 2019 season. the flu is making the rounds as people, including vulnerable seniors and parents with young kids, are turning to healthcare providers for diagnosis and care.
as campaigns for flu vaccination ramp up, the public health agency of canada has put out a recommendation that adults aged 65 and older get a high-dose flu vaccine if available for better protection than the standard dose. in one large randomized controlled trial, people 65 years and older who received fluzone high dose vaccine were 18 to 24 per cent less likely to have laboratory-confirmed influenza than people who received fluzone standard dose. the effectiveness is related to higher rates of antibody production to fight off the virus.
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how do you prepare for flu season in canada? here’s our guide to get you informed and ready.
know the flu symptoms and understand the risks
understandably, influenza can be mislabeled as a cold. symptoms are similar, like cough, fever and feeling as though you’d rather not get up out of bed. the main difference with the flu is that these symptoms often hit much harder and last longer.
in severe cases, the flu can put even healthy people at risk for the following:
- heart attack or cardiac issues including myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle
- stroke because of blood clots caused by inflammation
again, to reemphasize the point, your risk for developing severe flu complications increases if you have one or more of these conditions:
- asthma
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- diabetes
- heart disease
- kidney disease
- lung disease
underlying lung problems can rapidly make the flu a very serious situation, dr. dawn bowdish told healthing.ca. she’s a professor of immunology at mcmaster university in hamilton, ont., executive director of the firestone institute for respiratory health, and board member and scientific advisor for the lung health foundation. “when most commonly someone gets a viral infection, that triggers a massive inflammatory response to the point where their lungs will up with liquid, and they can’t breathe, and they end up in the hospital.”
and when you look at the age groups of those most impacted, people younger than five or older than 65 tend to be more vulnerable to flu-related complications, along with people who are pregnant.
get your flu shot
the best way to avoid the flu is vaccination – but numbers from the 2022 to 2023 flu season in canada reveal that only 43 per cent of adults aged 18 to 64 with chronic medical conditions were vaccinated. as well, vaccination coverage among seniors was 74 per cent which is closer to the coverage goal of 80 per cent but this had not improved significantly in recent years.
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the most common reason for not getting the flu vaccine? not getting around to it for 21 per cent of us.
as the public health agency of canada notes, the world health organization makes yearly recommendations on what strains should be included in the vaccine based on global trends of what strains are circulating. a new flu vaccine is produced every year as a result, so it’s important to get the flu shot every year as well. flu viruses can change over time and the effectiveness of the flu shot can decrease over time. the flu shot is publicly funded across canada and recommended for everyone over six months old.
why do we see such a dramatic uptick in cases in winter? we all spend more time indoors where the virus lives a lot longer because the air is less humid than outside. when the virus is alive and in the air from droplets made when people with the virus cough, sneeze or talk, it’s that much easier to spread with people inhaling it, or for it to land on your eyes, nose, or mouth. it’s also possible, although less common, to get the flu when you touch a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touch your own mouth, eyes, or nose. frequent handwashing does make a difference for protection.
flu clinics across canada provide information about the flu and vaccination.
as well, it can take anywhere from one to four days to develop the illness after being infected. it can even infect others beginning from the day before symptoms start until about five days after becoming sick – although children and people with weak immune systems may spread the virus for a longer period.
is it time to see your doctor?
despite your efforts to protect yourself, there’s always a chance you can get the flu. if it feels like a mild illness, make sure you get lots of rest and keep hydrated. the average healthy person will likely feel better within a week, except for a lingering dry cough that may take longer, according to the mayo clinic. but don’t ignore flu-like symptoms like fever, cough and body aches. if you’re in a high-risk group, talk to a healthcare provider right away for advice and management.
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flu can come on strong and lead to emergency symptoms of the flu where you need urgent medical care and should go to the er. what do symptoms look like? for adults, they can include:
- difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- chest pain
- ongoing dizziness
- seizures
- worsening of existing medical conditions
- severe weakness or muscle pain
- emergency symptoms in children include all of the symptoms seen in adults, as well as:
- grey or blue, lips or nail beds
for anyone, if you’re concerned about any symptom, don’t shrug it off. contact a healthcare provider for professional help.
if you’re at high risk for complications or are experiencing serious symptoms linked to flu, your healthcare provider may prescribe an antiviral medication. there are two antiviral drugs that are licensed in canada for the treatment and prevention of influenza a and b, including oseltamivir (tamiflu) and zanamivir (ralenza), notes ottawa public health. these drugs are neuraminidase inhibitors. they block the exit of the influenza virus from the respiratory cells, preventing further replication and spread of the virus. for this reason, it’s important that antivirals for flu are started as soon as possible within 48 hours of symptom onset.
these medicines may shorten your illness by a day or so and help prevent serious complications.
ontarians can call 811 (formerly telehealth) or chat online with a registered nurse to get health advice and information. visit health connect ontario to access the chat service. residents in all other provinces and territories can also call 811 to connect with a nurse in the case of a non-urgent health issue.
make self-care a priority
flu symptoms can make you feel awful. but if you have a mild case, there are steps to care for yourself at home to recover.
most important remedies include:
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- rest is a must, so plant to change or cancel activities depending on your symptoms
- drink plenty of fluids, including water and warm soup
- take acetaminophen (tylenol or others) or ibuprofen (advil, motrin or others). these over-the-counter drugs can help lower fever and help with muscle aches or headache
- caution: don’t give products containing aspirin to kids or teens recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms, says the mayo clinic: “aspirin has been linked to reye’s syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, in those situations.”
with flu, you need to stay away from others as much as possible to so you don’t spread infection. that means if you need to leave home, for medical care or supplies, cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue.
as we learned during the pandemic, wearing a mask is an additional prevention strategy to further protect yourself and others. when you have the flu, masking reduces the chance of infecting others. masking also protects wearers from breathing in infectious particles from people around them.
start with gentle activity to get your body moving again and enjoy some therapeutic time outdoors.
for more information on influenza, visit the public health agency of canada.
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