Influenza

Signs and Symptoms

Influenza comes on suddenly,with chills,fever,severe headache,backache and marked prostration.There may also be a digestive upset,with abdominal pain and diarrhea.Sore throat and nasal discharge are often present but in a considerable portion of cases they are not.Bronchitis and cough are likely to develop fairly soon after the onset.The symptoms of a mild case of "flu" are much likely those of a common cold,which make the decision as to which disease is present rather difficult in many instances.

What should be done

1. For headache, apply an ice bag to the head,but keep the room moderately warm and carefully avoid chilling the patient.
   
2. Keep the patient in bed and isolated from all other persons excepts nurse or attendant until at least a full day after the temperature has fallen to normal.
3. For cough,keep a kettle of water simmering in the room all the time and use medicated steam inhalations three times a day.
4. Give only a liquid diet until one day after patient's temperature has fallen to normal.He should take at least 12 glasses of fluid a day, chiefly water and fruit juices.
5. If signs of bronchopneumonia develop,it is wise to call a physician.
   

German Measles

Signs and Symptoms

German Measles usually begins with a slight fever,headache,and a mild sore throat- a rash showing a day or two later.In some cases,no symptom at all are noticed before the rash appears.Swollen glands may be present,especially on the part of the neck back of the ears.The rash appears first on the limbs.It varies much in character, but tends to be scarlet in color like the rash of scarlet fever,but without the "sand papery feel" and blotchy in arrangement like that of measles,though not so much so.It usually fades within two or three days.

What have to be done

1. Isolate the patient until the rash has faded.
2. If there is fever,the patient should stay in bed till it subsides.
3. The diet should consist of milk,gruels,and fruit juices.
4. If the swollen glands are painful,apply icebags.
5. Some physicians now advise that all girls be porpusely exposed to GermanMeasles before they reach puberty.
   

Tuberculosis

Signs and Symptoms

When the lungs are attacked,it is common for a persistent though not necessarily severe cough to develop,often with an increasing tendency to raise sputum.Occasionally the first alarm signal is the spitting of the blood,which may vary from copious bleeding to a mere streaking of the sputum with red at times.In more cases blood spitting comes later.Sharp pains in the chest maybe due to tuberculosis pleurisy,especially in adults,though not all chest pains are pleurisy and not all persons with lung tuberculosis have the chest pains.


What should be done

1. If there is any suspicion of the presence of tuberculosis,go to a physician immediately for examination.In case of lung tuberculosis,a chest X-ray is the most important part of the examination.
2. Periodic chest X-ray for everyone fifteen years old or older would discover many early cases of tuberculosis,most of which could be cured in a few months.
3. Rest and a nourishing diet are the most important parts of the treatment of tuberculosis of most kinds.
4. Do not spend money for advertised"cures"- none of them have as yet succeeded in enough cases to worthwhile.