Wellness Corner Archives

Blood Pressure and the Importance of Knowing Your Numbers.

02/01/2023

What is Blood Pressure?

When your heart pumps blood through your arteries, the blood puts pressure on the artery walls, which is what is known as blood pressure. Arteries then carry the blood from your heart throughout your body (1). Blood pressure does fluctuate throughout the day, but having unusual high or low blood pressure can negatively affect your health in the long run which is why it’s important to know and understand your blood pressure numbers.

What do Blood Pressure Numbers Mean?

Blood pressure is measured using two numbers:

Systolic blood pressure measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats
Diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats

The numbers are then read with the systolic number over the diastolic number, or written as systolic/diastolic mmHg. For example, if your systolic blood pressure is 120 and your diastolic blood pressure is 80 it would be written as 120/80 mmHg (1).

The only way to know what your blood pressure numbers are is to get your blood pressure tested with a blood pressure monitor. Knowing and understanding your results is key to controlling unusual high blood pressure.

Blood Pressure Categories

The chart and information below is provided from the American Heart Association and explains the different categories of blood pressure numbers (2).

Normal: Blood pressure is considered in the normal category when the numbers are less than 120/80 mmHg.
Elevated: Blood pressure is considered elevated when readings consistently range from 120-129 systolic and less than 80 mmHg diastolic. If you fall in this category, you are likely to develop high blood pressure if no steps are taken to control the condition.
Hypertension Stage 1: This stage is when blood pressure consistently ranges from 130-139 systolic over 80 mmHg diastolic. At this stage, you will likely be advised to make some lifestyle changes and may be prescribed blood pressure medication.
Hypertension Stage 2: This stage is when blood pressure consistently ranges at 140/90 mmHg or higher. At this stage, you will likely be prescribed blood pressure medications and lifestyle changes.
Hypertensive Crisis: The hypertensive crisis requires medical attention. If your blood pressure readings suddenly exceed 180/120 mmHg, you could be experiencing a hypertensive crisis and should contact your doctor immediately.

If your blood pressure is higher than 180/120 mm Hg and you are also experiencing symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness/weakness, change in vision or difficulty speaking, do not wait to see if your pressure comes down on its own. Call 911.

What Number is More Important?

Typically, the systolic blood pressure number is given more attention due to it being a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease for people over the age of 50. However, an elevation of either number may be used to make a high blood pressure diagnosis (2).

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure typically develops over time. One may develop high blood pressure due to reasons like unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, obesity, or alcohol and tobacco use. Blood pressure can also be caused by genetics and family history, so it’s important to let your doctor know if high blood pressure runs in your family (3).

What Problems does High Blood Pressure Cause?

High Blood Pressure can damage your health in many ways, especially if it’s left untreated. It can hurt important organs like your heart, brain, kidney, and eyes (1).

Heart Attack and Heart Disease: High blood pressure can damage your arteries by making them less elastic, which decreases the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart.
Stroke and Brain Problems: High blood pressure can also block the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain, or cause those arteries to burst, which causes a stroke. Brain cells die during a stroke because they do not get enough oxygen, which can then cause disabilities in speech, movement, and other basic activities. A stroke can also be deadly.
Kidney Disease: Adults with diabetes, high blood pressure, or both have a higher risk of developing kidney disease, which is when the kidneys are damaged and cannot filter blood as well as they should (4).

What Can You Do to Prevent or Manage High Blood Pressure?

Many people can manage to keep their blood pressure in a healthy range by making some positive lifestyle changes, such as:

Getting at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week
Avoid tobacco use
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet which limits sodium (salt) and alcohol
Keeping a healthy weight
Managing stress in a healthy way

In addition to making these changes, some people with high blood pressure may need to take medications to manage their blood pressure (1). And as always, talk to your pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns regarding blood pressure medications or managing your blood pressure numbers. Talk to your pharmacist today about if adding a supplement can help you, and ask us about our free blood pressure monitoring!

Sources

https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/about.htm#whatdo
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/understanding-blood-pressure-readings
https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/risk_factors.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/basics.html

3 Basic Tips for Managing Holiday Stress

12/01/2022

The holiday season is just around the corner, which means you may be more stressed than usual. This may put you in a not-so-cheery mood and can cause others around you to become stressed as well. Lucky for you, we have some tips and trick about how to manage your stress for the holidays!

First things first, understand that you stress is common and that’s okay! Some stress is important for your body to function; we call this “eustress.” This is the type of stress that comes upon us during an exciting moment or during something new; without this, our well-being can actually suffer. Eustress helps keep us motivated and goal-oriented, and it gives us a good feeling about life. During the holidays you may feel this eustress when you spend time with loved ones, are opening gifts, or possibly even during holiday traveling. Just know that what you are feeling in that moment is exactly what you should be and is an important part of keeping yourself healthy.

On the flip side, “distress” is the kind of stress that we want to try to avoid. Distress often leaves you feeling overwhelmed, uneasy, and can sometimes make you either lash out or even shut down. Nobody wants to feel that way, especially during the holidays. So, in an effort to fill your holidays with only the good stress, here are some tips on how to cope with stress and better manage your stress levels!

1. Avoid Stress Triggers

In order to avoid triggers that cause distress, you have to first identify those triggers; learning your body’s signals of stress is important, too. If you know what causes you stress and how to recognize when it’s affecting you, you can take steps to control your environment and avoid further triggers.

Some of the most common triggers around the holidays especially are smoking and alcohol. Celebrations often come with social drinking, and many people turn to smoking to try to deal with stress (spoiler: not a great stress reliever in reality). For people recovering from an addiction, trying to quit currently, or even just trying to cut back on how much alcohol or cigarettes they consume, being in a situation where others are drinking or smoking can be a trigger on its own.

If you know there is likely going to be a trigger for you at a gathering but still want to attend, prepare some healthier options to divert your attention. If you are avoiding alcohol, bring a non-alcoholic drink like sparkling water or grape juice. If you are worried about picking up a cigarette again, bring a pack of gum to chew instead and keep a drink on hand to pick up instead. Letting your friends and family at the gathering know ahead of time that you are avoiding these products can help, too – others can cut back on what they use around you and avoid offering you something when you don’t want that temptation.

If you aren’t feeling up to a gathering with those triggers around – or if you are stressed out by other factors, like a big crowd – consider organizing a virtual holiday with your loved ones. Another way to avoid any triggers is to opt-in for a virtual holiday with your family and loved ones. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, online gathering has been popular; just because we aren’t at the height of the pandemic anymore doesn’t mean you can’t still use those options. Set up a call via Skype, Zoom, or Facetime so you can still celebrate with loved ones without having to deal with the social stressors.

2. Prioritize for a Healthy Holiday

Holidays are often a time to indulge a bit, but it can be difficult to avoid over-indulging. For anyone trying to lose weight or manage health concerns like cholesterol levels, the amount of food and the lack of exercise around the holidays can make the celebration stressful. Luckily, there are ways to manage stress in a way that prioritizes your health.

If you are trying to watch how much food, especially the unhealthy options, you eat, being mindful while you’re filling your plate is important. Even though all the foods are yummy, make sure you don’t load up your plate mindlessly as you go down the line. Instead, try to balance your plate with more fruits and vegetables instead of just meat and carbs. Limiting the amount of alcohol and sugary drinks you consume can help cut out empty calories, too. If you know you are a snacker, try to pick a chair that’s an arm’s length or two away from the goodie table – out of reach, out of mind! And if you aren’t sure that there will be a whole lot of healthier options at your celebration, you can always bring your own; nuts, fruits, veggies, and even popcorn can satisfy those snacking cravings while keeping you energized.

Though diet is a big struggle at the holidays, it’s not the only one; keeping your body up and moving can be difficult, between long car rides and all that relaxation time. Some small changes can help you stay active and leave you feeling better physically and mentally.

Watching the kids open gifts? Try standing up instead of sitting on the couch. Having a social gathering with family? Walk around the room and visit with more than one group to keep you active. Wanting to watch your favorite show? Try a short simple workout while you are watching to keep your mind and body engaged – jumping jacks, squats, or lunges are great in-place options. Kids want to go outside to play? Join in! There are many ways you can stay physically active this holiday and all it takes is a little bit of drive and motivation to keep you going.

Even while indulging, it’s important to stick to some routine to help manage stress and your overall health. That especially includes following any medication regimen you are on. If you know you are prone to forgetting to take dose or have a hard time keeping track, talk to our team about options for making that routine management easier! We can also help you keep you up to date on immunizations, an important part of your healthcare during the holidays. We’ve all brought home a cold from a holiday gathering at some point – make sure you don’t bring something home you could have prevented by getting your vaccine ahead of time.

3. Set Reasonable Expectations

Everyone loves their holiday traditions, but those routines sometimes change with time and other obligations. As kids get older, the family grows and maybe moves away, or even as your financial situation shifts, it’s important to prepare yourself for things to change. You can cause undue distress for yourself by expecting everything to stay the exact same, and that distress can spill over and affect your loved ones.

Leading up to your celebrations, set time aside to talk to those you will be seeing and make sure you’re all comfortable with the plans. Traditions can still be honored with small changes to make everyone have a bit less stress around the celebration. For example, if you have always hosted but it really stresses you out to have such a long to-do list, maybe offer to travel to someone else’s house that wants to host.

Dividing up the work of planning and cooking can lower everyone’s stress, too. Talk through where you’re going, what to bring, and how long people will be staying while you plan so nobody is carrying more burden than they can handle. Make sure you are communicating the guest list, too – many families have tension between members, and knowing who you are going to see (or if you want to skip to avoid a fight) is an important part of lowering day-of stress.

Plan for the financial part of the holidays, too! Money is tight for many especially this year, making celebrations and gift-buying difficult. To help ease your financial stress, create a realistic holiday budget that is easy to follow. Calculate how much you want to spend for each person, travel expenses, or any other holiday-related expenses and write it down. Once you create this list, look it over and determine if that is a reasonable cost and adjust if needed.

Creating gift boundaries is another great way to help ease financial stress. For example, discuss the number of gifts and the price range with your significant other or family before buying gifts. Setting a dollar limit for each person and reducing the number of gifts can help you save more money. Make this a discussion with your family so that everyone feels like they are part of the discussion and has more buy-in with the changes to tradition. If someone insists on spending more on gifts that what you are comfortable, consider suggesting a fund for education or supplies needed throughout the next year or a donation to an organization you love.

Even with the best plans set and boundaries firmed up, holidays are still bound to come with stress. Following these tips can help you lower the bad stress so you can enjoy the good anticipation of the festivities. Remember that our team is here to support you in any goals you have to better your health. We aren’t here to just fill your scripts – we are a shoulder to lean on, a sounding board, and a great resource for options to better manage your health, including stress levels. The holiday season is especially magical when you are surrounded by those you love and aren’t too stressed to enjoy it!

Sources:

https://www.augustinerecovery.com/holiday-triggers/

https://www.ahchealthenews.com/2022/11/22/prioritize-your-health-this-holiday-season/

https://www.neamb.com/personal-finance/how-to-manage-holiday-expectations-without-guilt

https://www.healthline.com/health/eustress

Until There’s Type “None”…Know the Signs of Type 1

11/02/2022

Almost everyone has heard of diabetes, but not everyone fully understands what being diagnosed with diabetes means. Diabetes is a serious health condition that has two main types, type 1 and type 2. While type 2 diabetes is often caused by insulin resistance and can usually be prevented, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune response and cannot be prevented. There is currently no cure for type 1 diabetes, so people living with the condition are dependent on insulin injections to manage their blood sugar levels each and every day.

People of all ages can develop type 1 diabetes, but it mostly develops in children and teenagers. It has very little to do with lifestyle choices, like the stereotypes for the condition would make you think. With it occurring in those so young, it’s important to know the true causes of this condition and what to look out for — especially since a child may not know how to communicate what’s wrong.

Causes, Risks, and Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes

Causes

The main cause of type 1 diabetes is thought to be an autoimmune reaction where the body mistakenly destroys the insulin producing cells, called beta cells, found in the pancreas. As a result, blood sugar levels do not regulate on their own. Another cause of type 1 diabetes is found within genetics and environmental factors. Some people may inherit the genes that make them more likely to develop type 1 diabetes but may not be apparent unless triggered by some environmental factor such as a virus.

Risk Factors

Although risk factors for type 1 diabetes are not as clear, it most often occurs in children but can occur at any age. Risk factors in children may include:

Family history: If you have a parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes, you may have an increased risk of developing the conditions as well.
Genetics: Specific genes passed down from a parent may indicate a higher risk for type 1 diabetes.
Race: In the United States, it is more common for white children to develop type 1 diabetes than any other races.
Certain Viruses: Being exposed to certain viruses may trigger the autoimmune reaction.

Symptoms

The side effects of type 1 diabetes can become serious very quickly, once the condition has developed it can be deadly, so noticing the signs of type 1 diabetes in your child before it gets too serious is crucial. Typically, symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children are roughly the same:

Increased thirst and urination
Blurred vision
Tiredness
Unexplained weight loss
Increased hunger
Fatigue
Numb or tingling hands or feet

Many times, it may take a few months or even years for symptoms to become apparent, which can be very dangerous. Since type 1 diabetes is most common in children, it is critical that parents or older siblings are aware of these symptoms as well, because most children may not understand what these symptoms mean or that they are even experiencing them. It is also important to understand these symptoms because most of these symptoms are very similar to those found with other heath conditions and may get mistaken as something else. If you believe that you or your child may have type 1 diabetes, schedule an appointment with your doctor to get their blood sugar tested.

Ignoring these symptoms may result in very serious, even fatal, health problems in the future. A few of these health problems may include heart and blood vessel disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, eye damage, or osteoporosis.

A common complication from diabetes is a condition called hypoglycemia, low blood sugar. This occurs when there is too much insulin, waiting too long for a meal, not eating enough, or getting too much physical activity. If you notice your child has any of this happening or any symptoms of low blood sugar, talk to your doctor about what changes may need to be made.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is also a common complication of diabetes. DKA results when there is not enough insulin to let blood sugar into your cells which could be life-threatening. Illness and missed insulin shots are the most common causes of this complication. Again, talk to your doctor to ensure you understand how to prevent and treat DKA.

Managing Your Child’s Type 1 Diabetes

Although there is no cure for type 1 diabetes, there are many ways that you can help your child manage their condition. Children that have type 1 diabetes will need to have their insulin administered daily for their blood sugar levels to be regulated. This could be from a syringe, pump, or insulin pen.

There are times where blood sugar levels in some children will not reach a healthy level with insulin alone. Your doctor may prescribe diabetes medications to take alongside the insulin and will usually suggest regularly checking blood sugar levels. They may also suggest following healthy lifestyle habits. This is where you as a parent can help! Some great healthy lifestyle habits that are important to managing your child’s type 1 diabetes can include:

Eating healthy
Being physically active
Keeping blood pressure within healthy range
Controlling cholesterol levels

Another great way to help manage your child’s type 1 diabetes is to learn everything you can about the condition. Understanding what diabetes is and what it can cause if untreated is a main factor in helping your child. A few things that are important to know is what type of insulin your child should take and in what dosage, what device should be used, how to check blood sugar levels, where to go for support, and much more.

It is important to also understand that there will be big changes in your day-to-day lives after your child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Adapting a new daily schedule will be important to ensure they are receiving regularly scheduled insulin injections and proper diet.

Staying connected and keeping open communication with your child about their condition is very beneficial for them and you. Type 1 diabetes can be scary for a child, so reassuring them that you will be there for them with any questions is very important. No child should have to try to manage this condition on their own. Make it clear to them that choices they make now managing their condition will help them in the future! It is also a good idea to let them know of any outside resources that they should be aware of such as support groups, summer camps, or even online community forums. Your child’s mental health may be affected from this condition and getting them the support they need is important.

Being there for your child, understanding what they are dealing with, and helping them when needed are the best ways to manage your child’s health. It may also be beneficial to you, your child, and your community to raise awareness of the condition. There are many online forums, day specific holidays such as World Diabetes Day (November 14), and local community groups that are great ways to raise awareness and get extra support! Our team at Sinks Pharmacy is always here to help, too.

Sources

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/type-1-diabetes-in-children#resources

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-1-diabetes-in-children/symptoms-causes/syc-20355306

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/what-is-type-1-diabetes.html

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/symptoms.html

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/risk-factors.html

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/parents-type1.html

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes

If You Are 65 or Older, You Will Want to Read this ASAP

10/05/2022

Are you 65 years of age or older and looking for a new or updated Medicare Part D plan? Are you unsure of where to start or how to review your plan? Maybe you’ve heard of a Part D plan but are unsure of what it is? A Medicare Part D plan covers prescription drug costs, both generic and brand name, for those 65 years or older. These plans can — and should —be reviewed each year during the open enrollment period, which takes place every year from October 15 to December 7. We’ve put together some basic information here, and our team at your local pharmacy can answer any questions you may have about choosing the perfect plan to fit your needs.

woman at laptop looking annoyed at pill bottles

What is Open Enrollment?

Open enrollment is a set time frame, in this instance for Medicare Part D, where you can join, switch, or drop a plan depending on your eligibility. The Open Enrollment period for Medicare Part D beings on October 15 and lasts until December 7 each year. During this time, you can join, switch, or drop a plan, with coverage beginning on January 1 of the following year. You can make as many changes as you would like during those weeks, but it’s recommended that you make changes as few times as needed to avoid any enrollment problems.

When am I Eligible for Medicare Part D?

Anyone who is 65 or older is eligible for Medicare Part D, but Open Enrollment is only October 15 – December 7 to go into effect in the new year…so what happens when you turn 65? There is a different process for newly eligible, called the Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). That period begins 3 months before you turn 65 and ends 3 months after you turn 65 or begins 3 months before your 25th month of getting Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) disability benefits and 3 months after that time. That timeframe may or may not overlap with the Open Enrollment period.

In order to enroll in a Medicare Part D drug plan, you must already have Medicare Part A and/or Medicare Part B as well as you must be a United States citizen or lawfully present in the United States.

What Can I do During Open Enrollment Period?

During the open enrollment period of October 15 – December 7, you can do any of the following:

Change from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan
Change from a Medicare Advantage Plan back to Original Medicare
Switch from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another Medicare Advantage Plan
Switch from a Medicare Advantage Plan that doesn’t offer drug coverage to a Medicare Advantage Plan that offers drug coverage
Switch from a Medicare Advantage Plan that offers drug coverage to a Medicare Advantage Plan that doesn’t offer drug coverage
Enroll in a Medicare Part D plan if you didn’t enroll when you first became eligible for Medicare
Switch from one Medicare drug plan to another Medicare drug plan
Drop Medicare drug coverage completely.

If you have any questions about how to do any of these options, stop into your local pharmacy or give us a call to set up a review time that works best for you. During this time, the pharmacist will answer any questions you have pertaining to Medicare Part D Open Enrollment and your specific drug and health needs.

Chart from https://blog.medicaresolutions.com/open-enrollment-checklist

Four Signs You May Want to Change Your Medicare Part D Plan

Your health changes overtime, and that can mean that your medication needs change, too. Even if everything on your side stays the same, that doesn’t mean that the plan you are on has stayed the same. Each year, it’s a good idea to review your plan and see if it still fits your needs. Here are some signs to be aware of when considering changing your plan.

Plan formularies change from year to year.

Part D plans have formulary to help place various medications into different tiers. The lower the tier, the lower the copay — and on the flip side, the higher the tier, the higher the out-of-pocket costs. These tiers can change from year to year, so it’s important to review what medications you are taking and what tiers they fall under. Your pharmacist can help you review your medications and figure out what tier you are at with each of them.

Your medication needs have changed.

If you are taking new medications, there’s a chance that your current plan offers great coverage. But there’s also a chance that a different plan you can choose during Open Enrollment overs a better deal on your new medication regimen.

Pharmacy networks change each year.

Part D plans have in-network and out-of-network pharmacies, and that list often changes each year. Even if you choose an out-of-network plan for your pharmacy, the team may be able to find cash savings for you without forcing you to switch pharmacies. That isn’t always the case, so it’s important to review your medications and plan with your pharmacy and see what the cost would end up being.

You’re paying a high premium for a plan you don’t use often.

Plans are there to help cover costs, both expected and unexpected, and many people try to plan for the unexpected. But realistically, you may not actually need a plan that you picked the previous year. If you are on a Part D plan that has more coverage than you ended up needing, that means you’re paying a higher premium without the cost savings you may have expected.

Once you have reviewed your current plan and see that you may want to make changes based on those four tips, you will want to search for a plan that fits whatever your needs may be.

Who Can Help Review my Medicare Plan?

Your pharmacy can help! The people who fill your medications each month and discuss your health concerns with you regularly are also the people who can help you review your Medicare Part D plans. Whether you are ready to make a change to a new plan, have lots of questions about your options, or just want another person to look at what you’ve selected, our team is here for you.

We know your medications, we know the plans, and we know you. We can help you review options and choose a plan that best meets your health needs. We can provide in-depth reviews of the current plan you have as well as other plan options that you could consider. Even if you are not wanting to change your current plan, it is always a good idea to review the medications you are currently taking to ensure you are keeping the best plan possible for your needs.

Sources:

https://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/joining-a-health-or-drug-plan

https://www.medicareresources.org/medicare-open-enrollment/#

https://www.medicareinteractive.org/get-answers/medicare-prescription-drug-coverage-part-d/medicare-part-d-enrollment/changing-part-d-plans

https://www.healthmarkets.com/resources/medicare/when-is-the-medicare-part-d-open-enrollment/

https://www.medicareresources.org/medicare-benefits/four-signs-you-need-a-new-medicare-part-d-plan/#formulary

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/insurance/medicare/what-is-medicare

https://www.medicareresources.org/states/

https://www.medicare.gov/drug-coverage-part-d/how-to-get-prescription-drug-coverage

https://blog.medicaresolutions.com/open-enrollment-checklist/

Know EVERYTHING for Flu Season? Think Again

09/01/2022

Kids are heading back to school, fall is almost here (along with everything pumpkin), and that can only mean one thing: It’s time to start talking about flu season again. The flu virus doesn’t usually start circulating until the end of the year, but it’s important to get vaccinated in the fall to give your body time to learn how to fight off the disease if exposed.

There is a lot of information at our fingertips, and not all of it is correct…and even when we find the right sources, it can be hard to sort through all that info to figure out what is correct for what our symptoms are and how to treat whatever it is we caught. If you have questions about the flu or any other illness you may be experiencing as we head into flu season, make sure you are turning to trusted healthcare providers for your answers.

man getting flu shot from pharmacist

Is it true that the flu…?

There are more flu myths out there than we can easily count, and that was BEFORE medical misinformation began to spread on social media like wildfire. We’ve rounded up just a few popular ones here to debunk.

Is it true that I can get the flu from getting the flu shot? ¹

No! Flu vaccine given with a needle are inactive (killed) while nasal spray is live; the live vaccine has been weakened to the point it cannot cause an infection. After getting the vaccine, you may experience some flu-like symptoms. This is your body learning how to fight off the real disease by encountering the vaccine in your system. You can also still get the flu after getting vaccinated (but the vaccine often makes it less severe); this is especially true in the two weeks after getting your shot as your body takes some time to reach maximum immunity.

Is it true that I shouldn’t get the flu shot if I’m pregnant? ¹

No! Pregnant women actually have a higher risk of having complications if they contract the flu, meaning that getting vaccinated is even more important. On top of that, the vaccine can help protect the baby as well for several months after birth. Since babies cannot get a flu shot until they are 6 months, passing the antibodies from mother to baby is a great measure of protection if they are too young to receive a vaccine during peak flu season.

If you are pregnant, you should only get the vaccine via a shot, not the nasal spray.

Is it true that I don’t need to get a flu shot every year? ²

No! With a few rare exceptions, the CDC recommends that everyone older than 6 months should get a flu shot every year. There are a couple of main reasons for this. First, the efficacy of the vaccine — how well the vaccine works to prevent the disease it’s meant to fight — decreases over time. This is also why we recommend you get your flu shot ideally between September and early November.

