Marietta Memorial and Selby General Hospitals are collaborating with both the City and County Health Departments and other healthcare providers to closely monitor the H1N1 flu virus. We are prepared to help prevent the spread of the flu in our community and to provide care for community members if that becomes necessary.
To ensure we are pro-active in keeping our community as healthy as possible, we are offering important information on ways to stay healthy and avoid illness.
Dr. Jill Powell, primary care physician with Memorial Health System, discusses the preventive steps you can take during cold and flu season, and why it is so important to get vaccinated to protect yourself and your loved ones from the flu.
Selected Podcast
The Importance of Staying Healthy During Flu and Cold Season
Featured Speaker:
Jill Powell, DO
Dr. Jill Powell is a primary care physician with Memorial Health System. She is board certified in family practice, she is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, a member of the American College of Family Physicians, a member of the Christian Medical Association, and a member of the Undergraduate American Academy of Osteopathy.
Transcription:
The Importance of Staying Healthy During Flu and Cold Season
Melanie Cole (Host): Cold and flu season has begun and even the healthiest person can get sick and spread it to others. My guest today is Dr. Jill Powell. She’s a primary care physician with Memorial Health System. Welcome to the show Dr. Powell. So, let’s just jump right in with what’s the best thing, your best advice that we can do to prevent catching a cold or the flu?
Dr. Jill Powell, DO (Guest): Well, the best thing you can do to prevent catching the flu is to get the flu shot. I recommend it for all of my patients and I and my entire family got a flu shot this year. To prevent getting colds; the best thing to do is to stay home if you are sick so you do not spread it to others and make sure that you wash your hands frequently.
Melanie: And since you mentioned this year’s flu vaccine and we know there is some differences this year as far as the mist and the strains. So, tell us about this year’s flu vaccine.
Dr. Powell: I really don’t recommend the mist anymore. The American Academy of Pediatrics did not recommend it last year or this year. So, most people will get the shot, the flu shot, and the flu shot is safe for anyone who is over six months of age. If you have an infant in your household or someone or an infant that you care for; it’s recommended that you get the flu shot so you don’t get sick and spread it to the infant that is too young to get the flu shot.
Melanie: And what about the strains of the flu that you are seeing this year Dr. Powell. Is it different than last year and how do they kind of come up with the flu vaccine versus what’s going on with the strains that we see?
Dr. Powell: So, the flu vaccine is different every year. They look at other parts of the world that have already had their influenza season and they look at the strains of influenza that they have had in that area and then they use the top strains to develop our flu vaccine. Some years are better than others as far as how effective the flu vaccine is but regardless, we still recommend that everybody get the flu vaccine regardless of how effective or ineffective it is for that year.
Melanie: Does it work right away and what do you tell people about getting it and then how long they should consider themselves until they are inoculated?
Dr. Powell: It takes about two weeks to develop full immunity to the flu shot. So, I recommend that people get it in the mid fall so if they would have gotten their flu shot in November for example they would have been protected with this early outbreak of influenza that we see. You can get the flu shot at any time during flu season but if you get it now, you need to be aware that you are not going to be protected for a couple of weeks and you still could get the flu in the meantime.
Melanie: Can you get the flu even if you have been vaccinated?
Dr. Powell: Yes, you absolutely can. You may have a strain – you catch a strain of influenza that was not in the flu vaccine or you may catch the same strain that is in the vaccine and you just may have a milder case.
Melanie: Now tell us the difference between the cold and the flu. How do we know if it’s really the flu that we are getting or a simple cold?
Dr. Powell: With the flu, you really feel like you have been run over by a tractor trailer. You have fever, you have body aches, your hair hurts, you hurt all over. With a cold, you may feel ill, you may have a fever, but it is typically not as severe as influenza. People will say that they had a 24-hour flu and that’s just really not the case. If you have influenza, you are sick for days and feel really badly.
Melanie: So, what do we do if you start to feel that you are getting sick, if it’s the flu and everything hurts, what do you want people to do? Should they go out to their doctor and try and get Tamiflu, is it then already too late? What do we do?
