Your arm hurts from the flu shot: what to do about it?

A sore arm from a flu shot is a fairly common problem that every person who decides to get vaccinated against this dangerous viral disease may encounter. Despite the risks of developing complications (most of which are minor), you should not refuse vaccinations, because the consequences of influenza infection can be much more serious, and complications that develop afterward can even be fatal.

Causes of pain

To understand why your hand hurts after getting a flu shot, you should first clarify what the process of vaccination against this virus is. Influenza is a viral disease that causes the death of tens of thousands of people every year.

A timely vaccination will not necessarily protect a person from infection, but it can reduce the duration and severity of the disease, as well as reduce the risk of developing dangerous complications. Each vaccine is a means that allows the body to become familiar with the pathogen, create an immune response, and learn how to fight infection.

There are two types of flu vaccination:

Live , containing microorganisms of a living species, but weakened and not capable of seriously harming the body. It will not provoke the development of the disease, but will contribute to the formation of immunity against influenza. Side effects more often develop in response to such vaccination.
Inactivated , containing killed pathogens. It is safer, however, the immunity from its use is not as strong as from the previous variety.

What to do if your hand is swollen after a flu shot?

The vaccination procedure is necessary to form the immune system against dangerous and serious diseases. There are several types of vaccines. Some drugs are easily tolerated, while others cause a lot of unpleasant symptoms.

If the child had a weakened immune system before vaccination or the baby did not feel well, then the drugs can cause the child to become ill. But modern pharmaceutical companies are currently producing new generation drugs that cause virtually no side effects.

Despite this, some parents turn to the pediatrician with a complaint that their child’s arm hurts after the flu shot. Such a symptom can indeed be observed and the phenomenon is considered normal if the pain lasts for several hours after the injection.

If discomfort and pain are noted the next day, it is recommended to visit a doctor.

Should my arm swell and hurt after getting a flu shot? no temperature

Oksana Gerasimova

Everyone in our family has been getting flu shots for years, but we have never had any swelling or pain. See a doctor - you never know.

Olga Teplova

Nothing should hurt, contact the doctor where you were vaccinated. It could be an infection or an individual reaction to the vaccine. We must watch!

No, it shouldn't swell. Perhaps you have such a reaction to the vaccine - by the way, it cannot be given to people who are allergic to egg whites. If three days have passed after the vaccination and only after that a tumor appears and the injection site turns red, it may be an infection, so you cannot do without a doctor, you need to decide what it is for you. Don't delay.

The main causes of pain in the arm after vaccination

There may be several reasons why a child’s arm hurts after vaccination. Among the most common factors are the following aspects:

My left arm goes numb - what can cause this symptom?

Allergic reaction. The vaccine is a serum that contains pathogenic live microorganisms, dead bacteria or their particles, and, if necessary, other components are added to feed the bacteria.
If your baby complains of pain in his hand, then he may have an intolerance to some component. It is necessary to consult a doctor to prescribe an antihistamine. After vaccination, as a rule, doctors recommend taking medications in advance upon arrival home. The most popular remedy is Suprastin.
The tablet will help eliminate an allergic reaction, and also acts as a mild sleeping pill so that the baby can sleep after the procedure and gain strength. Along with pain, patients often experience other symptoms, such as urticaria, fever, laryngeal swelling, and anaphylactic shock.
If a person is allergic to chicken protein, then a flu shot is not acceptable;
Incorrectly performed procedure.
During vaccination, the child must sit still. If the nurse does the injection incorrectly, the needle can damage the blood vessels; the drug enters the soft tissues and not the muscle fibers. As a result, a bruise or hematoma appears at the injection site, which is accompanied by pain. In this case, it is recommended to use topical medications to improve metabolic processes at the site of the bruise;
Dull needle on a syringe.
It is very important that the syringe has a sharp needle, otherwise there is a risk of blood clot formation. Subsequently, the inflammatory process will begin to develop, and thrombophlebitis will begin. A severe cutting pain appears at the puncture site, the limb loses mobility due to pain. Children often have fever;
A nerve was damaged during the procedure. In this case, a disease such as neuritis is diagnosed;
The needle broke.
Parents should pay attention to the vaccination process. The syringe must be opened in front of the parent, the needle must be new and sharp. If a piece of the needle breaks off, pain in the limb will subsequently occur. A similar situation can occur if the child behaves restlessly;
Abscess.
Inflammation is accompanied by an increase in thermometer readings, general weakness, and the formation of pus at the injection site. An abscess appears due to the penetration of pathogenic bacteria into the puncture site of the skin. The most common pathogens are staphylococci and streptococci.

