Influenza: The facts

18 Aug, 2017 - 00:08 0 Views
Influenza: The facts

The ManicaPost

Matters of Health
Influenza, also known as the flu, is a viral infection that attacks your respiratory system which includes your nose, throat and lungs. It can be fatal in some situations.

Initially, the flu may seem like a common cold with a runny nose, sneezing and sore throat. But colds usually develop slowly, whereas the flu tends to come on suddenly and feels worse.Common signs and symptoms of the flu include fever, aching muscles especially in your back, arms and legs, chills and sweats, headache, dry persistent cough, fatigue and weakness, nasal congestion and sore throat.

Flu viruses travel through the air in droplets when someone with the infection coughs, sneezes or talks. You can inhale the droplets directly, or you can pick up the germs from an object — such as a telephone or computer keyboard — and then transfer them to your eyes, nose or mouth.

People with the virus are likely contagious from the day or so before symptoms first appear until about five days after symptoms begin, though sometimes people are contagious for as long as 10 days after symptoms appear. Children and people with weakened immune systems may be contagious for a slightly longer time.

Influenza viruses are constantly changing, with new strains appearing regularly. If you’ve had influenza in the past, your body has already made antibodies to fight that particular strain of the virus. If future influenza viruses are similar to those you’ve encountered before, either by having the disease or by vaccination, those antibodies may prevent infection or lessen its severity.

But antibodies against flu viruses you’ve encountered in the past can’t protect you from new influenza subtypes that can be very different immunologically from what you had before.

Factors that may increase your risk of developing

influenza or its complications include:

Age. Seasonal influenza tends to target young children and older adults.

Living conditions. People who live in facilities along with many other residents, such as nursing homes or boarding schools, are more likely to develop influenza.

Weakened immune system. Cancer treatments and HIV/AIDS can weaken your immune system. This can make it easier for you to catch influenza and may also increase your risk of developing complications.

Chronic illnesses. Chronic conditions, such as asthma, diabetes or heart problems, may increase your risk of influenza complications.

Pregnancy. Pregnant women are more likely to develop influenza complications, particularly from the fourth month.

Obesity. Obese people have an increased risk of complications from the flu.

If you’re young and healthy, seasonal influenza usually isn’t serious and will go away in a week or two with no lasting effects. But high-risk children and adults may develop complications such as pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma flare ups and ear infections. Usually, you’ll need nothing more than bed rest and plenty of fluids to treat the flu. But in some special cases, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication which may shorten the duration of your illness and help prevent serious complications.If you do come down with the flu, these measures may help ease your symptoms:

Drink plenty of liquids. Choose water, juice and warm soups to prevent dehydration.

Rest. Get more sleep to help your immune system fight infection.

Consider pain relievers. Use an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to combat the achiness associated with influenza.

People who have a high risk of complications should get an annual flu vaccine to prevent or moderate the effects of influenza. The influenza vaccine isn’t 100 percent effective, so it’s also important to take measures such as these to reduce the spread of infection:

Wash your hands. Thorough and frequent hand-washing is an effective way to prevent many common infections. Or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers if soap and water aren’t readily available.

Contain your coughs and sneezes. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. To avoid contaminating your hands, cough or sneeze into a tissue or into the inner crook of your elbow.

Avoid crowds. Flu spreads easily wherever people congregate. By avoiding crowds during peak flu season, you reduce your chances of infection. And, if you’re sick, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever subsides so that you lessen your chance of infecting others.

Share This:

Sponsored Links

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds