1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue
photo of Adrienne Dellwo
Fibromyalgia & CFS Blog

By Adrienne Dellwo, About.com Guide to Fibromyalgia & CFS

Swine Flu Concerns With Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Thursday April 30, 2009

Should those of us with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome be worried about swine flu? It's not really a "yes" or "no" question, but more a matter of degree - how much should we worry about it?

First, we shouldn't panic. This flu strain is new, so it's big news. The vast majority of cases have not been fatal, and many of the fatalities were in people who didn't get treatment until their case was very advanced.

Second, we should be vigilant for any changes in symptoms because it can be easy for us to miss the fact that we're sick. Especially if you regularly have flu-like symptoms, keep an eye open for anything that's new, different, or more intense. If you think you have any kind of flu or respiratory illness, get to the doctor right away, get tested, and ask about drugs that help reduce the severity of the flu (such as Tamiflu or Relenza). And of course, remember to wash your hands and take other basic precautions against getting sick.

Here's a list of great swine-flu articles and blogs from around About.com:

__________________________

Stay up to date: subscribe to my free
and get support and information in our
__________________________

Suggested Reading:

Photo © Stockbyte/Getty Images

Comments

August 19, 2009 at 11:04 pm
(1) Cathy says:

I’m scared. I’ve had CFIDS since 1989, at least, and never had a flu shot because the docs said don’t. But this time … well, maybe ….?

Leave a Comment

Line and paragraph breaks are automatic. Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title="">, <b>, <i>, <strike>

Explore Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue
About.com Special Features

Learn how you can reduce your your numbers with these nutrition and exercise tips. More >

Keep yourself, and your family, happy and healthy this fall with these tips. More >

  1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.