 |
| Dealing with common ailments
– fever, flu and cold |
| |
 |
| If you have flu or cold,
you should see your
family doctor. |
|
Fever, cold and flu are common medical
conditions that most people have suffered
from at one time or another.
Fever is usually caused by an infection. On rare
occasions, it can also be caused by heat stroke
and dehydration.
If you are down with fever, here is what you
should do:
| • |
rest in a cool and well-ventilated room |
| • |
take plenty of fluids like water, clear soups
and juices |
| • |
see your family doctor |
| • |
avoid school, work and public places |
In some cases, fever may be due to a serious
condition. If your fever is associated with
serious symptoms like a severe headache,
severe diarrhoea or vomiting, severe
abdominal pain, breathing difficulty, fits,
confusion or a stiff neck, go to the emergency
department of the nearest hospital for urgent
treatment.
Flu (influenza) and cold are common
infections caused by viruses. Both have similar
symptoms but the flu is usually more severe.
Both are spread through coughing, sneezing
or touching objects contaminated with
droplets of saliva or nasal discharge.
If you have flu or cold, you should:
| • |
rest well |
| • |
avoid exercise until you have completely
recovered and go back to your usual
exercise regime slowly |
| • |
take plenty of fluids |
| • |
see your family doctor |
| • |
prevent spreading your flu/cold to others
by:
| - |
covering your mouth and nose with a
tissue when coughing or sneezing |
| - |
avoiding school, work and public places |
| - |
wearing a surgical mask |
|
Some people are more susceptible to
complications, especially from the flu. They
include:
| • |
those who are 65 years or older |
| • |
anyone with chronic heart or lung
problems |
| • |
anyone who has needed regular hospitalisation
or follow-up in the past year
due to chronic medical problems or poor
immunity (e.g. due to HIV infection) |
| • |
those aged 6 months to 18 years on long-term aspirin
treatment |
| • |
women in the second or third trimester of
their pregnancy |
If you belong to any of the above groups, do
consult your doctor about the flu vaccination.
Bird flu is a flu virus which has spread from
birds to humans. The symptoms are similar
to the usual flu symptoms but can be more
severe. It is usually spread through close
contact with infected birds and has proved to
be fatal in 50% of infected people.
Do see a doctor as soon as possible if you have any reason
to suspect that your symptoms are due to bird flu (e.g.
if you have returned from a country affected by bird flu).
Although fever, flu and cold are common
ailments, it is important that you see your
doctor and follow his advice in order to
recover. You should also take pains to
prevent the spread of your fever, cold or flu
to others.
|
|
sore throat
runny nose
sneezing
watery eyes
mild fever
cough |
|
high fever with chills
cough
headache, body aches
fatigue |
|
|
|
| |
| |
By Health
Promotion Board
|
