What are the After Effects of Swine Flu?

Recovering from swine flu is nothing different from recovering from the seasonal flu, just a little bit of patience is required.

After getting infected with the H1N1 virus (swine flu), the person will experience fever, headache, muscle ache and fatigue for 3-4 days. The patient is advised to rest and stay hydrated during this period to keep up the strength to fight swine flu. Patients suffering from swine flu should also keep themselves isolated to prevent the spread of the infection to other people. In case of swine flu, you should resume work only if 2 days have passed without taking the fever medication.

The symptoms of swine flu subside after 3 days. The recovery time from swine flu may vary depending on the health status of the patient.

The symptom management of swine flu is similar to the regular flu:

• Take plenty of rest. This helps our immune system to fight against the swine flu infection efficiently.
• Keep yourself hydrated. Drink plenty of water and other liquids to prevent dehydration, which calls for swine flu complications. Soups and fruit juices can help by returning back the lost nutrients to the body that the body has suffered in swine flu.
• Over-the-counter pain medications help relieve headache and body pains experienced in swine flu.

Cough and fatigue are the two symptoms which linger on for longer than 3-5 days after the swine flu. The cough from swine flu might last for two weeks or more, as an after effect of swine flu. Amongst the after effects of swine flu, cough at times becomes the cause of concern, i.e. if the symptoms return. If fever reappears after swine flu and there is difficulty in breathing, there may be chances of secondary bacterial infection like pneumonia or an ear infection.

Apart from the cough, which can be dangerous, fatigue is another swine flu after effect, which the patient notices even weeks after H1N1 infection. The patient might get fatigued early after doing daily activities. Intense exercise and physical labor work should be kept off for a few days or weeks to recover completely from swine flu. Keep your body at rest to build stamina after going through swine flu and to fight the swine flu after effects. Severe cases of swine flu can prove to be fatal. Mostly the swine flu fatal cases occur in those with any chronic medical conditions, such as HIV and AIDS.

Pneumonia is a serious complication of swine flu, which is the infection of tiny air sacs in one or both the lungs. Swine flu can also put you at risk of pneumonia from other viruses and bacteria. Swine flu has also led to permanent lung damage in a few people. When the swine flu infection recedes, the lungs can have fibrosis or get damaged or have hardened tissue.

Staying healthy is the best thing you can do to keep swine flu away. Get the swine flu vaccination if you are at an increased risk of getting infected from swine flu. Other things which can be done to protect you from swine flu are:

• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly to prevent swine flu.
• Avoid meeting people who are sick to prevent getting swine flu.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue while coughing and sneezing and throw the tissue in a dustbin to avoid spreading infection to others.
• Stay away from work and school if feeling sick.

Eat healthy and fresh food, as the body, even if gets swine flu, has a strong immune system to fight it over. Consult a healthcare professional if any swine flu symptom develops, especially if you are at risk for complications.

References:

Also Read:

• Swine Flu or Swine Influenza (H1N1 Virus): Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis, Treatment, Risk Factors
• Is It Safe To Take A Swine Flu Vaccine?
• How Is Swine Flu Different From Seasonal Flu?
• Swine Flu or Swine Influenza (H1N1 Virus): Symptoms, Signs, Diagnosis, Treatment, Risk Factors