During vaccination there must be strict sterility. The procedure is equivalent to an operational process.

Treatment methods

If your child’s arm hurts after vaccination, you should first contact a leading pediatrician to identify the causes of the illness. Doctors usually prescribe the following procedures:

compresses on the injection site (for this you need to mix a solution of Dimexide and alcohol in equal parts);
Heparin ointment (the sore limb is treated, the ointment perfectly relieves inflammation and relieves pain);
Vishnevsky ointment (used when inflammation and pus formation are clearly visible at the injection site. The drug has a pulling effect. It is necessary to apply a little ointment to the sore spot and cover with a sterile bandage, leave for several hours);
in severe cases, Traumeel, Menovazin, Troxerutin, as well as painkillers Nurofen and Analgin are prescribed. It is very important to take antihistamines during treatment.

If parents notice that their child’s arm hurts after vaccination, then they should not wait for complications and the symptom to disappear on its own. Pain should go away within the first few hours after the injection. Longer processes indicate another cause that needs to be treated.

Arm hurts from flu shot

A sore arm from a flu shot is a fairly common problem that every person who decides to get vaccinated against this dangerous viral disease may encounter.

Despite the risks of developing complications (most of which are minor), you should not refuse vaccinations, because the consequences of influenza infection can be much more serious, and complications that develop afterward can even be fatal.

Why is it so difficult to get a flu shot?

Many people are familiar with these situations:

As soon as the cold season begins, your child will definitely get sick, and then the whole family...
It seems like you are buying expensive drugs, but they only work while you drink them, and after a week or two the baby gets sick again...
Are you worried that your child’s immunity is weak, very often illnesses take precedence over health...
You are afraid of every sneeze or cough...

It is necessary to strengthen YOUR CHILD'S IMMUNITY!

The influenza virus contains special antigens, the formula and type of which form varieties of the same viruses. These varieties, unfortunately, change their composition every year, which makes it quite difficult to find a valid flu vaccine.

In order for the vaccine to be developed correctly and appropriately, it is necessary to rely on doctors' predictions regarding likely changes in the structure of the virus.

This is quite difficult, so if the vaccine is selected incorrectly, you may not be able to guess and not completely protect a person from the flu. The fact is that if scientists got it wrong with the vaccine, then it will not contain enough antisubstances to resist the flu.

If the vaccine is incorrectly selected, its effectiveness is reduced by 3 times - this explains the ineffectiveness of vaccinations.

Causes of pain

There are two types of flu vaccination:

Live , containing microorganisms of a living species, but weakened and not capable of seriously harming the body. It will not provoke the development of the disease, but will contribute to the formation of immunity against influenza. Side effects more often develop in response to such vaccination.
Inactivated , containing killed pathogens. It is safer, however, the immunity from its use is not as strong as from the previous variety.

Symptoms

REFERENCE! The flu vaccine may contain 2 types of microorganisms: live (weakened, helping to form immunity) or inactivated (killed). The preparations are completely safe and do not contain mercury-containing substances or preservatives.

Most often, unpleasant symptoms do not appear immediately , but after some time.

