Flu Is Nothing to Take Lightly
It’s flu season again, and what people don’t realize is that the flu is a life-threatening virus. According to health writer Jane Brody in this month’s Reader’s Digest, up to 40,000 people could die from flu complications this winter. Symptoms to look for are a sore throat, hacking cough, achy muscles, pains and high fever. (For kids, add vomiting and diarrhea.)
One precaution is an annual vaccination. The flu shot works 70%-90% of the time and contrary to popular belief the flu shot cannot actually give you the flu. The viruses in the vaccine are dead; they cannot invade your cells. Some people have reported a brief flu-like reaction to the vaccine.
In Brief . . .
* A nationwide study focusing on left ventricular hypertrophy, or enlargement of the heart, is going on through December, and local residents are being asked to volunteer. County/USC Medical Center and the USC School of Medicine hope to enroll those between 55 and 80 with hypertension. Medical evaluation, tests and medications associated with the study are free to participants. For information: (800) 363-5433.
* This health roundup appears on Wednesdays. Items to be considered should be mailed 3 1/2 weeks before the event to Christina Chaplin, Health Watch, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053. Fax: (213) 237-7355.
