FLU

What is the Flu?

Influenza (the Flu) is a serious disease spread by coughs and sneezes and caused by influenza A
or B viruses, mainly during the winter season. It can cause mild to severe illness and at times
can lead to death. Signs and symptoms include fever, cough, headache, muscle aches, and
weakness. A sore throat, and runny nose can also be present. The best way to prevent influenza is
by getting a flu vaccination each year.

How is the Flu Spread?

The flu virus spreads through the tiny wet droplets inadvertently produced when an infected
person coughs, sneezes, or talks. A person can get the flu by breathing in these wet drops, or by
touching items and surfaces covered with these drops and then touching their mouth, nose, or
eyes.

What Can You Do to Protect Yourself and Your Family?

Get a vaccine:
The Alameda County Public Health Department, along with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and
older. The nasal spray vaccine is available during the 2018-19 influenza season but may be
harder to find because it was approved for use after most providers had placed their 2018 flu
vaccine orders. The best place to receive a flu vaccine is at your doctor’s office, but there are
also lots of other options, like clinics or sites on this flu locator website.
What is Hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable contagious disease caused by the Hepatitis A virus. It causes

acute inflammation of the liver (hepatitis means inflamed liver) and does not become a chronic
condition unlike other Hepatitis infections such as B, C or D. After an individual is infected with
Hepatitis A they cannot catch it again as the body develops antibodies to protect against future
exposures.
Signs and symptoms may include:
 Fatigue
 Loss of appetite
 Nausea
 Vomiting
 Abdominal pain
 Dark urine
 Clay-colored bowel movements
 Joint pain
 Jaundice (yellowing of skin or eyes)

How is Hepatitis A spread?

The hepatitis A virus is usually spread by putting something in your mouth that is contaminated
by the stool (poop) of another person who is infected with hepatitis A.
Hepatitis A is contracted through:
 household contact with an infected person
 sexual contact with an infected person
 eating or drinking contaminated food or water
 sharing eating utensils that are contaminated
 touching contaminated surfaces and then placing your hands near or in the mouth

What can I do to protect myself?

Immunization is the best protection
It is recommended that children 12 months through 18 years of age be given the two dose
vaccine series. A single dose vaccine is effective protection for most healthy adults and is
especially recommended for those travelling to an area where Hepatitis A is endemic.
What Is Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory
and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with
the disease—those with the late-onset type—symptoms first appear in their mid-60s. Early-onset
Alzheimer’soccurs between a person’s 30s and mid-60s and is very rare. Alzheimer’s disease is
the most common cause of dementia among older adults.

What Does Alzheimer’s Disease Look Like?

Memory problems are typically one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s, though initial symptoms
may vary from person to person. A decline in other aspects of thinking, such as finding the right
words, vision/spatial issues, and impaired reasoning or judgment, may also signal the very early
stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a condition that can be an
early sign of Alzheimer’s, but not everyone with MCI will develop the disease.
People with Alzheimer’s have trouble doing everyday things like driving a car, cooking a meal,
or paying bills. They may ask the same questions over and over, get lost easily, lose things or put
them in odd places, and find even simple things confusing. As the disease progresses, some
people become worried, angry, or violent

How Long Can a Person Live with Alzheimer’s Disease?

The time from diagnosis to death varies—as little as 3 or 4 years if the person is older than 80
when diagnosed, to as long as 10 or more years if the person is younger.
Alzheimer’s disease is currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States,
but recent estimates indicate that the disorder may rank third, just behind heart disease and
cancer, as a cause of death for older people.
What is Stroke?
A stroke is a “brain attack”. It can happen to anyone at any time. It occurs when blood flow to an
area of brain is cut off. When this happens, brain cells are deprived of oxygen and begin to die.
When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain such as memory
and muscle control are lost.
How a person is affected by their stroke depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how
much the brain is damaged. For example, someone who had a small stroke may only have minor
problems such as temporary weakness of an arm or leg. People who have larger strokes may be
permanently paralyzed on one side of their body or lose their ability to speak. Some people
recover completely from strokes, but more than 2/3 of survivors will have some type of disability

What are the effects of stroke?

The most common problems in daily life are likely to be caused by:
 Weakness or lack of movement (paralysis) in legs and/or arms
 Shoulder pain
 Trouble swallowing
 Changes to way things are seen or felt (perceptual problems)
 Changes to the way things are felt when touched (sensory problems)
 Problems thinking or remembering (cognitive problems)
 Trouble speaking, reading or writing
 Incontinence
 Feeling depressed
 Problems controlling feelings
 Tiredness
The specific abilities that will be lost or affected by stroke depend on the extent of the brain
damage and, most importantly, where, in the brain, the stroke occurred: the right hemisphere (or
half), the left hemisphere, the cerebellum or the brain stem.

When to see a doctor

Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any signs or symptoms of a stroke, even if they
seem to fluctuate or disappear. Think "FAST" and do the following:
 Face. Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
 Arms. Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? Or is one arm
unable to rise up?
 Speech. Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is his or her speech slurred or strange?
 Time. If you observe any of these signs, call 911 immediately.