Are You at High Risk for the H1N1 Swine Flu Virus?

May be you have been wondering if you are one of those at high risk for having complications from the H1N1 Virus. I hadn’t thought about it much until I found out that I was at high risk because of my asthma. What are the other things that can put you at high risk?

Pregnant women – There have been several reported cases of women contracting this while pregnant and losing their babies and even their own lives.

People with medical conditions like asthma, COPD, and who are on or have recently been on a ventilator are at a particularly high risk. The complications from “Swine Flu” can involve respiratory problems and pneumonia.

Other medical conditions such as cardiovascular conditions, liver or kidney problems, diabetes, and weakened or suppressed immune systems can also put you at a higher risk than someone who is completely healthy.

Adults over 65 and children under 2 are thought to have a harder time getting over the flu if they get it.

A tip to remember if your child gets the H1N1 virus is to make sure they are not taking an aspirin based product while they have it. Since et is common to have a fever while fighting the flu children 19 and under would have a higher chance of developing Reye’s Syndrome.

If you are at high risk, there is no reason to worry, it just means you will want to take extra precautions to keep from getting it, which we covered in a previous post.

Tips to Keep from Getting the H1N1 Virus

In the previous post, we covered the topic of the swine flue in great detail, but there's no reason panic. Here are a few steps to keep yourself from getting the swine flu and stay healthy this winter.

Wash your hands as often as possible. Hand sanitizers such as “Germ-x” or “Purell” are also very effective.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth especially when you are out in public because germs can be transferred from your hands to these places.

Avoid being around sick people. Obviously this is not easy to do as you will have to be around sick coworkers. But just try to keep your distance as much as possible.
Do NOT touch surfaces such as doorknobs, railings, etc. The germs can survive anywhere from 2 hours to 8 hours!

After you come home from work or a public place, shower immediately and wash your clothes.

Make sure your eating very healthy! Take vitamin c to boost your immune system. Also, avoid food high in sugars as these can weaken your immune system.

Exercise to improve your overall well-being so that you are stronger to fight this flu off. However, be very cautious how and where you are working out. If you work out at the gym, be especially careful as the many surfaces there are ideal to spread the virus.

These are all great tips to help you stay healthy during this flu season. But even after the H1N1 virus has slowed down, you can still use these tips to keep healthy year round! :)