Asthma, anthrax and flu shots

  About asthma

I don’t know about you, but right now these three topics are on the top of my worry list. As the parent of a child with asthma, I grow concerned about Matt getting the flu and rushing him to the hospital because it’s turned into pneumonia. Fortunately, his bout with pneumonia was bacterial (meaning it was treatable with antibiotics; viral pneumonia is a wait-and-see scenario) and we caught it early. In addition to my typical seasonal worries, the national media seems to be fixated on anthrax reporting.

The good news is that while we all do need to be concerned and cautious, there is no need for panic. There is a lot that you can do for yourself and your family to reduce your risk of getting anthrax. It helps to understand a little bit about anthrax and how you can protect yourself and your family.

Anthrax is caused by a spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. A person needs direct contact with the spores to contract the infection, so it is very rare that it would be transmitted from one person to another. There are three types of serious, human anthrax: cutaneous (skin), intestinal and inhalation.

For all three, symptoms typically appear within seven days and treating with antibiotics as soon as possible is best. Of course, inhalation anthrax is of most concern not only to anyone with asthma, but the public in general. Early symptoms resemble a cold or flu that dissipate for a short time, then return more severely. Inhalation anthrax is most often fatal.

With such a prognosis, how do you guard against such a killer?

First, it is more important than ever to get your flu shot, especially if you have asthma. Most doctors also strongly recommend flu shots for elderly patients and others with sensitive immune systems. Call your doctor.

While a flu shot is not a guarantee against getting the flu, it greatly reduces your risk of contracting what researchers feel will be the most prevalent strain this season. If you’ve had your flu shot and you’re feeling flu-like symptoms, you may want to contact your doctor right away.

Should you consider preventative antibiotics or the anthrax vaccine?

No and no. Many already believe that antibiotics are over-prescribed and that we are creating highly-adaptive, “super” bacteria. Why add anthrax to the list? As for the vaccine, it can have serious side effects and is NOT recommended in general.

Instead, practice some good, honest, common sense.

Wash your hands. With soap and warm water for at least 30 seconds. Besides anthrax, you will be washing away more common threats like germs from colds, salmonella and allergens that produce asthma attacks (pet dander, pollens, mold spores).

When it comes to the mail, exercise a little caution. Here are some warning signs from the US Postal service: envelopes that are lumpy or excessively taped; hand-written with no return address or addressed to a former resident; excessive postage. In any of these cases, contact the postal inspector…and wash your hands. Oh, and if you notice any kind of powder, don’t sniff it to see what it is!

Web sites like those from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the US Postal Service provide accurate, reliable information on how to deal with a possible anthrax threat. (See my folder “Anthrax Information” for these URLs.)

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