When the Flu Hits Hard

Here’s how to protect yourself from complications

For a Local Woman, Flu Was Nearly Fatal

Martha Hotaling thought she had bronchitis, but her fever kept rising until she passed out. At Lehigh Valley Hospital, tests revealed she had an extreme case of the flu. While under constant monitoring in the intensive care unit (with hospital tele-intensivists linked to the team by computer), Hotaling stopped breathing and her organs shut down. In the space of 12 hours, she received 50 life-saving treatments including heart catheterization and kidney dialysis. Because the virus was infecting the tissue in her arms and legs, surgeons made incisions to release the dangerous swelling.

After two weeks on life support, Hotaling began to recover. She rebuilt her strength and learned to walk again—motivated by her desire to walk down the aisle. She married her husband, Ken, in October and is back on the job today as a honeymoon concierge in the Poconos.

Coughing, sore throat and fever. They’re all symptoms of the flu and signs you shouldn’t ignore—take it from 26-year-old Martha Hotaling of Bushkill, who thought she had bronchitis last January. Within days she was in the intensive care unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital, fighting off the flu and fighting for her life.

Each year, up to 20 percent of Americans catch the contagious nose, throat and lung infection caused by influenza virus. A high fever, sore throat, extreme tiredness, vomiting and muscle aches can linger up to four days. But flu can be much worse. Hotaling is among the 200,000 people hospitalized each year from life-threatening complications of the flu—and the virus kills 36,000 annually.

“The flu virus attacks your respiratory system first,” says family physician Dale Weisman, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “It also can cause pneumonia and dehydration and attack your major organs including your heart.” If you have chronic heart or lung disease, asthma, diabetes, HIV or kidney dysfunction, or if you’re pregnant or over age 65, you’re at higher risk for complications and should see your doctor at the first sign of flu symptoms.

Several medications (including Symmetrel and Tamiflu) can shorten or prevent a case of the flu if taken within the first two days of contact or infection. Treating your symptoms also can help you fight the flu:

• Take aspirin (adults only), acetaminophen or ibuprofen for a fever higher than 100 degrees to relieve muscle aches and chills. Let a fever below 100 degrees run its course.
  
• Drink lots of fluids. When you’re dehydrated, everything hurts more. Water, sports drinks or anything you can keep down will help you feel better and reduce your fever.
  
• Ease a sore throat and cough with chicken broth, cough drops and cough medicine.
  
• Open a blocked nose with warm water or saline nose drops.
  
• Stay home and rest. The flu is very contagious. Symptoms can occur 24-36 hours after first contact with an infected person.

“If your fever persists more than two or three days or if you have an irregular heartbeat, wheezy cough, difficulty breathing or keeping food down, or severe confusion, call your doctor,” Weisman says. “These are signs of complications.”

The best way to prevent complications is to prevent the flu. Get vaccinated every fall, especially if you are at high risk. A new nasal spray vaccine also is available. You can further protect yourself by avoiding people with the flu and washing your hands regularly.

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