为何流感对老年人（指年龄达到或大于65岁者）威胁更大？专家们认为“主要与老年人免疫力或称抵抗力较低有关”，抵抗力较青壮年低的老年朋友们一旦患上流感，极易并发肺炎，加之他或她大多合并心脑血管疾病等，故患流感后往往较难恢复或后果严重。
那么如何才能更好地在流感流行季节保护好老年朋友？专家们认为“预防是最值得去尝试的事情”，如老年朋友们应接种流感疫苗、勤洗手、尽量少去人多和/或空气流通不畅的场所，及多饮水、勤锻炼和好睡眠等均是预防流感极佳措施。
彭博 摘译
Doctor Explains Why Flu a Greater Threat to Seniors
Weaker immune system, dehydration risks and less mobility all can make illness more dangerous
THURSDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The nasty flu season in the United States this year poses a particular risk for people aged 65 and older, an expert warns.
People's immune systems weaken as they age, explained Dr. Andrew Duxbury, an associate professor in the gerontology, geriatrics and palliative care division at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine.
"When older people get the flu and get knocked down further, they are more likely to get other infections, such as pneumonia," Duxbury said in a university news release. "Just being knocked into bed for as little as three or four days can, in a very frail older person, make it so they lose the ability to walk and do for themselves. It can cause a spiral in disabilities and increase chances of falls and injuries."
Prevention is the best defense. Seniors and their caregivers should get a flu shot, wash hands regularly and avoid crowds, Duxbury recommended.
He also offered advice about what seniors should do if they get the flu.
"Pay more attention to things like staying hydrated," Duxbury said. "Appetite and thirst mechanisms are different for older people; they can tip over to dehydration in less than a day if they don't keep fluids up."
Seniors with the flu also need to get out of bed at least a little bit, he said.
"It's better for lungs and helps avoid pneumonia," Duxbury explained.
He said seniors or their caregivers should call a doctor if they have shortness of breath, a cough that produces mucus or a fever higher than 101 degrees.
SOURCE:University of Alabama at Birmingham, news release, Jan. 11, 2013