Flu season is upon us! As the weather cools down, many symptoms of illness are heating up. Wondering if your child or toddler has the flu and how long it will last? Hoping to prevent the spread of flu? Come to MD Urgent Care in Merrillville & Highland today, get our Board Certified Physician’s advice. As it is highly recommended before taking Flu Shot.
Below, you’ll find some fast facts about the flu in kids and adults to keep you healthy this season:
It is usually the flu and cold that attack the immune system of a child at the same time. It is a virus that is widespread and the harsh truth is that there is no permanent cure. This is because there are many types of viruses involved that cannot be killed, but their growth rates can be suppressed. Symptomatic treatments can trigger the rate of improvement in the child’s health, but they might not work for all kids.
If the child is exposed to an infected person, he may catch the flu and cold virus. The symptoms are mild headache, feeling of tiredness, stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes, light fever, sneezing, cough, muscle aches, and sore throat. It takes two to five days for the symptoms to appear and three to five days for the complete development of the virus. It takes nearly two weeks to completely get rid of the flu. These are the symptoms of a cold– high fever, runny nose, sore throat, nasal congestion, chills, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, eye pain, and extreme headache. Symptoms are extremely helpful when trying to differentiate between the flu and a cold.
MD Urgent care’s Board-Certified Physicians also say that no antibiotics work on these viruses. There are chances of secondary bacterial infections like sinus or ear infections. The child should be administered fluids and a cool-mist humidifier to suppress the symptoms and to help him feel better. It is possible to buy over-the-counter medications depending on the symptoms of the infected person. Antiviral medicines are available for the treatment of the flu, which hastens the recovery process. But the medicines are effective only when given within forty-eight hours after the onset of flu symptoms.
It is very common for school-age children to contract the flu. According to research, nearly twenty per cent of Americans are infected with the flu every year and nearly twenty thousand people die because of it. MD Urgent Care’s physicians have also been treating people for more than 25 years of experience. The only way to protect your child against these viruses is to get a flu shot before flu season or as directed by your physician.
Visit MD Urgent care and get treated by our friendly and compassionate medical team which is trained in all aspects of urgent care and primary care medicine for both adults and children.
We are open 7 days/week. Call 219-487-5773, book online at www.mdurgentcare.us, or walk-in!
