What’s the difference? :

It is always a good idea to call your doctor if you exhibit two or more of the flu symptoms listed. And, if you are lucky enough not to be sick, remember your best defense against most illnesses is frequent hand washing.  For flu, everyone six months of age and older should also get extra protection with a flu vaccine.

More information about the flu can be found at http://flu.gov. 

Michele Roberts Casey, MD, Wake Specialty Physicians – Falls Point Medical Group

The good news is you have three primary defenses against the flu that are very effective.
1. Avoid People Who Are Sick
2. Wash Your Hands
3. Get the Flu Vaccine

This year, the flu vaccine is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older, with a particular emphasis on healthcare workers, school-aged children, teachers, daycare workers and pregnant women.  Getting vaccinated is as much about protecting yourself as it is about protecting those around you.  Parent vaccination helps to protect children; healthcare worker vaccination protects patients; teacher vaccination protects students, etc.

This year the U.S. seasonal influenza vaccine virus strains are identical to those contained in the 2010-11 vaccine. (These include A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like, A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like, and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like antigens.)

If you got the vaccine last year, it is still very important to get the vaccine this year to maintain optimal protection against flu.  Your body does retain some protection for a lifetime after a flu vaccine, but immunity wanes.  This means that if you do not get the vaccine again this year, your body won’t be as equipped to fight off the virus.  If you got the flu vaccine last year, think of this year’s vaccine as a booster.

The flu vaccine is available now, and now is a great time of year to start building your immunity.  Remember, it takes about two weeks to develop immunity after receiving the shot.

Robin Carver is director of WakeMed Raleigh Campus infection control.

As a nurse and the director of WakeMed Occupational Health & Safety, this is a practice I highly recommend against.  However, I know that it can sometimes be hard to determine how long you need to stay home in bed when suffering from a cold, gastrointestinal bug, etc.

At WakeMed, we provide all staff with a quick reference guide to make the process of deciding when it is appropriate for the health of those around you to go home from work early or not to come in at all.  This same reference can be applied to children when deciding how long to stay home from school. 

Trust me, your business will be better off with you at home when you are genuinely ill.  If you truly cannot “stay away,” make accommodations to telecommute if possible.

Flu-like symptoms, including fever?

• Stay home until temperature has returned to less than 99.5˚ for 24 hours without fever lowering medications
• See your doctor. You have 48 hours from the onset of symptoms for medication that treats the flu. Use tissues when sneezing or coughing to reduce the spread of germs to those around you.

Gastrointestinal bug?

• Stay home until diarrhea-free for 48 hours

Exposed to someone with the flu?

•  Monitor self for 5-7 days for flu-like symptoms

And remember, whether sick or well wash your hands!  Hand washing is the number one way to prevent the spread of germs.

Carla Stevens is WakeMed’s Director of Occupational Health & Safety.

Predicting the pattern for an upcoming flu season can be challenging. While this fall showed promise for a mild season, the number of patients in our emergency departments with flu or flu-like illness is now increasing rapidly, suggesting that perhaps the worst is yet to come.

Beginning the first of December and climbing within the last two weeks, WakeMed physicians have seen a surge of patients with symptoms including fever, cough, aches, and fatigue.  The rates are highest among toddlers and preschool-aged children in particular, constituting almost 27 percent of WakeMed visits last week.

The best defense against the flu is to get a flu shot. The Center for Disease Control says that the vaccine can reduce the chances of getting the flu by 70 to 90 percent in adults, but even if you do not get the virus, the vaccine can still prevent serious complications from the flu.  Remember too that it takes approximately two weeks from the time you are vaccinated till you reach maximum protection against the flu.

Why the surge in flu and flu-like illness all of a sudden? While it’s hard to say exactly, the extensive cold weather may have played a part, keeping people indoors and together.

The best way to lower your risk of illness:

1. Get a flu shot.
2. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water for 15 to 20 seconds.
3. Use hand gel when hand washing is not available.
4. Cough and sneeze into your elbow.
5. Keep your environment clean. Household products work great for this.
6. If you are sick, stay home to prevent the spread of illness.

Robin Carver, RN, director of Infection Prevention & Control

WakeMed Emergency Departments and Primary Care practices are definitely starting to see an increase in flu and flu-like illnesses in the past couple of weeks.  But, the good news is that it is not too late to get a flu shot.

