Taking Care of the Sick - FAQs:

Does breastfeeding protect babies from flu viruses?

There are many ways that breastfeeding and breast milk protect babies’ health. Flu can be very serious in young babies. Babies who are not breastfed get sick from infections like the flu more often and more severely than babies who are breastfed.

Mothers pass on protective antibodies to their baby during breastfeeding. Antibodies are a type of protein made by the immune system in the body. Antibodies help fight off infection.

If you are sick with flu and are breastfeeding, have someone who is not sick give your baby your expressed breast milk.

What should I do if I am pregnant and come in close contact with someone who has the flu?

A pregnant woman should call her doctor right away to talk about what she should do. Sometimes, doctors will give a pregnant woman an antiviral medicine to decrease the chance that she might become sick with flu. Other times, this might not be needed. The doctor may instead recommend that a pregnant woman take antiviral medicines if they get sick.

What can I do to help my family member get over the flu?

This flu season could be worse than most flu seasons with more people than usual getting sick. Hospitals and clinics may be much busier than normal. The good news is that most people with flu will be able to be cared for at home and will feel better in about a week. Learn what you can do to help your family this flu season.

Basic Facts

Make a Sick Room

Prevent Fluid Loss

Medicine Safety

Treat Symptoms

What can I do to help my family (and myself) feel better when we have flu or flu-like symptoms?

There are a variety of symptoms that affect us when we are feeling ill. The CDC has recommended the following:

Dry Cough

Ask the pharmacist about which cough medicines are best to treat a dry cough. Do not give children younger than 4 years of age cough or cold medicines.
Set up a humidifier. That's a machine that puts tiny drops of water (moisture) into the air. This extra moisture can make it easier for the sick person to breathe.
Offer adults a cough drop or hard candy to soothe their throat and lessen the urge to cough.

Fever

To treat a fever without medicine:

Put a cool, damp washcloth on their forehead.
Wash their arms and body with a cool cloth.
Give the person a slightly warm bath.

To treat a high fever with medicine:

Use a medicine with the ingredients "acetaminophen" or "ibuprofen" on labels.
These medicines may take 30 to 45 minutes to start working. They may not bring fevers down to normal temperature.

If a fever causes a seizure:

Call the doctor or get medical help for seizures. Any child younger than 3 months who has a fever should see a doctor.

A seizure makes you have jerky spasms and can also make you pass out. In rare cases, a fever can bring on a seizure, called a "febrile seizure." Seizures brought on by fever are more common in young children.

Dehydration or Fluid Loss

Check for fluid loss:

Make sure babies have wet diapers. Check that wet diapers
are as frequent and heavy as normal.
Look for tears when the baby or toddler is crying.
Check to see how wet the child’s mouth is. The inside of the mouth should be wet. Wash your hands after you do this.
Check to see that children, teens, and adults are making frequent trips to the bathroom to urinate.
Check the urine color. Clear or light yellow-colored urine means the person is getting enough fluid. Dark yellow urine signals the person is dehydrated.

Preventing Dehydration

Give plenty of liquids at the first sign of flu. Sick people with the flu need to drink extra fluids to keep from getting dehydrated. Mild fluid loss can most often be treated at home. Yet, severe dehydration is VERY serious and must be treated in the hospital.

If the sick person is not eating well, encourage them to drink liquids. Avoid alcohol or drinks with caffeine in them such as colas, tea, and coffee.
Older adults and people with kidney problems should check with their doctor about safe amounts of liquid to drink when sick.
Offer clear fluids such as water, broth, or sports drinks.
Use a squeeze bottle or a straw for people too weak to drink from a cup. Or offer ice chips or frozen ice pops to suck on.
Continue to nurse or bottle feed your baby. Babies get all the fluid they need from breastfeeding or formula.
If your baby refuses to breastfeed or take formula from the bottle, call the doctor. Your doctor may recommend you give your child a special drink like Pedialyte®, which is meant to prevent dehydration.

Sore Throat

Use a medicine with the ingredients "acetaminophen" or "ibuprofen" on labels.
Ice chips or frozen ice pops to numb the throat and get fluids into the body.
Sometimes gargling with salt water helps -- mix 1 cup of warm water with 1 teaspoon of salt. Gargle and spit out.

Chills, Aches, and Pains

Use a medicine with the ingredients "acetaminophen" or "ibuprofen" on labels.
Be sure to follow package instructions.
A light blanket can help with chills.

Congestion

Use a medicine with the ingredients "acetaminophen" or "ibuprofen" on labels.
Decongestants (Talk to your pharmacist about the kind you should buy. Do not give cough or cold medicine to children younger than 4 years of age.)
A humidifier. That's a machine that puts tiny drops of water (moisture) into the air. This extra moisture can make it easier for the sick person to breathe.
A warm washcloth on the face to ease sinus pain

Stomach Problems

People with the flu may have stomach pain. They may even throw up or have loose stools (diarrhea). Anyone with severe stomach pain should call the doctor.

Offer the person:

Plain foods that are easy on the stomach
Clear liquids to drink
Medicines to help adults treat loose stools

What is an over the counter medicine that one can take who may have the flu?

If you have flu-like symptoms, you can purchase the following medications, which are available at your local drug store or pharmacy. These generic drugs are commonly identified by their brand or over-the-counter name:

Acetaminophen (Tylenol);
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin or Nuprin); and
Naproxen (Aleve).

If you are sick, see your doctor. Flu can lead to, or occur with, bacterial infections. Therefore, some people will also need to take antibiotics (drugs that kill bacteria) if they have:

More severe or prolonged illness; or
An illness that seems to get better, but then gets worse again.

What can I take if I have a fever with the flu or flu like symptoms?

Acetaminophen, a brand name is Tylenol;
Ibuprofen, brand names include Advil, Motrin or Nuprin; and
Naproxen, a brand name is Aleve.

Ill people should also check with their health care provider about whether they should take antiviral medications (drugs that fight viruses).

If you are sick, see your doctor. Flu can lead to, or occur with, bacterial infections. Therefore, some people will also need to take antibiotics (drugs that kill bacteria) if they have:

More severe or prolonged illness; or
An illness that seems to get better but then gets worse again.

What is the definition of fever for the purposes of diagnosing the flu?

CDC defines fever as a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater without the use of fever-reducing medications.

What should I do if I get sick with flu like symptoms?

If you become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people. Staying at home means that you should not leave your home except to seek medical care. This means avoiding normal activities, including work, school, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings.

If you have severe illness or you are at high risk for flu complications, contact your health care provider or seek medical care. Your health care provider will determine whether flu testing or treatment is needed.

What are the warning signs of serious illness? When should I seek emergency medical care?

If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish or gray skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Severe or persistent vomiting
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Can the flu be treated?

Yes, there are prescription medications called "antiviral drugs" that can be used to treat the flu.

What medications are available to treat variant flu infections in humans?

There are four different antiviral drugs that are licensed for use in the United States for the treatment of influenza:

amantadine,
rimantadine,
oseltamivir and
zanamivir.

In the past, most variant influenza viruses had been susceptible to all four drugs, however the most recent variant influenza viruses isolated from humans are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine. At this time, CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these variant influenza viruses.

Taking Care of the Sick - FAQs:

Basic Facts

Make a Sick Room

Prevent Fluid Loss

Medicine Safety

Treat Symptoms

Of Interest

Flu Basics

The Flu & You

Partners

Stay Connected