Immediate Release
October 28, 2009
Batavia, Ohio. If you think you have the flu, the best treatment may be to stay home, avoid contact with other people, get plenty of rest, and drink liquids. Symptoms of the flu include fever greater than 100.4NF, a dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle and body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, chest discomfort, and sometimes diarrhea and/or vomiting. “In most cases, even with the H1N1 strain, sick people will recover on their own without medical testing,” said Clermont General Health District Commissioner Marty Lambert. “Testing to determine the strain of the virus is done only when an illness is severe and hospitalization is required.”
“Local emergency rooms are experiencing an increase in individuals seeking treatment for flu-like symptoms; in many cases, an emergency room visit or 9-1-1 call is not necessary,” said Lambert. “Go to the emergency room when you have flu symptoms that include trouble swallowing, trouble breathing or shortness of breath, bluish skin color, you feel disoriented or confused, sudden dizziness, suffer chest pain or pressure, severe or persistent vomiting or you become dehydrated.” If you opt to go to the emergency room, you may experience a lengthy wait and you may not benefit from medications so you won’t receive any prescriptions.
There are times, when you should contact your primary care physician. According to the Centers for Disease Control, when you have severe flu symptoms, are coughing up mucus that is thick or yellow-green, exhibit signs of dehydration, have an existing medical condition, and there is no improvement in your condition for a week, you should call your doctor. You should always call the doctor if your child is less than a year of age and has flu symptoms.
“If someone with flu symptoms has trouble breathing, has bluish skin color, experiences chest pain, or is confused/non-responsive, call 9-1-1 for immediate assistance,” said Lambert. “Please do not call 9-1-1 if you need advice or information about the flu; county emergency lines must be left open to handle true emergencies.”
Clermont County has a flu hotline available at (513) 588-5121 to obtain more information about the flu, or visit the Web site for the Clermont General Health District at www.ClermontHealthDistrict.org or the Centers for Disease Control Web site at www.cdc.gov.
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For additional information about this or other county news, contact Clermont County Communications Director Kathryn Lehr at (513) 732-7597 or by e-mail, klehr@co.clermont.oh.us.