Winter illness - limit the spread of seasonal flu

30 December 2010

NHS Buckinghamshire is advising the public to guard against and limit the spread of seasonal flu by practicing good hygiene, keeping warm during the cold weather and keeping a well stocked medicine cabinet. The public are also reminded that if you are suffering from flu like symptoms, please avoid visiting hospitals and stay at home to ensure you minimise the risk of spreading illnesses.

Those eligible to have a free seasonal flu vaccine, particularly pregnant women, are being encouraged to do so. The vaccine this year also provides protection against the H1N1 virus.

Keep yourself warm and well:

• Keep curtains drawn and doors closed to block out draughts
• Have regular hot drinks and at least one hot meal a day if possible
• Eating regularly helps keep energy levels up during winter
• Wear several light layers of warm clothes (rather than one chunky layer)
• Keep as active as possible
• Wrap up warm if you need to go outside on cold days
• Keep your home at the recommended temperature of 18–21°C (64–70°F). If you can’t heat all the rooms you use, heat the living room during the day and the bedroom just before you go to sleep.

Check up on friends, relatives and neighbours who may be more vulnerable to cold weather. Cold weather is especially dangerous for older people or people with serious illnesses, so check up on them if you can.  People with heart or respiratory (breathing) problems may have worse symptoms during a cold spell and for several days after temperatures return to normal.

Catch it, Bin it, Kill it:

People can limit their chances of catching colds and flu this winter by practising good hand hygiene with the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ technique. This means carrying tissues, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue, disposing of the tissue after one use, and cleaning hands as soon as possible with soap and water or an alcohol hand gel.

Those eligible can receive their free seasonal flu vaccination:

This year, for the first time, all pregnant women will be offered the seasonal flu vaccination. This is because it protects against the H1N1 virus (swine flu) that will still be circulating this winter, and pregnant women who catch this strain are at an increased risk of severe disease and flu-related hospital admissions.

Everyone aged 65 and over is routinely offered the jab, as are younger people with long-term conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, multiple sclerosis, serious kidney and liver disease. Around 15 million people in the UK have the jab, which must be administered every year as it is altered to match the flu strains in circulation. If you do get ill “Choose Well” when it comes to getting the right treatment.

“Choose Well”

Now is the time to make sure your medicine cabinet is stocked up with essentials to manage easy-to-treat illness at home, as some pharmacies will be closed over the festive period. Colds and flu can be easily treated by keeping warm, taking paracetamol and drinking plenty of fluids.

A range of other common winter illnesses and injuries can also be treated at home simply by combining a well-stocked medicine cabinet with plenty of rest. A well stocked medicine cabinet should have in it:

• Paracetamol
• Anti-diarrhoeal medicine
• Rehydration mixture
• Indigestion remedy
• Plasters and a thermometer

For medical advice and nurse support over the phone 24 hours a day the public can call NHS Direct who do not close their service at holiday times. The number is: 0845 46 47.

During the Christmas break GP surgeries will be closed on public holidays. If you need a GP and your surgery is closed Buckinghamshire residents should call the out of hours GP service on: 0300 130 3035.

In snowy and icy conditions patients are reminded to only travel to A&E or call 999 for an ambulance if it is a medical emergency that threatens a person’s life or a limb.