Monday 9th November 2015 – 11.30am – Claire Brown.
With the night’s drawing in and the weather taking a definite autumnal turn, now is the time to prepare your health for the winter months ahead.
Whilst some think it’s just a bad cold, flu really isn’t fun to have. Each year hundreds of thousands of people see their GP and tens of thousands are hospitalised because of the flu.
Diane Scott, Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer, said: “Flu is often underestimated and for older people, the very young, pregnant women and those with a chronic respiratory or cardiovascular health conditions it can sometimes be very serious.
“We’ve already vaccinated almost 800 ambulance staff and volunteer Community First Responders over the past few weeks as part of the Trust’s flu programme. Not only will the vaccine keep our staff and their families well, it also means that they’ll be fit and well to respond to patients over the winter period.
“As an ambulance service we’re urging the old, the young, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions to book in for a flu jab. Not only will it help to protect your own health but it’ll also stop you from spreading the flu to your loved ones this winter.”
Reasons why you don’t want the flu:
You’ll be in for a miserable one or two weeks! Symptoms usually start with a high temperature (more than 38 degrees Celsius) which will make you feel groggy and you’ll probably start to develop a nasty cough. Other symptoms you can enjoy can include a headache, feeling cold and shivery, aching muscles, limb or joint pain, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, loss of appetite and diarrhoea or an upset stomach. A recipe to make you feel completely rubbish!
What do I do if I get flu?
Sadly, for the majority of people, there’s not a lot the ambulance service can do to help you if you’ve got the flu. If you’re otherwise fit and healthy, there is no need to visit your GP either with flu-like symptoms. The best thing you can do is tuck yourself up in bed, rest, drink plenty of fluids, take paracetamol and remember, don’t take over the advised dosage. Help ease a sore throat and cough with lozenges, mixtures or sprays too. If you are buying over the counter remedies, make sure you check with the pharmacist first to ensure they don’t affect medication you’re already taking.
ENDS