Columbus, OH,
14
March
2018
|
11:00 AM
Europe/Amsterdam

10TV: Did you know you can get the flu twice in the same season?

This flu season has been intense. And while it has peaked, there are still reported cases coming in. And, did you know that you can actually get the flu more than once in a season?

Influenza A – also known as H3N2 – is the type of flu that many were contracting this season. However, cases of Influenza B are popping up in doctors’ offices. In some cases, people that had the flu earlier this year are now contracting this other strain. Symptoms of Influenza B typically gravitate toward gastrointestinal issues and can include:

  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle/Body aches
  • Coughing/cold type symptoms
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Stomach Cramping

“(Like with Influenza A) there’s still going to be some pulmonary system issues like cough and cold symptoms, but a little more severe,” Jason Pedrick, MD, interim medical director, OhioHealth Urgent Care, recently told 10TV medical reporter Tracy Townsend. “When I’m talking about the stomach, we’re going to have nausea, we’re going to have vomiting, diarrhea, we’re going to have a little bit of stomach cramping. Fever’s definitely going to be there. And generally, you’re going to feel more ill than you normally would with a cough and cold.”

So if you come down with Influenza B, what can you take to help? Dr. Pedrick told 10TV your doctor may be able to prescribe medication like Tamiflu, however, there are some other options.

“There’s a few vitamins and remedies that can actually help,” says Dr. Pedrick. “Vitamin C, Zinc, Echinacea – those things can help prevent actual viral adherence to the system.”

Acetaminophen or ibuprofen can also help with fever and body aches.

A flu shot will help protect you against Influenza B and can help lessen the duration and severity of the symptoms if you do contract it. If you haven’t gotten a flu shot yet this season, you still have time.

To find an OhioHealth Urgent Care near you, click here. Or, enable the OhioHealth skill on Amazon Alexa. You can also use Google Home. You can also find this information on the OhioHealth mobile app.

Need a primary care doctor? You can search for one by clicking here.