PBNIA brings The October Blog w/ a guest blogger, all the flu info you need for this winter and more!

October Blog
Good Bye Summer, Hello Fall

The blog is back after an August/September vacation. Hope you enjoyed the summer and had a relaxing time with family and friends.

• Additional GREAT NEWS- Congratulations! Christopher Byers, and James Byass-Rascoe recent BSN graduates
• More GREAT NEWS Congratulations to Toniya Durante for successfully passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become a Registered Nurse.

As shared in the July blog, we have a number of guest bloggers scheduled for the next several months. Our guest bloggers will share information designed to promote the health of you and your family. We are pleased to Welcome Christin Durham, BSN, MBA, RN-C as the October 2015 guest blogger. She has a wealth of clinical experience as a practicing nurse and nurse leader in the Oakland Branch of the Veterans Administration hospital. Christin is going to share information on a health problem that usually begins in the fall peaks during the winter months and essentially disappears late spring.

Hello all. I want to talk with you about a very special acquaintance that comes to visit us during fall and winter months. They are like gyspies, they are free-spirited, travel in packs, and show up unannounced. This makes it hard to prepare for their arrival. They invite themselves in, take over and leave you feeling downright miserable during their visit. They have even been known to kill. However, with preparation they can be well-trained house guest, if they show up to visit you. Do you have any idea who or what I am referencing? The Influenza Virus aka The Flu.

The flu is universal. Flu doesn't target any specific age, race or sex. We are all susceptible to contract the virus. The Flu virus enters through our nose or mouth and settles in the lungs. Once there, the virus multiplies and as it does you experience symptoms of the flu. (Mayo Clinic 2015)

"What are the symptoms"? I'm glad you asked. Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, fatigue, headaches and nausea and vomiting are more common symptoms in children. (CDC 2015) You can be infected up to 7 days before you experience any of these symptoms. During this time, you can unknowingly pass along the virus.

"So, how do I prevent this invasion"? You are full of great questions. The annual flu vaccine will help prevent the flu and limit the complications from the flu. You should also practice good hygiene habits to limit transmission. That means washing your hands for at least 15 second with soap and water, covering your coughs and sneezes with tissue or in your elbow and cleaning common areas with disinfecting wipes to keeps germs at bay, such as Lysol.

We are already into flu season and can expect to be here until March of next year. To boost your immune system so you can usher this unruly houseguest to the door, you should get the annual flu vaccine from either your PCP, the Health Department or at certain drug stores.
To learn more about Influenza visit the Centers for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov or the website of your local health dept.

References:
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2015). Influenza Definition. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015, August 19). Influenza Symptoms and Severity. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov