Flu is circulating in the Hywel Dda region /Mae ffliw ar led yn Hywel Dda

Flu is now circulating in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion and people are being urged to do what they can to limit the spread of this potentially fatal disease. This includes remembering to ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ if they have symptoms of flu.

The symptoms of flu include fever, cough, sore throat, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. If you think you have flu check your symptoms using the NHS Direct Wales symptom checker.

If you think you have flu the advice is to drink plenty of fluids, take paracetamol or ibuprofen, and avoid contact with vulnerable individuals while you have symptoms. 

Most people do not need to visit their GP and will usually recover from flu in about a week. However, this is not always the case.

Dr Joanne McCarthy, Consultant in Public Health Microbiology at Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen said, said: “Flu is a serious illness which can cause complications like bronchitis, pneumonia, meningitis and inflammation of the brain. Complications are most likely to occur in very young babies, pregnant women, older people and those with long-term health conditions. For these individuals it is important to seek prompt advice from their GP surgery or community pharmacy.

“For most people the best thing you can do if you have flu is rest at home, keep warm, drink plenty of fluids and take paracetamol or ibuprofen.

“It is important to reduce the risk of spreading flu so always:

• Catch it – Germs spread easily. Always carry tissues and use them to catch your cough or sneeze.
• Bin it – Germs can live for hours on tissues. Dispose of your tissue as soon as possible.
•  Kill it – Hands can transfer germs to every surface you touch. Clean your hands as soon as you can. 
  Kill it – Hands can transfer germs to every surface you touch. Clean your hands as soon as you can.

“Also make sure you clean hard surfaces regularly and avoid contact with others, especially if they are in a high risk group.

“If you think you have flu and are pregnant, have a long term health condition, are aged 65 or over, or if your child is unwell, speak to your GP surgery as there is an increased risk of complications and they may prescribe antiviral medicines to help reduce the duration of the illness. You should also seek medical advice if your symptoms are getting worse or haven’t improved after a week.

Annual flu vaccine is the single best protection against catching or spreading flu. Last flu season (2017/18), over 100,000 people in Hywel Dda took up the vaccine and in most areas, flu vaccines are still available, and can still offer some protection, so don’t miss out.

Dr McCarthy continues: “If you are looking after a child who is unwell and you think it might be flu it is important you speak to your GP surgery or local pharmacy for advice as flu can be serious for children. They may also need help to follow the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ advice, as this will help reduce the chances of flu spreading.

“Children are very good at spreading viruses between themselves and their family or friends due to close proximity and generally poorer hygiene such as hand washing and not using a tissue when sneezing.

“The nasal spray vaccine for children aged two and three (age on 31 August 2018) is still available. It is quick, painless and doesn’t involve needles. It is the best way to protect your child from catching flu and reducing the spread to family and friends. Contact your GP surgery if your child has not had their nasal spray yet this winter.”

For more information on the annual Beat Flu campaign visit: www.beatflu.org or www.curwchffliw.org

Mae ffliw ar led yn Hywel Dda

Mae ffliw nawr ar led yn Sir Gaerfyrddin, Sir Benfro a Ceredigion ac mae pobl yn cael eu hannog i wneud cymaint ag y gallan nhw i gyfyngu ar ymlediad y clefyd hwn sydd â’r potensial i ladd.

Mae symptomau ffliw’n cynnwys gwres/twymyn, peswch, dolur gwddw/llwnc tost, cur pen/pen tost, poen cyhyrau a blinder. Os ydych chi’n meddwl bod ffliw gennych chi, gwiriwch eich symptomau gan ddefnyddio gwiriwr symptomau Galw Iechyd Cymru.

Os ydych chi’n meddwl bod ffliw gennych chi, y cyngor yw yfed digon o hylif, cymryd paracetamol neu ibuprofen, ac osgoi cyswllt â phobl fregus tra bo’r symptomau gennych.

Nid oes angen i’r rhan fwyaf o bobl fynd i weld eu meddyg teulu a byddan nhw fel arfer yn gwella o ffliw mewn rhyw wythnos. Fodd bynnag, nid yw hyn yn wir bob tro.

