Swine Flu - How To Prevent It?

Hello everyone,

 I am Dr. Shweta Gupta, main child specialist hoon. Mai aaj swine flu ke baare mein aap sabse kuch baatein karna chahti hoon. Jaise ki hum sab jante hain ki Delhi mein is time swine flu kafi faila hua hai aur papers mein padhte hai hum log ke aaj itne cases new detect hue, itne admissions hue jiski vajah se common public ko kuch curiosity, darr, apprehensions hoti hai. So, I would just like to clear them a bit from my side. So what exactly is swine flu? It is a type of flu infection jo ki seasonal flu hai usi ka ek variant hai which spreads from H1N1 virus. Ye initially pigs mein start hua tha isilye iska naam swine flu pada hai but ab ye human to human contact se failta hai. To iska mode of spread kya hai: it is a respiratory infection. To jab koi swine flu se infected patient cheenkta hai, khansta hai to vo atmosphere mein droplets introduce karta hai, unko touch karne se, face pe aane se dusre patients ko infection ho sakta hai.

So now what are the symptoms of swine flu? Hum kaise pahchane ki hame swine flu hai ya simple sardi khasi hai. To mostly simple flu ke aur swine flu ke symptoms common hi hote hai, patient ko tej bukhar aayega, cough hoga, cold hoga, sneezing hoti hai, body ache hota hai aur kuch patients mein ulti dast bhi ho sakte hain. But severity may vary. To ab when should we think ki hame swine flu ka test karana chahiye. Agar hame symptoms mild hai to is test ki zarurat nahi hai par there is a high-risk group jinme ye symptom severe hone ka risk hai aur unko severe disease hone ke chances rehte hai. Toh ye high risk group konsa hai? Children below 5 years especially below 2 years, buzurg log more than 65 years of age ya fir kuch log jinko koi chronic disease ho jaise asthma, diabetes, heart disease, koi immune-compromised state ye log at high-risk rehte hai for a severe disease, to inn logo ko zada chaukanna ya cautious rehna chahiye.

Symptoms severe hone pe apne paediatrician ko ya apne physician ko consult karein and then they will decide whether testing is needed or not. Toh swine flu ke testing sabhi badi labs mein, hospitals mein freely available hai but iska decision aap ke doctor ke upar rahega. Jo treatment hai mild illness mein simple flu ki aur swine flu ki same hai mainly it's a symptomatic treatment, aap kafi rest le, khoob fluids le, jo aap ko bukhar ki, khansi ki syrups hoti hai vo le, dusre logo se contact thoda avoid karein, frequent hand washing karein, kahi public places mein jaye to thoda mask vagrah use karein. Uske alawa jo severe cases hai uske liye medicines available hai but that will be decided by the treating doctor, aap ko uski zarurat hai ki nahi hai. Ab main cheez hai prevention. How can we prevent us from getting this infection? To usme 2 cheezein hai: 1 to hygiene.

Hygiene ke liye aap kahi bhi crowded places pe jate hai bheed vali jagah pe you can use a mask, secondly aap frequent hand washing karein. Jo sabse important step hai for prevention is the swine flu vaccine. Swine flu vaccine is freely available or ideal time to take is between October to November, jo ki is season ki starting hoti hai, swine flu ke season ki starting hoti hai October, November jab sardiyan shuru hone vali hoti hai, iska effect 8-10 mahine tak rehta hai. To har saal ye vaccine naye strain ke hisab se nayi vaccine market mein aati hai. To jo Indian academy of paediatrics ki guidelines hai uske hisab se 6 mahine se upar aur 5 saal se chote sabhi baccho ko ye vaccine har saal lagane chahiye. Iske alawa jo log elderly log hai above 65 years unko ya fir jo log hai jinko koi chronic illness hai jaise ki maine pehle bataya tha koi heart disease hai, diabetes hai, asthama hai unko bhi ye vaccine leni chahiye. So, I would suggest stay healthy, eat healthy and be happy.

Thank you.