2Contact the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) immediately. If youre in an area of infection and suspect that you may be infected, contact the CDC immediately to report your illness. Keeping the disease contained is essential, meaning that new infections need to be reported as quickly as possible in order to deploy resources and put efficient quarantines into place. 3Maintain your electrolytes and stay hydrated. There is no vaccine for Ebola HF, so most of the treatment available involves addressing the specific symptoms and making the patient comfortable. One of the most uncomfortable symptoms of the disease is severe diarrhea and nausea, making it important that you stay hydrated and keep your electrolytes up. Sports drinks can be used for mild dehydration, but IV-drip should be used in serious cases. 4Monitor your blood pressure and control it if necessary. Rising blood pressure can destabilize a patient, while dropping blood pressure may be a serious sign of infection, making it important to keep your blood pressure under control; monitored closely. Make sure the health care practitioners are keeping a close watch on your blood pressure.[7] 5Breathe in an oxygen-rich environment. Difficulty breathing and chest pains are common in the infected, so oxygen is typically administered to make breathing as easy as possible. If youre struggling to get your breath, talk to a nurse immediately and have your oxygen levels checked. 6Quickly address any symptoms of infection. Its important to communicate openly with the hospital staff and let them know of any discomfort or complications so that they may address your symptoms programmatically. Infections need to be treated locally with antibiotics and addressed swiftly, so be honest about when and where youre feeling pain. 7Rest. Theres unfortunately not much you can do but try to ride out the disease, if youre infected. Keep your strength up, stay hydrated, and try to get as much rest as possible. The disease is fatal in roughly 50% of the cases, but patients in good health with strong immune systems can pull through if swift care is provided and safe recovery practices are followed. For you, that means staying put and getting some rest. 8Stay abreast of treatment options. Currently, there has been no vaccine successfully tested on humans, though scientists are working around the clock to pioneer a cure for this disease. Check with the CDC periodically for more information regarding potential cures.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 08:10:36 +0000