Many people have seasonal flu with severe symptoms.

Recently, the Department of Respiratory Diseases, 108 Central Military Hospital has received many cases of seasonal flu with severe, even critical, progression.

In particular, most patients have underlying diseases and do not control these health problems well.

In general, influenza patients with underlying medical conditions will have more severe symptoms than patients of the same age without underlying medical conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to not only treat influenza and its complications such as pneumonia, respiratory failure, myocarditis, encephalitis, but also to control underlying medical conditions well. Influenza can cause underlying medical conditions such as COPD, asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc. to become out of control, leading to an acute exacerbation of the disease.

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A typical case is an 83-year-old man in Hanoi with a history of hypertension and type 2 diabetes. He was hospitalized with a persistent high fever of 39-39.5°C, cough, chest pain and difficulty breathing.

Despite receiving antiviral treatment and controlling his underlying disease, his pneumonia and respiratory failure continued to progress, requiring him to be put on a ventilator at the Intensive Care Unit, 108 Military Central Hospital.

The North is entering the cold and humid season, creating favorable conditions for the number of people with seasonal flu to increase, especially patients with underlying diseases such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoai, Director of the National Heart Institute, Bach Mai Hospital, said that seasonal flu can worsen symptoms in heart failure patients and increase the risk of cardiovascular complications not only in patients with underlying diseases but also in healthy people.

Influenza can cause fever, dehydration and increased oxygen demand when infected with influenza, causing the heart to work harder, easily leading to acute decompensated heart failure in patients with heart failure, increasing the risk of arrhythmia in cardiovascular patients.

In addition, patients with hypertension or heart failure are often taking vasodilators and diuretics. When having the flu, patients may experience dehydration and vasodilation due to fever. Therefore, it is necessary to consult a cardiologist immediately to adjust the medication in time.

Seasonal influenza can also increase the risk of cardiovascular complications in both healthy people and patients with underlying cardiovascular disease. In some cases, influenza can lead to acute myocarditis, causing acute arrhythmias, and rapidly progressive acute heart failure. These complications will be even more dangerous if the patient has chronic cardiovascular disease.

Seasonal flu usually peaks during cold and humid months, such as January-February or June-July. According to the Ministry of Health, the number of flu cases is currently showing signs of a slight increase, mainly due to influenza A/H3N2, H1N1 and influenza B viruses. Although most cases are mild, doctors still warn high-risk groups such as young children, the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions to be especially careful.

Flu symptoms usually appear suddenly and include fever, body aches, fatigue, dry cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, and headache. In healthy people, these symptoms usually go away on their own without treatment.

However, for people with underlying diseases or weakened immune systems, the flu can cause serious complications such as pneumonia, respiratory failure, multiple organ failure, and even death if not treated promptly.

Some severe cases require intensive treatment methods such as respiratory support, mechanical circulation or ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). In particular, the disease can progress rapidly in the elderly, patients with diabetes, heart failure, kidney failure or cancer, with a very high risk of death.

According to Associate Professor Hoai, patients with cardiovascular disease need to pay special attention to their medication regimen when they have the flu: Patients need to maintain the correct dose of cardiovascular medication and not stop taking the medication on their own.

Some flu medications such as pain relievers, fever reducers (NSAIDs) or corticosteroids can aggravate symptoms of heart failure and high blood pressure. Patients should consult a doctor before taking medication.

Lifestyle: Flu vaccination is very important for cardiovascular patients, helping to reduce the risk of flu and reduce the severity of the disease. Patients also need to wear masks, wash their hands regularly, avoid crowded places, get enough sleep, and avoid exertion.

Diet: People with cardiovascular disease need to supplement vitamin C, zinc, garlic to strengthen immunity, drink enough water and maintain a healthy diet, limit animal fat and increase green vegetables and fish. In addition, patients need to monitor and control blood pressure regularly.

Annual influenza vaccination is highly recommended for patients with cardiovascular disease, as it is an important preventive measure to reduce the risk of influenza and reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications. Reputable cardiovascular associations such as the American Heart Association, the European Society of Cardiology, and the Vietnam Heart Association all recommend influenza vaccination to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by 15-45%.

However, before getting vaccinated, heart patients should consult their doctor to ensure that their heart condition and blood pressure are stable. In particular, the vaccine should not be given if blood pressure is too high or too low, or if the patient is experiencing a heart emergency.

Seasonal flu is a common illness but can pose a significant threat to people with underlying medical conditions, especially heart patients. Prevention and timely treatment are important factors in protecting the health of patients during flu season.

For other groups, health experts recommend that everyone is at risk of seasonal flu, but some groups need to pay special attention and get vaccinated against flu at this time to prevent serious complications, including: Young children, especially children under 12 months old whose immune systems are not fully developed. Elderly people, aged 65 and over, with weakened immune systems.

Pregnant women or those who have recently given birth during flu season, as changes in their physical and immune systems during this time can increase their risk of getting sick. People with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease, stroke, and those on long-term medication.

In addition, people with weakened immune systems, obese people (BMI over 40), people with diseases affecting the nervous system, and people under 20 years old who are taking aspirin for a long time are also in the group that needs to get vaccinated against influenza.

In addition to the above subjects, according to Dr. Nguyen Tuan Hai, Safpo/Potec Vaccination System, every person needs to be vaccinated against seasonal flu to prevent serious complications caused by the disease.

Answering a reporter's question about the types of flu vaccines currently in circulation, according to Dr. Hai, in essence we have inactivated seasonal flu vaccines (dead viruses or only parts of the virus are dead) and live attenuated vaccines. Currently we mainly use inactivated vaccines in the form of fragmented viruses (this type is safe and effective).

According to the number of antigens we have Trivalent or Quadrivalent vaccines (3 or 4 viruses). They do this (mixture of 3 or 4 viruses) so that the vaccination can protect against most of the viruses that are commonly circulating in the world (coverage).

However, we need to pay attention to which “season” (year) the vaccine belongs to and whether it belongs to the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. The reason is that the Winter-Spring seasons of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are different.

The Ministry of Health recommends that people take the following preventive measures to minimize the risk of seasonal flu:

Get a seasonal flu vaccine: This is the most effective way to protect yourself from the flu. Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after coughing or sneezing.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, handkerchief, or sleeve when coughing or sneezing to reduce the spread of droplets. Wear a mask when going out, especially in crowded places and on public transportation. Avoid unnecessary contact with people who have or may have influenza.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle: Eat a nutritious diet, strengthen your immune system and exercise regularly.

When experiencing symptoms such as cough, fever, runny nose, headache, fatigue, people should not self-test or buy medicine to treat at home but should contact a medical facility for timely advice and treatment.

Doctors also warn that many people with the flu are often subjective, thinking it is just a mild illness and do not go to the doctor early, which can lead to dangerous complications.

In the face of the increasing seasonal flu situation, the Ministry of Health has asked localities to implement plans to prevent infectious diseases. The Ministry also recommends border health surveillance and quarantine measures to detect cases early and limit the spread.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/nhieu-nguoi-mac-cum-mua-voi-dien-bien-nang-d246441.html