Flu shots are one of the most popular strategies of protection from the flu, particularly during flu season. There are, however, major side-effects of getting the flu shot. These side effects lay on a spectrum of short-term to long-term. You are advised to look at the risks that come with the flu shot. Here are 8 risks of getting a flu shot.
- Damage to The Body
You might suffer nerve damage from flu shot. Serious nerve damages may occur in the joints, arms, hands and spinal cord. This may be a result of a reaction to the flu shot or the shot was administered on the wrong nerve. Your body can also suffer an infection in which case the immune system will try to fight off. The fact that your immune system fights off infections is great, but your immune system may in turn fight your nervous system in the process. Such risks pose long-term body disabilities as a result of the flu shot.
Guillan-Barre Syndrome is a severe neurological side effect from a flu shot. Although rare with 2 out of a million probability, it is still a possibility. Here the body’s nerve cells are attacked, causing muscle weakness and in some cases paralysis. Doing some research around these nerve damages is recommended so that you are aware of potential risks.
- Allergic Reactions
Accompanying nerve damages are other allergic reactions. These include headaches, fevers, dizziness, physical weakness, hives and difficulty in breathing. Some people react immediately after having the shot while others react after some time and may not be aware of the cause seeing that time would have lapsed.
- You May Get the Flu Anyway
It takes the body 2 weeks for the immune system to respond. This means that the window period between the flu shot intake and your immunity response, you can still get the flu. Getting a flu shot may just be counterproductive as you spent money and expose yourself to physical harms only to gamble with the window period.
- Decreased Appetite
After getting the flu shot, you might find yourself turning away from your favorite foods for a few days. This decrease in appetite leads to poor eating habits for that time which compromises your diet wellness. Instead of eating healthy meals, you might find yourself snacking on the foods that are not recommended as a part of your healthy lifestyle such as sugars, sweets and oils.
- Vomiting
On the other end of the spectrum, you may be able to take your food only to vomit it all out. Some find that after getting the flu shot, keeping anything down is a struggle. The few days of misery from the flu shot is the same as the misery that comes with getting the flu in the first place.
- Feeling Tired
The fact about the flu shot is that you get to experience certain symptoms of having the flu. Feeling tired is one of the side-effects of the flu shot, as is the case of flu. It is difficult to call off the day as the flu shot makes you feel tired and sluggish. You will have to go through the day dragging your feet and just count down the hours to when your head can hit the pillow.
- Swelling
Some people react badly to the needle. The spot on which the shot is given becomes painful, swollen and red. For others, the whole arm becomes heavy and uncomfortable. As much as these are not life-threatening, the effects are still inconvenient when going through the busy day.
- Fainting
For some people, just the process of getting a jab is traumatizing enough to cause them to faint. This is not to say that fainting response is exclusive to the flu shot alone. Many people have been reported to faint after getting any shots, including the flu shot. In that case, it is better to avoid all sorts of shots.
Conclusion
Your health must be the top priority, so you must take care of it. Getting a flu can be an irritating experience, in such cases some people resort to flu shots. The flu shot comes with many side effects that make you feel as if you already have a horrible flu. Some of the side-effects are not life-threatening but you may want to take a serious look at the ones that are, such as the damage of the nerves. Compared to suffering from damaged nerves, it is better to risk catching a cold, which you may catch anyway even after getting the shot.