Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at an increased risk of contracting the flu – a potentially life-threatening issue. Protect yourself with these simple steps.

With this year’s U.S. flu outbreak reaching epidemic status, health experts have warned rheumatoid arthritis patients to be especially cautious.

The flu can be life-threatening when paired with a chronic condition like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The immunosuppressive drugs used to treat RA also decrease a patient’s ability to prevent or fight off infections, making them more susceptible to illness. Pay attention to symptoms, and take advantage of flu prevention techniques such as hand washing and vaccinations to avoid getting sick.

"People need to be aware of what flu is and isn't," says Gregory Poland,MD, director of the Mayo Vaccine Research Group at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, and fatigue that knocks you out within a few hours. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are not signs of the flu."

RA patients should seek treatment within 48 hours of symptom development, Dr. Poland says. Treatment options include an oseltamivir phosphate pill and an inhaler-based medication called zanamivir. These medications may shorten the length of the flu, and help prevent complications.

Flu Prevention

 

The yearly flu vaccine is one of the best flu prevention methods, says Scott Zashin, MD, a clinical professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. But if you’re immunocompromised, don’t opt for nasal spray flu vaccination. Instead, get a flu shot. Nasal spray can make RA patients sick because it contains live but weakened viruses.

Concern yourself with the health of those that live around you or visit often. A sk that they also receive the flu vaccine to prevent the illness from spreading without their knowledge. "Someone infected with flu becomes contagious 24 to 36 hours before getting symptoms," Poland says.

 

Getting the flu shot is a good first step toward remaining healthy, but small, everyday steps can also make a big difference in flu prevention. Stay as healthy as possible by sleeping regular hours, eating healthy meals and snacks, drinking water, exercising and washing your hands frequently.

Also refrain from rubbing your nose, mouth and eyes, and consider avoiding crowded areas where you’ll come into contact with more germs. When possible, wear a mask, and insist that others use proper sickness etiquette – coughing into a tissue, throwing away the tissue, and then washing their hands.