Contents:
- Medical Video: How to Manage Viral Induced Asthma During Cold and Flu Season
- People with asthma have a high risk of contracting severe illness and complications from the flu
- If you have asthma, you must take steps to fight the flu
- What kind of flu vaccine should an asthma sufferer get?
- Take precautionary steps every day to avoid flu
- If you begin to experience symptoms of flu ...
Medical Video: How to Manage Viral Induced Asthma During Cold and Flu Season
Asthma is a disease of the lungs caused by chronic inflammation of the respiratory tract. This disease is one of the most common long-term illnesses in children, but adults can also contract asthma. Asthma attacks when the channel to the lungs becomes swollen and tense during inflammation of the respiratory tract. Asthma attacks can be caused by triggers such as respiratory infections, particles that cause allergies, chemical irritation, and air pollution. During an attack, people with asthma will experience symptoms such as wheezing, unable to breathe, tightness in the chest, and coughing at night or morning. Often, asthma attacks can be prevented by limiting exposure to the trigger and by using special asthma treatments.
People with asthma have a high risk of contracting severe illness and complications from the flu
Although people with asthma rarely get the flu, influenza (flu) can be a more serious problem for people who have asthma, even though their asthma is still mild or symptoms can be controlled with medication. This is because people with asthma have a swollen and sensitive respiratory tract, and influenza can exacerbate inflammation in the respiratory tract. Influenza infections in the lungs can trigger asthma attacks and worsen asthma symptoms. This can also cause pneumonia and various other acute respiratory diseases.
In fact, adults and children with asthma can be more at risk of getting pneumonia after falling sick with the flu than people who don't have asthma. Asthma coupled with flu is the most common health condition in children in the hospital and one of the main causes also in adults who are hospitalized.
If you have asthma, you must take steps to fight the flu
Anyone who has asthma aged 6 years and over must take a flu vaccine to protect themselves from flu.Vaccination is the first and foremost step to protect yourself from influenza.Flu vaccines can be found in many places including doctors' offices, clinics, health departments, and other health centers.
What kind of flu vaccine should an asthma sufferer get?
- Nasal spray vaccine: Nasal spray vaccine is approved for use in people aged 2 years to 49 years. Children aged 2-4 years who have asthma or who have a history of wheezing for the past 12 months are not permitted to get nasal spray vaccines. People of any age who have asthma can have a high risk of wheezing after taking a nasal spray vaccine. In addition, the safety factor of nasal spray vaccines for people with lung disease and several other risky health conditions cannot be ascertained.
- Flu injection (made from a flu virus that is already inactive (dead)) has been approved to be used by people aged 6 years and over with any health conditions including asthma. Flu injection has long-term protection for people with asthma.
- Pneumococcal infection is a serious complication of influenza infection and can cause death. The pneumococcal vaccine can be given at the same time as the influenza vaccine.
Take precautionary steps every day to avoid flu
- Stay at home if you are sick, except to leave home to get treatment. Avoid getting close to other people who are also sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and immediately remove the wipes. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze by covering your elbows or arms, not with your bare hands.
- Wash your hands frequently using soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth (germs spread that way)
- Clean and routinely sterilize surfaces that are often touched at home, office and school, especially when someone is sick.
If you begin to experience symptoms of flu ...
- Treatment should begin as soon as possible because antiviral treatment works best when new symptoms appear (about 48 hours after symptoms appear).
- Antiviral drugs can make pain due to flu become lighter and can make you feel better quickly. This treatment also prevents other more serious health conditions that come from the flu.
- Oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) is an antiviral drug that can be used to cure flu. To get Oseltamivir (Tamiflu®), a doctor must write a prescription. This treatment is fighting flu by preventing the development of viruses in the body.
- People who have asthma should not use zanamivir (Relenza®), another antiviral drug, because there is a risk of causing wheezing in people who have asthma or other lung problems.