Dywedodd Dr Joanne McCarthy, Ymgynghorydd mewn Microbioleg Iechyd Cyhoeddus yn Ysbyty Glangwili, Caerfyrddin:: “Mae ffliw’n salwch difrifol sy’n gallu achosi cymlethdodau fel broncitis, niwmonia, llid yr ymenydd ac ymchwydd yr ymenydd. Mae cymlethdodau’n fwyaf tebygol o ddigwydd i fabanod ifanc iawn, merched beichiog, pobl hŷn a phobl sydd â phroblemau iechyd hirdymor. Mae’n bwysig i’r bobl hyn gael cyngor prydlon gan eu meddygfa neu fferyllfa gymunedol.

“Y peth gorau i’r rhan fwyaf o bobl sydd â ffliw ei wneud yw gorffwyso gartref, cadw’n gynnes, yfed digon o hylif a chymryd paracetamol neu ibuprofen.

“Mae’n bwysig lleihau’r risg o ledu ffliw, felly dylech, bob tro: 

• Ei ddal- Mae germau’n lledu’n hawdd. Cariwch hancesi papur gyda chi o hyd a’u defnyddio i ddal eich peswch neu disian.
• Ei daflu – Gall germau fyw am oriau ar hancesi papur. Gwaredwch nhw cyn gynted â phosibl.
• Ei ddifa – Gall dwylo drosglwyddo germau i bob arwyneb rydych chi’n ei gyffwrdd. Golchwch eich dwylo cyn gynted ag y gallwch chi.

“Cofiwch hefyd lanhau arwynebau caled yn rheolaidd ac osgoi cyswllt ag eraill, yn enwedig os ydyn nhw mewn grŵp risg uchel.

“Os ydych chi’n meddwl bod ffliw gennych a’ch bod chi’n feichiog, bod gennych gyflwr iechyd hirdymor, eich bod yn 65 oed neu’n hŷn, neu os yw’ch plentyn yn sâl, siaradwch â’ch meddygfa gan fod mwy o berygl o gymlethdodau ac efallai y cewch bresgripsiwn o foddion gwrth-firol er mwyn lleihau hyd y salwch. Dylech hefyd gael cyngor meddygol os yw’ch symptomau’n gwaethygu neu os nad ydyn nhw wedi gwella ar ôl wythnos.

Brechlyn ffliw blynyddol yw’r ffordd orau o ddiogelu rhag dal neu ledu ffliw. Yn ystod y tymor ffliw diwethaf (2017/18), cafodd dros 100,000 o bobl yn Hywel Dda y brechlyn ac yn y rhan fwyaf o ardaloedd, mae’r brechlyn ffliw’n dal i fod ar gael, ac yn dal i allu cynnig peth amddiffyniad, felly ewch amdani.

Dywedodd Dr McCarthy hefyd: “Os ydych chi’n gwarchod plentyn sy’n sâl a’ch bod chi’n meddwl bod ffliw ganddo, mae’n bwysig siarad â’ch meddygfa neu fferyllfa leol am gyngor gan y gall ffliw fod yn ddifrifol i blant. Efallai bod hefyd angen help arnyn nhw i ddilyn y cyngor ‘ei ddal, ei daflu, ei ddifa’, gan y bydd hyn yn helpu lleihau’r siawns o ledu ffliw.

“Mae plant yn rhai da am ledu firysau ymysg ei gilydd a’u teuluoedd neu ffrindiau drwy fod yn agos atyn nhw ac o achos diffyg hylendid fel golchi dwylo a pheidio â defnyddio hances wrth disian.

“Mae’r brechlyn chwistrell trwyn ar gyfer plant sy’n ddwy a thair blwydd oed (ar 31 Awst 2018) yn dal ar gael. Mae’n gyflym, yn ddi-boen, ac nid oes nodwydd. Dyma’r ffordd orau o ddiogelu eich plentyn rhag dal ffliw a lleihau ei ymlediad i deulu a ffrindiau. Cysylltwch â’ch meddygfa os nad yw eich plentyn wedi cael y brechlyn trwyn y gaeaf hwn.”

Am ragor o wybodaeth am yr ymgyrch Curwch Ffliw blynyddol ewch i: www.curwchffliw.org neu www.beatflu.org