Peak flu season begins in Ohio; what to do if you get the flu
It’s beginning to look a lot like flu season.
Some Mercy Health doctors are seeing a slight increase in the number of influenza cases they treat in the Mahoning Valley area.
This slight uptick is expected around the holidays, according to Dr. Jill Haltigan, a family physician in the Youngstown market.
“We’ve started to see a little uptick in influenza A, even among some of our staff members, actually,” said Dr. Haltigan. “But these are seasonal viruses.; they come in pretty recurrent patterns. The strains that we see for flu are circulating in the southern hemisphere during what we consider our summer and then come up here and hit us typically during the fall, late fall and winter months. They’re cyclical in terms of time of year.”
Dr. Haltigan said there are two common types of flu viruses: A and B.
“Usually with flu, people have some type of achiness, like muscle or body aches,” said Dr. Haltigan. “Usually there’s a fever, but not certainly everybody has one. It’s a respiratory illness, so often there’s a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat and some type of a cough. People are usually tired and might have a headache.”
She said people use the term ‘flu’ colloquially to refer to any illness they get in the winter. Still, it’s essential to know the symptoms of influenza.
“Sometimes if children have influenza, they might show some vomiting or diarrhea, but it’s pretty uncommon for adults who have actual influenza to have any type of gastrointestinal symptoms,” said Dr. Haltigan.
If a patient is experiencing stomach issues, then they’re more likely to be diagnosed with another virus, not influenza.
How long can it take to be healthy and not contagious anymore?
Dr. Haltigan said it’s safe to return to regular routines like school, work and other activities if someone has been fever-free for 24 hours without using a fever-reducing medicine like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
“A fever is a temperature above 100.4 F,” said Dr. Haltigan. “Once someone’s been fever-free for 24 hours ...then, generally speaking, if they’re feeling better, maybe not completely back to baseline, but as long as they feel like they’re on the upswing again, and haven’t had a fever, it’s okay to return.”
Dr. Halitigan advises you to do this when you get the flu.
First, talk to your doctor or a provider at an urgent care about prescription antivirals.
“Usually it’s about a five-day virus,” she said. “The biggest things are what we call supportive care; so using something like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. If someone has a fever, those can be very helpful. If someone feels really achy or has a headache or a sore throat, those medicines just generally help us to feel a little bit better. The biggest thing is to prioritize your own rest and your own wellness. I know we live in a fast-paced world and everybody has a million responsibilities, especially this time of year with getting ready for the holidays, but it’s really important to give your body the rest it needs. Drink plenty of water. Eat foods that are a bit more nutritious and are going to give us energy as opposed to you know fried foods or high sugar foods, things that we all love but probably aren’t going to support our recovery the best.”
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