I usually get a flu shot, but a couple of times I ended up getting sick anyway. Does it really matter if I get the shot or not?
—Sally P., Minneapolis
The flu shot matters for you and the whole family. And while it doesn’t guarantee 100 percent protection, chances are 99.99 percent that it won’t hurt you. So here’s why, what, who and when about the vaccination.
• Why: Influenza can be deadly — anyone with diabetes or prediabetes (that’s 115 million-plus), with asthma (21 million-plus) or COPD (12.7 million), kids (74 million) or the elderly (40 million) are at increased risk. If that’s not you, the flu still can knock you for a loop, trigger complications such as pneumonia, worsen a prior chronic condition or cause rupture of arterial plaque, triggering a heart attack, stroke or impotence. And, listen up — you can’t get the flu from the vaccine.
• What: The standard intramuscular vaccine counters three flu strains (it’s trivalent): H1N1, H3N2 and an influenza B virus. Sixty-five plus? There’s a high-dose version for added effectiveness. And there’s an intradermal trivalent vaccine for folks 18-64 that’s preservative-free (no thimerosal) and is given with a needle that’s 90 percent thinner than standard.
The quadrivalent version mixes in another strain of influenza B (four flus are covered). It also comes as a nasal spray (containing a very weak live vaccine) for folks 2 to 49 years of age. It’s not for anyone who has asthma, is immunocompromised or pregnant or comes into contact with folks who are either.
Allergic to eggs? Get the recombinant vaccine for folks 18 to 49 years of age, or one made in a cell culture; it’s OK for anyone 18 or older.
• Who: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends inoculation for everyone 6 months or older, including pregnant women. That protects them plus their newborn during the first six months of life.
Who not? Check with your doc, but some contraindications include having had Guillain-Barre syndrome or an allergy to any of a vaccine’s ingredients.
• When: Sooner is better. It takes two to six weeks for the inoculation to become effective, which means you can catch the flu after you’ve had the shot. Fortunately, if that happens, your symptoms should be milder than they would be otherwise.
After my second pregnancy I developed varicose veins. In the past 10 years they’ve gotten uglier and now they’re starting to ache. What can I do?
—Karin G., Seattle
First of all, Karin, it’s probably not serious. About 30 percent of adults have varicose veins. And women, especially those who have been pregnant, are more than twice as likely as men to get varicose veins by age 50. Plus, anyone who is sedentary, overweight, smokes or spends a lot of time standing is at high risk.
One way to ease the discomfort is to elevate your legs to heart level for 30 minutes, three to four times a day. Veins are supposed to deliver deoxygenated blood back to the heart and lungs, where it gets re-oxygenated. Varicose veins aren’t doing that and need your help. Also, make sure you’re walking regularly. And while you’re sitting, stretch your calves by repeatedly flexing your foot and then pointing your toes. If you do this conscientiously and your legs still ache, try compression stockings. But if that doesn’t help or you don’t like how they look, you can have the veins removed. Here’s a list of some minimally invasive procedures.
• Sclerotherapy is done by inserting a very thin tube (catheter) into your vein and injecting a saline foam or solution that collapses the vein.
• Surface therapy and endovenous thermal ablation use a laser or other heat source to KO the vein.
• Internal therapy uses a catheter to deliver a laser or radio frequency that shrinks and seals deeper veins.
You can eradicate varicose veins without worry because your circulatory system reroutes blood flow to nearby healthy veins. Side effects are usually minimal. The next step is up to you.
Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,†and Mike Roizen, M.D. is chief wellness officer and chair of the Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen at youdocsdaily@sharecare.com.