At first, the patient begins to be bothered by pain : weak at first, it gradually increases and from the injection point spreads throughout the arm.
The injection area becomes red and inflamed , and the skin becomes hot to the touch.
Sometimes a swelling appears at the injection site, less often an abscess . If the swelling does not exceed 4-5 cm in diameter and subsides after 2-3 days, there is no reason to worry.
The sensitivity of the limb is impaired, it is painful to move the hand .

All of the above symptoms are called post-vaccination reactions and do not require special treatment, but only if the patient returns to normal 2-3 days after the procedure.

How dangerous is the flu?

The virus is transmitted by airborne droplets, in addition, through touching the same objects, while talking, coughing, sneezing.
A person can be contagious even before flu symptoms become visible to others and to him or her. The incubation period lasts for two days, throughout this period a person can infect others.
Influenza is a virus that has the ability to actively change, so it is very difficult to gain immunity against this disease. A person can get sick with one strain and, a little later, catch another.
The virus enters the body through the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth, after which it immediately descends down the respiratory tract. At this point, the army of pathogens numbers thousands of agents.
In order for the flu vaccine to have the desired effect on the body, the vaccine must be given in September - October. There is no point in getting vaccinated in January; immunity simply will not have time to develop.
The disease is dangerous due to the rapid development of complications (pneumonia, otitis media, sinusitis, bronchitis, meningitis).
Late initiation of treatment has minimal effect, provoking the transition of a viral infection to a bacterial one.

We recommend reading: Pros and cons of drugs for the treatment of ARVI in adults

The arm may well hurt after a person has been vaccinated. In general, split vaccines do not often produce this type of reaction. Usually people who have an overly impressionable nature suffer from this effect.

What affects pain in the arm: complications, local reaction to the vaccine? There may be several reasons for the occurrence of such a reaction:

individual allergic reaction of a person to the components introduced to him. The patient may experience not only areas at the vaccination site, but an increase in normal body temperature, the appearance of a rash accompanied by itching, anaphylactic shock and even angioedema. This is why the flu vaccine is prohibited for people with chicken protein intolerance;
an incorrectly made injection, when the needle penetrates into soft tissue, can injure large vessels, the vein cavity, all this leads to the development of a hematoma on the surface of the skin, accompanied by unpleasant and painful sensations. If a medical professional uses a low-quality needle with a blunt tip, this can provoke the formation of a blood clot and the development of thrombophlebitis;
when a nerve is damaged during an injection, neuritis may develop and the mobility of the limb may be impaired;
unpleasant sensations can be caused by the use of a low-quality syringe, the needle of which injures soft tissues, damaging their integrity;
an abscess may develop - this is a process of tissue inflammation, with an increase in thermometer readings, general weakness, and the formation of an abscess with pus inside. This occurs due to the penetration of bacteria (streptococci, staphylococci) into the injection site; the cause of this condition may be the lack of an aseptic dressing after vaccination, or the use of an unsterilized (disposable) instrument.

Vaccination requires a person to pay increased attention to their own health: they need to take care of the injection site, do not expose it to overheating or cooling, or friction with synthetic fabrics. You should not wet or scratch the injection site for the first day. In addition, immediately after vaccination you should not visit places where there are many people and drink alcoholic beverages.

Possible reasons

As mentioned above, the main prerequisite for a sore arm after vaccination is the mechanism of action of the vaccine. Other reasons can also be identified.

An individual allergic reaction to the components of the vaccine used - in this situation, the patient develops characteristic symptoms (swelling, itching, urticaria, hyperthermia, in severe cases - anaphylactic shock syndrome or Quincke's edema). For this reason, the flu vaccine should not be given to people with chicken protein intolerance.
An incorrectly performed injection means that the needle got into the soft tissue and injured the capillary, arterial, and venous walls - as a result, a hematoma forms at the injection site, and the person experiences quite severe pain. And if you hit a nerve, local sensitivity and mobility of the limb may be impaired for some time.
Using a low-quality, dull needle.

