预防流感及肺炎
Flu and pneumonia pose special problems for heart patients.
The flu can leave most people sick for a few days, but it can be a much more serious ordeal if you have 心脏病 或者有过 中风.
事实上, the flu can cause complications, 包括细菌性肺炎, or the worsening of chronic heart problems.
Pneumonia is a lung infection that prevents your lungs from getting enough oxygen into the blood, 对心脏造成压力. It can also increase risks for 中风 patients.
“It’s more stress on your heart. It has to work harder to pump blood through your lungs,” said Donna Arnett, Ph.D., chair and professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a past president of the 美国心脏协会.
Because of potential complications, which can sometimes lead to death when a patient is already sick, it becomes even more important to avoid the flu if you have 心脏病 and as you get older, Dr. 阿奈特表示,.
流感季节从秋天开始
Flu season begins in October and typically runs until early to mid-spring. Though many people confuse colds and upper-respiratory infections with the flu, when you have the real flu its symptoms are usually more severe, Dr. 阿奈特表示,.
The flu can strike suddenly and can cause fever, 发冷, 咳嗽, 喉咙痛, 流鼻涕或鼻塞, 肌肉或身体疼痛, 头痛和疲劳. Vomiting and diarrhea associated with the flu is more common in children.
A yearly flu shot can help guard against the contagious illness, which is caused by influenza viruses. Flu vaccines are created to combat the strains of flu expected to be circulating in a given year.
Heart and 中风 patients should also be immunized against pneumonia unless they’ve experienced a bad reaction or allergy to the vaccine, Dr. 阿奈特表示,. Re-vaccination should be discussed with your doctor and will, 取决于人的年龄, 使用的疫苗类型, 以及之前的疫苗接种史.
A scientific advisory by the 美国心脏协会 and the American College of Cardiology has recommended an annual flu vaccine in injection form for 心血管病 patients “with coronary and other atherosclerotic vascular disease”.
这是一种非常安全的疫苗. 阿奈特表示,, adding that adverse reactions are rare. Occasionally there is soreness in the spot where the shot is given.
People develop some immunity to the flu a week after getting vaccinated, though two weeks is when immunity is most likely to kick in for the majority of people, and at four weeks the response to the vaccine generally peaks. You can get the flu vaccine in September before flu season hits and even months into the season.
基本预防措施
There are other precautions you can take to avoid the flu. “It’s important to stay away from people who are sick. It seems like an obvious thing, but I think it’s one we forget about,” Dr. 阿奈特表示,.
如果你没有接种疫苗, 远离人群, particularly if the flu is spreading through your community, 她说. Washing hands frequently is also a good practice, along with keeping your hands away from your face.
If you do suspect you’ve been stricken with the flu, get to your physician early, Dr. 阿奈特表示,. If it’s confirmed that your illness is the flu, an oral antiviral treatment can help reduce the duration of the sickness.
But prevention remains the best bet.
“It’s very important to be vaccinated,” 她说. “It’s important to protect yourself.”
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