Flu
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Over 20% of Rutgers students’ report missed assignments and lower grades due to colds and flu. The Flu (influenza) is an upper respiratory infection caused by a virus. The flu is highly contagious and spread via respiratory droplets of an infected person. It is spread through coughing, sneezing, or coming in contact with an infected surface such as a contaminated doorknob or phone. Adults are contagious one day before symptoms appear and up to 7 days after they are ill. Flu outbreaks usually occur in late fall and winter.
Prevention
Getting an annual flu vaccine is especially important for people at high risk for infection, such as students (who live and study in crowded areas), health care workers, people who smoke, people over 50 and children under 2 years of age, and people with a chronic illness (such as asthma or diabetes) or weakened immune system (e.g., due to recent illness). Since the strain of flu virus changes every year, annual vaccines are needed. [Note: the flu vaccine is not recommended for anyone allergic to eggs or chicken, since chicken egg protein is used to develop the vaccine.] The vaccine itself does not cause the flu.
While antibiotics cannot help you with a cold or flu, anti-viral medications have been developed recently to help prevent the flu if you are exposed or decrease symptom duration it if caught early (within the first 2 days of symptoms). Talk with your health care provider before the flu season starts about the flu vaccine and the anti-viral medications.
In general, keep your immune system strong by eating nutritiously, getting adequate sleep, avoiding close contact with others infected with the flu, and washing your hands frequently.
Signs and Symptoms
- Chills and fever (over 101° F)
- Headache
- Muscle aches and pains which are often severe
- Fatigue, weakness, sometimes exhaustion
Dry cough
Uncomplicated flu usually lasts 7-10 days (but may last longer). Complications can occur if you get a bacterial infection, which may cause pneumonia, sinusitis or ear infections. These complications may even appear after you start to feel better. Look for: high fever, shaking chills, chest pain while breathing, and coughing thick, yellow/greenish mucous.
If You Have the Flu
- Reduce your fever with aspirin substitute.
- Rest, to prevent complications and reduce infecting others.
- Hydrate – drink 10-12 glasses of water or broth daily.
- Eat lightly – juice, toast, and other bland food (rice, cooked cereal, baked potatoes).
- Soothe your sore throat by gargling with ½ tsp of salt in a glass of warm water, or suck ice chips or lozenges.
- Stop smoking.
- Increase the humidity in your room with a cool vaporizer or steam humidifier.
- Warm your aching muscles with a heating pad.
Avoid infecting others. Cover your coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues. Wash your hands frequently. Keep your drinking glasses and towels separate from others. Stay out of crowded situations.
Seek Medical Attention If You Have
- Fever over 101º F for more than 48 hours
- Severe sore throat, or lasting more than 3 days
- Tonsils enlarged or with white spots
- Swollen glands
- Chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing cough
- Earache
- Severe headache or facial pain not relieved by aspirin substitute
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Cough lasting a week longer than other flu symptoms, or greenish/yellowish/bloody mucous
- History of rheumatic fever, asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema or other chronic illness and think you are getting the flu.
WARNING: Avoid drinking alcohol while taking medications. Taking two central nervous system depressants such as antihistamines and alcohol may have very serious side effects.
If your need to see a health care provider, call us for an appointment:
Busch-Livingston Health Center
(732) 445-3250
110 Hospital Road, LC
(near Athletic Center)
8:30am-5pm, M-F
Hurtado Health Center
(732) 932-7402
11 Bishop Place, CAC
(next to Clothier, near the quads)
8:30am-5pm
5-8pm, urgent care and limited appts only
Willets Health Center
(732) 932-9805
11 Suydam Street, CC/DC
(across from the bookstore and behind Cooper Dining Hall)
8:30am-5pm, M-F
For medical advice when the health centers are closed – RUHS Advice NurseLine: 1-800-890-5882
RU Health Services-NB/P - Caring For the Whole Student Body
Last Modified 08/24/2006