Flu And Your Child-8 Great Answers Every Parent Should Know About The Flu

The 2009 flu season will probably go down in history as being one that caused great anxiety for parents

. A big part of the anxiety and frustration is due to conflicting information from many different sources. The 8 facts in this article have been confirmed by board certified physicians and will hopefully help you make the best decisions for your child and your family.

1. How do flu symptoms differ from those of a cold? Influenza (most often shortened to flu) usually comes on quite suddenly, is accompanied by fever, aches and pains, and sometimes a sometimes a dry cough rather than one that is trying to loosen phlegm (or excess mucous).

Unlike colds, the onset of the flu often lacks the runny nose, and congestion usually associated with colds. If there is fever, give an over the counter fever reducing medication (if you have used this successfully in the past) and take your child to get professional medical care immediately.

2. Can the doctor tell what type of flu my child has? That's a great question for the doctor while your child is being seen. In some localities only the health departments have the ability to determine which strain of flu is present. In many cases physicians are treating any influenza-like symptoms with fever reducing medication and Tamiflu.

3. Is Tamiflu effective? Its effectiveness depends on the strain of influenza that your child contracts. It is an antiviral medication that lessens the chance of serious complications developing such as pneumonia. Overall use of this medication has overwhelmingly lessened the severity and duration of the virus.

4. How long after Tamiflu is administered can a child receive the flu shot or mist? Your child needs to have been off the medication for 48 hours before receiving either the mist or the shot.

5. If my child has not already had the H1N1 vaccine, but she has had the H1N1 flu, should she/he still get the vaccine? Medical professionals advise that your child receive the vaccine regardless of whether they have already had Swine Flu.

Physicians are not certain whether Swine flu can reoccur. So while taking the vaccine isn't a guarantee that your child won't become sick with it again, the hope is that it will lessen the severity.

6. Why does this particular strain of influenza seem to be targeting young children? A similar virus surfaced in 1976. So people who were around then are thought to have some immunity to it because they have been exposed to it previously. Since young children were not around then, they generally have no resistance to it.

7. Where can I get accurate and up to the minute information? The CDC or Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a website and a 24 hour number that has accurate information and the national picture of how the disease is being contained. Your local radio, television, and newspapers are good sources for availability and location of flu clinics. The local school and the school nurse can give you very specific information about the population where the majority of your child's time is spent.

8. How can I help my child avoid the flu? Practice good hygiene by washing hands before and after school, and always before eating and after using the bathroom. Stock up on hand sanitizer for those situations where soap and water are not available.

Cover coughs with an arm rather than hands. This greatly reduces the number of airborne viruses in the air that are available to be inhaled or ingested.

by: Debbie Davis

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