News and Events / Ngā Paki

With Swine H1N1 Influenza now present in the Canterbury community, local doctors are urging people who think they may have the flu to call their General Practice promptly, so that antiviral medicines can be prescribed if necessary.

“Calling early is especially important if the person is at greater risk of complications from influenza,” Canterbury District Health Board Chief Medical Officer Nigel Millar said.

People at higher risk of complications include pregnant women in any trimester, children under five, people with long term medical conditions, those who are very overweight and anyone aged over 65 years. Free vaccination against Swine H1N1 Influenza and the other two strains of seasonal influenza is also still available for these people but takes two weeks before it is fully effective.

“Calling their General Practice early is important if people think they have the flu as antiviral medicines such as Tamiflu or Relenza are most effective when taken within 48 hours of symptoms starting,” Dr Millar said.

Canterbury has so far had 43 identified cases of Swine H1N1 Flu and two people hospitalised with the virus.

Anyone who has had a stomach or tummy bug knows how miserable it can make you feel.  Knowing what to do if you or a family member catches a tummy bug can help lessen the misery. There are a number of gastrointestinal illnesses or tummy bugs that live in our community.

Norovirus is one that is highly contagious but can be contained if precautions are taken. Norovirus is caught by swallowing the virus which usually spreads from your hands to your mouth after you have touched contaminated surfaces. You are particularly vulnerable while caring for someone with the virus. Contaminated droplets hang in the air after an episode of vomiting and can settle on any surface.  The virus can survive for several weeks on surfances like tiolets, walls, taps, carpets, curtains and kitchen benches.

People with norovirus will experience the symptoms very quickly.  Vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, fever, headache, nausea, lack of energy, and muscle and joint aches and pain can all take hold between 10 and 50 hours after you have been exposed to an infected person, food or environment.  The symptoms may last from 24 to 60 hours and you may still be contagious up to two weeks from when you were first exposed.

If you or a family member becomes infected with norovirus make sure the person drinks plenty of fluids and gets plenty of rest. They will need to stay away from hospitals, work, school etc. until at least 48 hours after they have recovered.  Contact your general practice if you are concerned about a family memver who has a tummy bug. 

Between trying to keep warm and aviod winter illnesses it can be easy to lose our sense of wellbeing in winter. In the colder months we tend to do less exercise, eat and sleep a bit more, and spend more time indoors. As a result some people find they can start to feel a bit low.

Try to keep your home warm - between 16 and 21°C, and make sure you have hot food and drinks to warm you up from the inside. Being less active and staying inside more in winter as a result of gloomy weather can affect mood for some people. Doing some exercise is a great way to beat the winter blues.

There are lots of ways to ensure you are exercising over the colder winter months. Why not consider buying an exercise DVD or borrowing one from the library? You could even get together with friends or family to exercise together at home. Another idea is to bundle up and go out for a walk or run - you will soon warm up and be pleased that you made the effort.

If you don't want to brave the cold weather outdoors, you could get a group of friends together to play a team sport such as indoor cricket or soccor or netball. You will be having lots of social contact and getting fit at the same time. You could also join a gym, buy a treadmill or exercise bike, or go to an indoor swimming pool (you could even have a spa afterwards!).

If time is a problem, try to snatch small amounts of exercise when you can - use the staris, go out for 15 minutes at lunchtime - it all counts. It is a good idea to get outside in the natural light for at least 30 minutes a day.

 

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