In the event of infection, inflammation is important because it helps your body fight invaders and repair damaged tissue. The flu shot is usually injected into your upper arm, which is why the early immune response—and any pain—tends to be localized there. Roughly one in five people have this type of painful reaction, immunologist Richard Zimmerman told Popular Science.
Juanita Mora of the American Lung Association recommends taking an ibuprofen about two hours before getting the shot.
The flu shot is safe , and you cannot get the flu from the flu shot. A sore arm is much better than catching the actual influenza virus —which can knock you out for days or weeks with high fever, cough and muscle aches—but why do some people experience this particular side effect of the flu shot?
When you receive a flu vaccination, your body is being introduced to antigens. Our bodies begin producing antibodies that provide protection against infection with the virus strains in the vaccine. The influenza vaccine contains an inactivated virus, which is a "dead" virus designed to look like the actual influenza virus. Even though these viruses cannot make you sick, your immune system detects the virus as a threat and begins to fight it. Swelling, redness and soreness are common after the flu shot and can last hours.
Mora recommends getting the flu shot in the arm you use the least. Some other ways to reduce pain include trying not to tense your arm while you're being vaccinated and moving your arm after vaccination or exercising to increase blood flow and help disperse the vaccine throughout the area.
The flu vaccine will not give you the flu. However, some people do experience side effects. While redness, swelling, muscle aches and sometimes low-grade fevers temperatures under degrees F are typical side effects after receiving an influenza vaccination, there can be some rare and serious side effects including difficulty breathing and swelling around the eyes or lips.
If you are experiencing dizziness, a racing heart or a high fever greater than seek medical attention right away. The most common allergic reaction is found in people allergic to eggs. Jake Deutsch, M. Doctors often tap or massage the arm to distract the patient as well.
Relaxing beforehand will make the shot more comfortable. If you typically experience lots of soreness after flu shots, it's fine to take a dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen one or two hours before the shot, Schechter said. Applying a cold compress to the area of the injection can help soothe discomfort after the shot. Doctors stress that any soreness from the flu shot should be minimal and last only a day or two. Overall, the flu shot shouldn't hurt all that much — and getting the flu will always be worse than a little bit of soreness.
Experts say that it's especially important to get the flu vaccine this year, during the COVID pandemic , to help rule out the influenza as a possibility in the event a patient gets sick, and also to keep hospitals clear in case coronavirus cases spike. She writes about health and wellness, parenting, style, news and more.
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