Dr. Powell: Tamiflu needs to be given within the first 48 hours of the influenza symptoms. So, I would call your doctor and see what your doctor would prefer. Sometimes they want to see you to make sure that what you have is truly influenza. If you have a cold, and you take Tamiflu, then it’s not going to help. If you have a sinus infection and you take Tamiflu, then that’s not going to help. But some doctor’s offices just may be overrun with influenza and would prefer to call you in Tamiflu. So, it really depends on your doctor’s policy. But give them a call as soon as you feel like that you may have the flu, so you can get taken care of.
Melanie: Are there some red flags, emergency warning signs for people if an elder person gets the flu or a little one? What do you want us to know?
Dr. Powell: Well if they have difficulty breathing, then they definitely would need to seek medical attention. If they have a high fever that does not want to come down and especially in older adults and in children that may not be verbal and be able to tell you how they are feeling. If you have difficulty waking them up or they seem very sleepy, then they probably need to be evaluated also.
Melanie: What are some other things that we can do to stay healthy? And if you do have a cold and you are sneezing and coughing, I know at school they teach kids to sneeze or cough into their elbow. But you see a lot of older people don’t know that and they are coughing into their hands. What do you want people to do to try and stay healthy?
Dr. Powell: Well if you are sick, stay home so you are not spreading it. If you are – if you do have to be out and you are around sick people, then wash your hands as frequently as possible, avoid touching your eyes, your nose, and your mouth because if you have germs on your hands and then you touch those areas and if you wipe your eyes for example then those germs are going to get into your system.
Melanie: And what about other things that we can do? Obviously washing hands, do you think that people should be carrying sanitizer around with them and is there any nutritional things that we can do? Do you think vitamin C or Airborne or any of these zinc supplements, do they help?
Dr. Powell: I’m not really convinced that those supplements actually truly help. I think that having a good healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, getting exercise and just generally being as healthy as you can is probably more beneficial. As far as hand sanitizers go, yes, if you cannot wash your hands then hand sanitizers would be the next best thing.
Melanie: So, what would you like to tell people in the summary about the importance of getting their flu vaccine this year, it’s not too late even now and staying healthy to hopefully prevent getting the cold and the flu in the first place?
Dr. Powell: I would like to recommend that everyone out there get your flu shot even if you think that it is too late; it is not too late. Get your flu shot. If you are sick stay home, do not spread the germs and if you need to be out make sure that you are washing your hands frequently with soap or water or using hand sanitizer.
Melanie: Thank you so much Dr. Powell for being with us today. It’s really important information for listeners to hear. You’re listening to Memorial Health Radio with Memorial Health System. For more information please visit www.mhsystem.org , that’s www.mhsystem.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
The Importance of Staying Healthy During Flu and Cold Season
Melanie Cole (Host): Cold and flu season has begun and even the healthiest person can get sick and spread it to others. My guest today is Dr. Jill Powell. She’s a primary care physician with Memorial Health System. Welcome to the show Dr. Powell. So, let’s just jump right in with what’s the best thing, your best advice that we can do to prevent catching a cold or the flu?
Dr. Jill Powell, DO (Guest): Well, the best thing you can do to prevent catching the flu is to get the flu shot. I recommend it for all of my patients and I and my entire family got a flu shot this year. To prevent getting colds; the best thing to do is to stay home if you are sick so you do not spread it to others and make sure that you wash your hands frequently.
Melanie: And since you mentioned this year’s flu vaccine and we know there is some differences this year as far as the mist and the strains. So, tell us about this year’s flu vaccine.
Dr. Powell: I really don’t recommend the mist anymore. The American Academy of Pediatrics did not recommend it last year or this year. So, most people will get the shot, the flu shot, and the flu shot is safe for anyone who is over six months of age. If you have an infant in your household or someone or an infant that you care for; it’s recommended that you get the flu shot so you don’t get sick and spread it to the infant that is too young to get the flu shot.
Melanie: And what about the strains of the flu that you are seeing this year Dr. Powell. Is it different than last year and how do they kind of come up with the flu vaccine versus what’s going on with the strains that we see?
Dr. Powell: So, the flu vaccine is different every year. They look at other parts of the world that have already had their influenza season and they look at the strains of influenza that they have had in that area and then they use the top strains to develop our flu vaccine. Some years are better than others as far as how effective the flu vaccine is but regardless, we still recommend that everybody get the flu vaccine regardless of how effective or ineffective it is for that year.