In addition to getting your flu shot, follow these guidelines to increase your chances of staying well this flu season.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Wash your hands frequently with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds.
•  Boost your immune system by eating a well balanced diet, exercising regularly, managing stress and getting enough rest – even of the holidays.

Today’s warning is a good reminder for us to all review our fire safety plans at home.  In the United States, fire departments respond to a home fire every 82 seconds.  Cooking is the number one reason for home fires and injuries, and smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths.

Smoke alarms cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire.  However, in more than half of reported home fires, smoke alarms did not operate properly due to missing or disconnected batteries. 

This October, be sure to purchase a smoke alarm and a fire extinguisher for your home. Teach everyone in the house how to use the fire extinguisher, and change your smoke alarm batteries twice a year.  Additionally, if you have flammable chemicals in the house, store them correctly.  In case of a fire, establish an escape route and meeting place with your family or housemates. 

For more fire safety tips, be sure to check out our previous blog on fire dangers and children.

Tuesday, October 12
The Flu vs. The Common Cold – Prevention, Treatment and When to See the Doctor
Michele Roberts Casey, MD – Falls Pointe Medical Group
5 to 8 pm
WakeMed North Healthplex
10000 Falls of Neuse Road
Raleigh, NC 27614

Can’t make it to the seminar, but still want a flu shot? Visit the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ flu shot finder.

It is important to keep in mind that influenza can be a very dangerous illness.  Every year people are made very sick from flu, with many people dying from the disease.  It is estimated that around 30,000 people die each year in the United States from the flu or flu-related illnesses.  It is important that we all take steps to keep ourselves and our family safe this flu season by avoiding people who are sick, practicing good hand hygiene, and by getting a flu shot.  Everyone 6 months of age or older should be vaccinated for flu unless you have a contraindication to receiving the vaccine.

Flu shot common misconceptions
1. I will get the flu from the flu shot.
You cannot get the flu from a flu shot or the flu vaccine nasal spray.  There is a chance that you might have a low grade fever or body aches after receiving the shot, but this is your body’s natural immune response as it develops antibodies to the virus.  To learn more about flu shots, visit a previous blog by Julie Stauss, a WakeMed pharmacist.

2. Only certain at-risk populations really need to get the flu shot.
It is especially important for individuals in high-risk groups to get vaccinated for the flu because they are at increased risk of developing flu-related complications.  However, this year experts recommend that everyone 6 months of age and up get a flu shot, unless they have a contraindication to receiving the vaccine.

3. If I get the flu shot too early in the season, it will wear off before flu season really hits in February.
Studies do not show that receiving more than one dose of vaccine during a flu season is more effective at preventing the flu.  Scientists do believe that every time you are vaccinated for the flu, you build your immunity to different flu strains.  This year’s flu shot will include protection against the 2009 H1N1 virus and two other strains. 

Flu shots are readily available through your family physician, pediatrician, health department, and even local pharmacies.  Get yours today!

Dr. John Holly is an internal medicine physician with Brier Creek Medical Group.

Dr. Robert Matthews

With the NCAA Tournament scheduled to begin on Thursday, you can expect to find lots of men perched in front on their television sets watching basketball.  Dr. Robert Matthews, a urologist with WakeMed Faculty Physicians, explains why that may be a good time to schedule a vasectomy.

Imagine the opportunity to sit at home and watch non-stop college basketball for three or four straight days – with the full support and blessing of your wife.

For many men along Tobacco Road, it sounds like a dream come true.  And that’s exactly why it might be a perfect time to schedule a vasectomy. 

There is a growing national trend for men to schedule a vasectomy in conjunction with the start of the NCAA Tournament.  Because a vasectomy requires men to stay off their feet for three days, the opportunity to watch 48 college basketball games in a four-day span is pretty appealing.

The family gets an effective form of birth control and the husband gets a free pass to watch sports all day.  You’ll still feel uncomfortable for a few days, but you will have plenty of basketball to keep you entertained.

Just one word of warning: If you are the type of fan who can’t resist jumping up and down with every errant pass or buzzer-beating shot, you might want to schedule your vasectomy during your favorite golf tournament instead. And, we will not do one side this year and one side next year in an effort to get 2 years of uninterrupted NCAAs.