flu

Facts You Should Know About The Flu

The influenza virus causes the flu and it is a respiratory infection that attacks the respiratory system including the nose, throat, bronchial tubes and your lungs. The flu is NOT the stomach virus although some people do have nausea, diarrhea and vomiting along with respiratory symptoms when they have the flu. Anyone of any age can get the flu, newborns and the elderly and every age in-between. The flu can be very mild or it can be serious even fatal. In 1918 there was a flu pandemic (worldwide infection) that killed approximately 50 million people. As many as 36,000 people die each year from the flu in just the United States alone. The deaths are from complications from the flu.

When a person first gets the flu they may think they are coming down with a cold except the symptoms come on suddenly and they feel as if they have been hit by a truck or so people usually say. You usually feel much worse when you have the flu than when you have a cold.

Common symptoms of the flu include:

· Fever over 101 F in adults, and often as high as 103 to 105 F in children
· Chills and or sweats
· Headache
· Dry cough
· Muscular aches and stiffness, especially in your back, arms and legs
· Fatigue and weakness
· Nasal congestion (stuffy nose or runny nose)
· Loss of appetite
· Diarrhea and vomiting especially in children

It is important for young children or anyone with a chronic illness to see a doctor if they may have the flu within the first 48 hours so that they have receive antiviral medications which can prevent more serious complications. Anyone who has the flu and then develops a severe cough or brings up phlegm, has a high fever or experiences sharp pains when they breath deeply may have bacterial pneumonia which would require antibiotics to get better.

Because the flu is transmitted by air it is important to always cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. The flu can be very contagious even before you know you have the flu so you could be passing it on when you cough or sneeze before you come down with the symptoms yourself.

Type A which is responsible for the deadly influenza pandemics usually strike every 10 to 40 years. Type A and B flu viruses are constantly changing and are the more serious types of flu. Type C flu is the milder flu.

Anyone is at risk for the flu but especially if a infant, child, over age 50, resident of a nursing home or long-term care facility, hospital, have a weakened immune system, or are pregnant during flu season (fall and winter), are in close contact with infants and young children.

Tags: influenza virus, flu, symptoms of flu

Do You Have The Flu?

It can be difficult to tell the difference between the flu and the cold virus because some of the symptoms are the same but there are differences. A doctor can examine you and tell if you have the flu. If the person is seen by a doctor within 2 or 3 days of coming down with the symptoms a doctor can run tests to determine if what the person has is the flu or not. Persons who are at high risk for complications from the flu should see a doctor as soon as possible after developing possible flu symptoms so that they can be tested and treated. Persons who are at high risk are those who are 65 years of age or older, individuals with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, women who are 3 months or more into their pregnancy and children 6 months of age to 10 years of age.

Certain individuals can develop serious complications from the flu such as bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, sinus problems and ear infections. Death can also occur from complications from the flu. If a person has a chronic condition the flu can worsen the symptoms of the condition.

Not everyone who gets the flu will have the exact same symptoms or even the same severity of the flu. Some individuals will have mild symptoms of the flu and others will have severe symptoms such that hospitalization is required. A healthy adult may be able to infect others 1 day before they even have symptoms of the flu themselves and they can be contagious for up to 5 days after getting the first symptoms of the flu. It is possible to give someone else the flu even before you know that you have it yourself.

Your doctor can recommend ways to protect yourself against the flu and also how to treat the flu should you or a member of your family come down with the flu.

It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of the flu so you can recognize if you are someone you love has the flu. The flu usually starts suddenly and can include one or more of the following symptoms:

Fever, typically high
Headache
Extreme Fatigue
Dry Cough
Sore throat
Stuffy or runny nose
Muscular aches and stiffness
Some individuals will also have nausea, vomiting or upset stomachs

The flu is an infectious disease that affects the entire body especially the respiratory system. There are three types of influenza virus (A,B, and C.)

Types A, and B are the most severe. Type C is a very mild flu and sometimes has no symptoms at all.

Flu viruses change constantly and there are different strains that circulate around the world every year. Our bodies build up natural defenses but cannot always keep up with all the changes. This is why some doctors recommend getting a flu shot every year. Each year scientists try to predict what strain of flu will be arriving so that the vaccine can be made to protect people against it. 

Tags: do you have flu, flu virus