The second factor is that the flu virus changes over time (similar to how COVID-19 has changed over the last couple years). The vaccine is made based on which strains look like they will be the most widespread for that year, and the strain that was spreading last year may not be the popular one this year.

Not seeing your question? Have more questions from this? Come by and talk to our team – we’re always here to help you get the answers you need.

I don’t feel good – what do I have?

Anyone who has Googled symptoms knows that it can be hard to narrow in on what you actually have. We know that not every symptom is cancer, despite that seeming the case when we look online. It’s important to not only learn the symptoms of diseases that are in your area but also learn the timing and what is NOT a symptom so you can get better treatment.

Flu vs. COVID-19 ³

Symptoms of COVID-19 have changed over time to resemble the symptoms of influenza more closely. These shared symptoms include:

Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Muscle pain or body aches
Headache
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Change in or loss of taste or smell (more common with COVID-19 than flu)

Flu symptoms appear sooner after exposure on average than COVID-19 symptoms; someone infected with the flu usually starts having symptoms between 1 and 4 days after infection; COVID-19 symptoms, meanwhile, typically show up within 2 to 14 days after being exposed. Both viruses can also have asymptomatic cases, where people are infected but don’t get sick or show symptoms of the infection.

While both viruses have many shared possible complications (pneumonia, sepsis, heart attack, and more), there are some differences, too. The flu is more associated with secondary bacterial infections (getting an infection from something else when the immune system is weakened from the flu) than COVID-19; blood clots and multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C and MIS-A) are more common with COVID-19, and symptoms can linger much longer (now often called Long COVID) than flu symptoms do.

Both viruses have vaccines that work to protect you from infection or serious complications. COVID-19 vaccines can be received at any time of the year (on the appropriate vaccine schedule) while flu shots are recommended in the fall to offer the best protection when flu season arrives. There are also many tests available for both, so if you think you have one of these…get tested and get answers.

Flu vs. Stomach Flu ⁴

Despite sharing part of a name, the seasonal flu and the stomach flu have very little in common. The stomach flu (like the name suggests) affects the stomach. It is highly contagious and can be spread from person to person or by eating contaminated foods.

If you are experiencing diarrhea, stomach pain, and vomiting, there’s a good chance you’ve got the stomach flu. There isn’t any vaccine or treatment, but you can help relieve symptoms by drinking clear liquids, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and staying away from dairy, fiber, grease, and spices. The stomach flu can be contracted any time of the year.

If you have a sore throat, fever, muscle aches, or a cough, however, you may have influenza. The seasonal flu affects the respiratory system and DOES have a vaccine that can help prevent serious infection. Though there can be influenza viruses circulating year-round, usually flu season is during the winter.

Flu vs. Cold vs. Allergy ⁵

Even before COVID-19, it was sometimes hard to tell if you had the flu or if you had a cold or if it was just allergies. They all affect the respiratory system and share many symptoms. Flu and cold generally have the most overlap, but flu symptoms tend to be more plentiful and more severe than cold symptoms. The symptoms are a sign of your body trying to fight off the infection, and they generally last as long as the infection does.

Allergies, meanwhile, are not because of an infection; instead, they are your immune system fighting off some external substances that you’ve been exposed to and your body thinks is dangerous to you. The symptoms are the immune system’s overreaction to the exposure, and they will last as long as the exposure does. This can be several weeks if the pollen count is high; it could be just hours, however, if it’s caused by a brief interaction with a neighbor’s dog.

* Click to view full-size image. Table via NIH News in Health: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2014/10/cold-flu-or-allergy

Because there is so much overlap in actual symptoms, it’s important to pay extra attention to the labels of any medicine you take. The active ingredients of many drugs overlap, so it is easy to get too much of one ingredient if you aren’t careful. There can also be interactions between different drugs used to treat the cold, flu, and allergies; if you are ever unsure of what to take or how much to take, talk to our pharmacy team! Visit our immunizations section for current offerings and availability.

Sources:

¹ https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/top-seven-flu-myths-debunked

² https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/misconceptions.htm

³ https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm

⁴ https://www.gohealthuc.com/library/influenza-vs-stomach-flu

⁵ https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2014/10/cold-flu-or-allergy