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We ’ re all far too likely to ignore a case of flu, says Amelia Keegan
It ’ s important to listen to your body ’ s messages that you need to slow down, or
your heart could be in danger. A few days after shaking off a nasty bout of flu, Elise
Merry went hiking with her husband in Cape Town. After 20 minutes on a rather
challenging mountain path, she began to feel breathless and experienced a
strange flurry of heartbeats. Because Elise is a doctor, she realised that she should
not press on, and needed to rest immediately. Luckily there was an access road
nearby, and her husband was able to fetch her and drive her back to town to
have a checkup in hospital.
What Elise experienced was myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle,
and one of the potentially dangerous side effects of a viral infection. It ’ s not ‘ just
the flu ’ , It ’ s time for a reality check. Influenza is a serious illness, which kills one in
100 people who get it. We ’ re not talking about bird flu or some rare Congo fever,
we ’ re talking about the common disease that almost everyone has had more
than once. And because you ’ ve had the flu before, you ’ ve probably also heard
the warnings: 'No exercising when you have flu.' That ’ s not just because you ’ re
feeling tired and need to rest.
There are serious complications that can follow from a bout of flu, or even a cold,
that could threaten the health of your heart. But why does a viral infection that
causes a cough and fever have such a potentially serious effect on the heart?
'When you have a fever, your heart has to work extra hard,' explains Dr Gabe
Mirkin on www.DrMirkin.com . 'Furthermore, some viruses that infect your nose and
throat also infect your heart muscle. The combination of the extra work and an
infected heart muscle could cause irregular heart beats.'
Protect your heart: Myocarditis is most dangerous for people who already have
heart problems, whether or not they are aware of them. But even for someone like
Elise, a woman at the time in her late 30s with no history of any heart problems, it
can be a potentially dangerous condition. At worst, it can lead to permanent
heart failure, although many people recover completely and suffer no further ill
effects.
The symptoms of myocarditis may be similar to a heart attack, including a severe
pain in the chest, fatigue, shortness of breath and abnormal heart beats. There
may also be swelling in the joints. If you feel any fluttering or other irregularity in
your heartbeat, get to the doctor or emergency room so that you can be
checked out.
To diagnose myocarditis the doctor will ask you about any recent viral infections
or heart problems, and give you a number of tests that may include blood tests, an
electrocardiogram, a chest x-ray and ultrasound. The patient may be treated with
antibiotics if the doctor finds a bacterial infection, and lifestyle adjustments such
as bedrest, avoiding salt, and diuretics to reduce fluid may be recommended.
If there is long-term damage, the doctor will assess whether treatments such as a
pacemaker or blood-thinning medicine are needed. It ’ s vitally important not to
resume an exercise programme until the doctor has given you the all-clear.
Because myocarditis can be present without any symptoms at all, even the fittest
people shouldn't exercise vigorously when they have a viral infection, and they
should ease back slowly after a cold or the flu. Myocarditis is not only associated
with flu, but also with other viral infections such as rubella or polio. What have I
got? Has your flu turned nasty? Could be you ’ ve developed one of the conditions
below.
If you recognise the symptoms below, visit your doctor straight away.
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the walls of the bronchi – the larger tubes in your
lungs. These become clogged with mucus, which causes a deep cough. If the
mucus has a bright yellow or green colour, you may have a bacterial infection,
either instead of, or in addition to, a viral infection. This can be treated with
antibiotics. Bronchitis can be hard to shake, so you need to lay low for a while and
let your body heal itself.
Pneumonia is when the smallest passages in the lungs – the alveoli – get infected.
It can follow a flu infection or bronchitis, or you could be unlucky enough to have
all three together. In addition to a bad cough, you may have pain in the chest,
feel exhausted, have a bad fever and be sweaty and flushed.
If you develop any of these symptoms, you must go to the doctor immediately for
treatment, which may include steroids such as cortisone to speed up the healing
process.
is an infection of the membranes surrounding the spinal cord and the brain. A
severe headache is the most distinctive symptom, along with a stiff neck and a
distinctive sparse rash. You might also suffer from nausea and your eyes may
become very sensitive to light. Confusion or drowsiness may also indicate this type
of infection.
Encephalitis is a swelling of the brain itself and may cause similar symptoms to
meningitis.
Getting better:
Complementary remedies for colds and flu include garlic and zinc, with good old
vitamin C still coming out tops, whether in the form of a supplement or a tall glass
of cool orange juice.
A complementary health practitioner may recommend goldenseal and
echinacea, both of which are thought to boost the immune system. If you don ’ t
have the energy to look any further than the medicine cabinet, take the
recommended dose of paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve your aches and pains,
and reduce fever. (Remember, aspirin isn ’ t suitable during colds or flu because it
increases the risk of developing Reye ’ s syndrome, a potentially dangerous
condition.)
Don ’ t even think about antibiotics unless your doctor diagnoses you with a
secondary bacterial infection such as pneumonia. Be careful if you take a cold
and flu remedy as well as painkillers and cough medicine. They may contain the
same active ingredients, which could result in you taking too much of a good
thing. Check with your Clicks pharmacist if you ’ re not sure.