A common cause of any complications after a flu shot is ignoring contraindications. They are prescribed in the manufacturer's instructions and are different for specific vaccine preparations. Typically, influenza vaccination is not given to children under six months of age, in the first trimester of pregnancy, during acute infectious diseases and during periods of exacerbation of chronic pathologies.

Quite often, a person himself is to blame for the development of unpleasant consequences, because he does not follow doctors’ recommendations after vaccination. These include the following tips:

do not overheat or overcool - do not visit the sauna or swimming pool;
wear clothes made from natural fabrics, not synthetic ones, since friction often causes redness and swelling;
refrain from visiting places with a lot of people;
do not drink alcohol;
It is better not to wash directly on the day of the vaccine so as not to wet the injection site.

You need to especially carefully monitor the implementation of these rules in your child, because children, without realizing it, can harm themselves by wetting their hand or scratching it.

There is another interesting fact - side effects more often develop in impressionable people who worry and are afraid of complications. Therefore, it is important to have a positive attitude towards the vaccine and not think about the bad.

What to do if your hand starts to hurt

If your hand oozes after a flu shot, what should you do?

Apply Dimexide solution mixed with alcohol to the site of pain.
Apply Heparin ointment.
Apply Vishnevsky's balsamic liniment in a thick layer, covering it with a sterile bandage.
Severe cases require the use of ointments for healing (for example, Traumeel), decongestants (Troxerutin, Menovazin).
You can take medications based on paracetamol and ibuprofen to relieve pain.

We recommend reading: Panadol during pregnancy

Mention should be made of folk remedies that relieve pain at the vaccination site:

to relieve inflammation and swelling of tissues, an iodine mesh is applied to the site of pain;
to alleviate the condition, you can mash a few leaves of white cabbage and apply them to the injection site for a quarter of an hour;
Form a flat cake from butter, chicken yolk and honey. You should wear such a compress for 2 hours, be sure to cover it with polyethylene and cloth;
Aloe juice, fresh potatoes or softened rye bread applied to the injection site will help relieve pain.

Flu vaccination:(

Answers:

Tatyana Pavlova

This reaction will pass without anti-allergenic drugs. My vaccination site itched, my daughter had no reaction at all

shgrpamschgor lropamschgnr

Hello! Well, what can I say))))) NEVER GET THE FLU VACCINATION!!!! They only clog the immune system!!!! Take ANTIHISTAMINES, preferably short-acting (Diazolin or Suprastin), 1 tablet 2 times a day for 3-4 days. It should help. Good health to you))) ) Sincerely, Vlad Stark.

Elina Trostyanskaya

These vaccinations are a terrible thing. People begin to get sick almost immediately after vaccination and the course of the disease worsens. The symptoms are the same, but there is no fever and the doctor will not give a sick leave. Until these vaccines pass all the tests, they no longer have the functions that they are supposed to perform. I always write a waiver for my children from such vaccinations, let them get over their illness normally, rather than watch them suffer from unknown reasons.

When you can't get vaccinated. The main contraindication for the use of the influenza vaccine is intolerance to the components of the drug: chicken egg whites and special preservatives contained in some drugs. The administration of vaccines in acute diseases or exacerbation of chronic diseases is prohibited. After 3-4 weeks after recovery or subsidence of the manifestations of the chronic disease, vaccination can be performed. Anti-influenza vaccination is not recommended even if any post-vaccination complications have developed following the previous administration of the drug. take suprastin, if it doesn’t help, be sure to see a doctor. Only one case of complications after a flu vaccination has been recorded in the region. This was reported by Olga Knyagina, Deputy Head of the Rospotrebnadzor Department for the Nizhny Novgorod Region. According to her, one of the residents of the region suffered anaphylactic shock after receiving the flu vaccine. The patient received a one-time benefit from the state in the amount of 10 thousand rubles as compensation.

“The state is confident in the safety of vaccination, so it takes on such obligations. The one-time benefit is 10 thousand rubles. Subsequently, if post-vaccination complications persist, he receives another 3 thousand rubles. within 3 months,” said Princess.