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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffMost cases of flu, including human swine flu, need no treatment other than symptom relief. If you have a chronic respiratory disease, your doctor may prescribe additional medication to decrease inflammation, open your airways and help clear lung secretions.
The antiviral drugs oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) can reduce the severity of symptoms, but flu viruses can develop resistance to them. To make development of resistance less likely and maintain supplies of these drugs for those who need them most, antivirals are reserved for people at high risk of complications.
High-risk groups are those who:
- Are hospitalized
- Have shortness of breath along with other flu symptoms
- Are younger than 5 years of age
- Are 65 years and older
- Are pregnant
- Are younger than 19 years of age and are receiving long-term aspirin therapy, because of an increased risk for Reye's syndrome
- Have certain chronic medical conditions, including asthma, emphysema, heart disease, diabetes, neuromuscular disease, and kidney, liver or blood disease
- Are immunosuppressed due to medications or HIV
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Swine influenza in pigs and people. Accessed April 28, 2009. http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/pdf/brochure.pdf
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Swine flu questions and answers. Swine flu and you. Accessed April 27, 2009. http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Investigation and Interim Recommendations: Swine influenza (H1N1). Accessed April 27, 2009. http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/pdf/HAN_042509.pdf
- World Health Organization. Swine flu illness in the United States and Mexico —Update Accessed April 27, 2009. http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_04_26/en/print.html
- CDC. Swine flu—general info. Accessed April 27, 2009. http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu
- CDC. Interim guidance on antiviral recommendations for patients with confirmed or suspected swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection and close contacts. Accessed April 27, 2009. http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/recommendations.htm
- World now at the start of 2009 influenza pandemic. Statement to the press by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_pandemic_phase6_20090611/en/index.html. Accessed June 11, 2009.