Words by Amelia Keegan
ClubCard Magazine Issue 3 2006
It ’ s important to listen to your body ’ s messages that you need to slow down, or
your heart could be in danger. A few days after shaking off a nasty bout of flu, Elise
Merry went hiking with her husband in Cape Town. After 20 minutes on a rather
challenging mountain path, she began to feel breathless and experienced a
strange flurry of heartbeats. Because Elise is a doctor, she realised that she should
not press on, and needed to rest immediately. Luckily there was an access road
nearby, and her husband was able to fetch her and drive her back to town to
have a checkup in hospital.
What Elise experienced was myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle,
and one of the potentially dangerous side effects of a viral infection. It ’ s not ‘ just
the flu ’ , It ’ s time for a reality check. Influenza is a serious illness, which kills one in
100 people who get it. We ’ re not talking about bird flu or some rare Congo fever,
we ’ re talking about the common disease that almost everyone has had more
than once. And because you ’ ve had the flu before, you ’ ve probably also heard
the warnings: 'No exercising when you have flu.' That ’ s not just because you ’ re
feeling tired and need to rest.
There are serious complications that can follow from a bout of flu, or even a cold,
that could threaten the health of your heart. But why does a viral infection that
causes a cough and fever have such a potentially serious effect on the heart?
'When you have a fever, your heart has to work extra hard,' explains Dr Gabe
Mirkin on www.DrMirkin.com . 'Furthermore, some viruses that infect your nose and
throat also infect your heart muscle. The combination of the extra work and an
infected heart muscle could cause irregular heart beats.'
Protect your heart: Myocarditis is most dangerous for people who already have
heart problems, whether or not they are aware of them. But even for someone like
Elise, a woman at the time in her late 30s with no history of any heart problems, it
can be a potentially dangerous condition. At worst, it can lead to permanent
heart failure, although many people recover completely and suffer no further ill
effects.
The symptoms of myocarditis may be similar to a heart attack, including a severe
pain in the chest, fatigue, shortness of breath and abnormal heart beats. There
may also be swelling in the joints. If you feel any fluttering or other irregularity in
your heartbeat, get to the doctor or emergency room so that you can be
checked out.
To diagnose myocarditis the doctor will ask you about any recent viral infections
or heart problems, and give you a number of tests that may include blood tests, an
electrocardiogram, a chest x-ray and ultrasound. The patient may be treated with
antibiotics if the doctor finds a bacterial infection, and lifestyle adjustments such
as bedrest, avoiding salt, and diuretics to reduce fluid may be recommended.
If there is long-term damage, the doctor will assess whether treatments such as a
pacemaker or blood-thinning medicine are needed. It ’ s vitally important not to
resume an exercise programme until the doctor has given you the all-clear.
Because myocarditis can be present without any symptoms at all, even the fittest
people shouldn't exercise vigorously when they have a viral infection, and they
should ease back slowly after a cold or the flu. Myocarditis is not only associated
with flu, but also with other viral infections such as rubella or polio. What have I
got? Has your flu turned nasty? Could be you ’ ve developed one of the conditions
below.
If you recognise the symptoms below, visit your doctor straight away.
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the walls of the bronchi – the larger tubes in your
lungs. These become clogged with mucus, which causes a deep cough. If the
mucus has a bright yellow or green colour, you may have a bacterial infection,
either instead of, or in addition to, a viral infection. This can be treated with
antibiotics. Bronchitis can be hard to shake, so you need to lay low for a while and
let your body heal itself.
Pneumonia is when the smallest passages in the lungs – the alveoli – get infected.
It can follow a flu infection or bronchitis, or you could be unlucky enough to have
all three together. In addition to a bad cough, you may have pain in the chest,
feel exhausted, have a bad fever and be sweaty and flushed.
If you develop any of these symptoms, you must go to the doctor immediately for
treatment, which may include steroids such as cortisone to speed up the healing
process.
is an infection of the membranes surrounding the spinal cord and the brain. A
severe headache is the most distinctive symptom, along with a stiff neck and a
distinctive sparse rash. You might also suffer from nausea and your eyes may
become very sensitive to light. Confusion or drowsiness may also indicate this type
of infection.
Encephalitis is a swelling of the brain itself and may cause similar symptoms to
meningitis.
Getting better:
Complementary remedies for colds and flu include garlic and zinc, with good old
vitamin C still coming out tops, whether in the form of a supplement or a tall glass
of cool orange juice.
A complementary health practitioner may recommend goldenseal and
echinacea, both of which are thought to boost the immune system. If you don ’ t
have the energy to look any further than the medicine cabinet, take the
recommended dose of paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve your aches and pains,
and reduce fever. (Remember, aspirin isn ’ t suitable during colds or flu because it
increases the risk of developing Reye ’ s syndrome, a potentially dangerous
condition.)
Don ’ t even think about antibiotics unless your doctor diagnoses you with a
secondary bacterial infection such as pneumonia. Be careful if you take a cold
and flu remedy as well as painkillers and cough medicine. They may contain the
same active ingredients, which could result in you taking too much of a good
thing. Check with your Clicks pharmacist if you ’ re not sure.
Words by Amelia Keegan
ClubCard Magazine Issue 3 2006
| Are you Dying From A Broken Heart? |