Swine Flu and Chronic Conditions

In this article

• Get the Vaccine
• Insist Your Close Family Members Get the Vaccine
• Protect Yourself Each Day
• When to Get Medical Help
• Get Treatment Right Away
• When to Get Emergency Help
• If Someone in Your House Has Swine Flu

When to Get Medical Help

Call your doctor right away if you have these symptoms -- even if you’ve had the flu shot:

• Body aches
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Headache
• Nausea
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Vomiting

Remind the doctor’s office about your chronic condition. Your doctor can test to see if you have the flu.

Get Treatment Right Away

Flu medicines work best if you take them within 48 hours of your first symptoms. Plus, they can help keep you from getting more serious problems, like pneumonia.

If you have any type of flu, your doctor may treat it with one of these antiviral medicines:

• Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
• Peramivir (Rapivab)
• Zanamivir (Relenza)

Ask the doctor if it could affect other medications you take.

When to Get Emergency Help

Swine flu can make you sick very quickly. Your other medical conditions put you at risk. Go to the emergency room if you:

• Have problems breathing
• Feel pain or pressure in your chest or abdomen
• Feel confused or dizzy all of a sudden
• Can't stop vomiting
• Have flu symptoms that get better but come back with a fever and worse cough

If Someone in Your House Has Swine Flu

If someone who lives with you comes down with swine flu, stay away from the person as much as possible.

• Create a sick room. To avoid spreading germs, have the person stay somewhere away from common rooms. Also have him use a separate bathroom, if possible. If he needs to leave the sick room, have him wear a mask or cover his face when he coughs and sneezes.
• Don't be the caregiver for the sick person. Choose one person in your household to take care of the person who’s ill. If you have a chronic health issue, that should not be you.

Ask your doctor if you should take antiviral drugs to prevent the flu.