Some of our members
have been enquiring about swine flu and temperature control.Whilst the ED Society cannot give advice per
sa as each individual is different, it is important to closely monitor the
temperature of an ED individual.The
advice on the NHS website states:
“So far, most swine flu cases have been
mild, with symptoms similar to those of seasonal flu. Only a small
number of people have had more serious symptoms.
If you or a member of your family has any of
the following symptoms and a temperature of 38°C or above, you may have
swine flu.
The typical symptoms are:
·a
sudden fever (a high body temperature of 38°C/100.4°F or above), and
·a
sudden cough.
Other symptoms may include:
·headache,
·tiredness,
·chills,
·aching
muscles,
·limb
or joint pain,
·diarrhoea
or stomach upset,
·sore
throat,
·runny
nose,
·sneezing,
or
·loss
of appetite. “
As many ED
individuals cannot control their body temperature it is worth re-emphasising
that it is extremely important that you seek medical attention.The critical point is to carefully monitor
the temperature to ensure that it is not continuing to rise uncontrollably, and
to seek medical advice if it is.Insist
on speaking with your GP as they will know and understand your concerns; the
NHS helpline have a check list to aid diagnosis – they will not appreciate the
dangers for ED individuals.
Normally when the
body is experiencing a rise in temperature fluids are produced, consisting
primarily of water, which are excreted by the sweat glands in the skin.Overall, however, the sweating response to a
rise in hypothalamic ('core') temperature is much larger than the response to
the same increase in average skin temperature. The process of sweating
decreases core temperature, whereas the process of evaporation decreases
surface temperature. For many ED individuals
this process is either absent or diminished thereby producing an inability to
maintain or control core body temperature.
Cooling methods
should be adopted to help keep the body temperature down such as spraying or
sponging the body with tepid water or immersion to the neck in a cool but not
cold water bath as immersion in cold water can be dangerous.A fan should be used for whole body fanning
and they should be encouraged to drink plenty of water to avoid
dehydration.
Normal body
temperature is 36-37°C (97-98°F).
Unfortunately one of
our adult members, Mike, has contracted
Swine Flu, but very kindly shares his experience with us as follows:-
“I was at work on
Monday and started feeling a little dizzy, headaches (which I never suffer
from, so I knew there was something wrong) and had a temperature. I also
started feeling achy, and was coughing with a sore throat.
I logged onto the NHS
website to fill out the questionnaire, after which it advised me to pick up
Tamiflu from my nearest outlet immediately. But, because of the other issues
with my low immune system, I spoke to my doctor over the phone as I didn't want
to confuse this 'Swine Flu' with just another run-of-the-mill infection I get.
She advised me that I am showing early symptoms, and that I should use the
Tamiflu to prevent any further chest complications. Beware, though, because I
am led to believe that you can only ever be subscribed one dose of Tamiflu, so
you must be certain and ensure that your doctor is certain, also. I would recommend
calling your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.
The Tamiflu itself
should be taken with food to avoid unwanted side effects. However, the tablets
are still making me feel nauseous, so it’s not much fun at the moment! Plus,
with my fiancée being four-months pregnant, she's had to move to her Mum's
house only three days after we moved into our new home!
It's not pleasant,
but in a nut shell, get some advice from your doctor. Eat plenty, even though
your appetite may diminish, and drink plenty of water! If your symptoms get
progressively worse, call 999.”