Melanie: Does it work right away and what do you tell people about getting it and then how long they should consider themselves until they are inoculated?
Dr. Powell: It takes about two weeks to develop full immunity to the flu shot. So, I recommend that people get it in the mid fall so if they would have gotten their flu shot in November for example they would have been protected with this early outbreak of influenza that we see. You can get the flu shot at any time during flu season but if you get it now, you need to be aware that you are not going to be protected for a couple of weeks and you still could get the flu in the meantime.
Melanie: Can you get the flu even if you have been vaccinated?
Dr. Powell: Yes, you absolutely can. You may have a strain – you catch a strain of influenza that was not in the flu vaccine or you may catch the same strain that is in the vaccine and you just may have a milder case.
Melanie: Now tell us the difference between the cold and the flu. How do we know if it’s really the flu that we are getting or a simple cold?
Dr. Powell: With the flu, you really feel like you have been run over by a tractor trailer. You have fever, you have body aches, your hair hurts, you hurt all over. With a cold, you may feel ill, you may have a fever, but it is typically not as severe as influenza. People will say that they had a 24-hour flu and that’s just really not the case. If you have influenza, you are sick for days and feel really badly.
Melanie: So, what do we do if you start to feel that you are getting sick, if it’s the flu and everything hurts, what do you want people to do? Should they go out to their doctor and try and get Tamiflu, is it then already too late? What do we do?
Dr. Powell: Tamiflu needs to be given within the first 48 hours of the influenza symptoms. So, I would call your doctor and see what your doctor would prefer. Sometimes they want to see you to make sure that what you have is truly influenza. If you have a cold, and you take Tamiflu, then it’s not going to help. If you have a sinus infection and you take Tamiflu, then that’s not going to help. But some doctor’s offices just may be overrun with influenza and would prefer to call you in Tamiflu. So, it really depends on your doctor’s policy. But give them a call as soon as you feel like that you may have the flu, so you can get taken care of.
Melanie: Are there some red flags, emergency warning signs for people if an elder person gets the flu or a little one? What do you want us to know?
Dr. Powell: Well if they have difficulty breathing, then they definitely would need to seek medical attention. If they have a high fever that does not want to come down and especially in older adults and in children that may not be verbal and be able to tell you how they are feeling. If you have difficulty waking them up or they seem very sleepy, then they probably need to be evaluated also.
Melanie: What are some other things that we can do to stay healthy? And if you do have a cold and you are sneezing and coughing, I know at school they teach kids to sneeze or cough into their elbow. But you see a lot of older people don’t know that and they are coughing into their hands. What do you want people to do to try and stay healthy?
Dr. Powell: Well if you are sick, stay home so you are not spreading it. If you are – if you do have to be out and you are around sick people, then wash your hands as frequently as possible, avoid touching your eyes, your nose, and your mouth because if you have germs on your hands and then you touch those areas and if you wipe your eyes for example then those germs are going to get into your system.
Melanie: And what about other things that we can do? Obviously washing hands, do you think that people should be carrying sanitizer around with them and is there any nutritional things that we can do? Do you think vitamin C or Airborne or any of these zinc supplements, do they help?
Dr. Powell: I’m not really convinced that those supplements actually truly help. I think that having a good healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, getting exercise and just generally being as healthy as you can is probably more beneficial. As far as hand sanitizers go, yes, if you cannot wash your hands then hand sanitizers would be the next best thing.
Melanie: So, what would you like to tell people in the summary about the importance of getting their flu vaccine this year, it’s not too late even now and staying healthy to hopefully prevent getting the cold and the flu in the first place?
Dr. Powell: I would like to recommend that everyone out there get your flu shot even if you think that it is too late; it is not too late. Get your flu shot. If you are sick stay home, do not spread the germs and if you need to be out make sure that you are washing your hands frequently with soap or water or using hand sanitizer.
Melanie: Thank you so much Dr. Powell for being with us today. It’s really important information for listeners to hear. You’re listening to Memorial Health Radio with Memorial Health System. For more information please visit www.mhsystem.org , that’s www.mhsystem.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.