Swine Flu- Diagnosis and Treatment
The diagnosis and the treatment of Swine flu are:
How can it be diagnosed?
A positive swab test result after a proper assessment of the GP confirms the swine flu infection in a person. But now, the percentages of people being affected from the infection and being confirmed by the tests are getting low. This is caused as, people having flu like symptoms who have been in close contact with the swab test proven patients can be diagnosed positive without even having to undergo the swab test.
How dangerous is the infection?
The severity of the disease is not known yet as the symptoms has not been very serious. However there have been certain deaths in Mexico and other states outside it due to the infection.
But, it is believed that the effects of the swine flu can be controlled with the early doses of medicines such as Tamiflu. The doses have helped people recover from the infection. Thus, to control the sudden rise in the number sufferers, the supplies for Tamiflu have also been increased.
How does it cause death?
The infection when reaches its peak like in any other flu along with certain other complications can cause death. For instance, the flu with pneumonia can cause death of a patient.
How to protect myself?
Once you know the reason and the mode of transmission of the infection, you can surely take the small precautions to ensure your safety and protection from the infection.
For instance, cover your mouth with a mask, wash or sanitize your hands properly with disinfectants, regularly clean the regularly touched places of the house, etc. are a few steps that you can follow to protect yourself with your loved ones.
Can it be treated?
The vaccine for the infection is not yet available and thus the infection cannot be cured completely. However, the effects of the disease can be reduced comparatively with the proper medications. Thus you should consult a doctor for getting the right medication.
Medication
Antiviral medicines can help you to some extent in reducing the symptoms of the disease. However, you should remember that these are not the cure, but are just a way to reduce the effect of the infection. Through these medications, the severity of the disease and the infection length can be controlled. Some commonly used medication in UK includes of Tamiflu and Relenza. Even antibiotics can help decrease the effect of the disease.