Flu – What is it, Symptoms and Treatments!

Influenza – What it is, Symptoms and Treatments that everyone should know, therefore. In addition,  Influenza is a contagious respiratory disease caused by the Influenza virus . If anything characterizes this organism, it is its ability to spread. The virus easily passes from one person to another through droplets of saliva that are expelled when talking, coughing or sneezing. Contact with contaminated hands or objects also involves a route of infection.

Every year epidemics of respiratory diseases occur in our country caused by the Influenza during autumn or early winter. Although many respiratory viruses can cause flu symptoms, Influenza A and B viruses are often responsible for epidemics in late autumn or winter. In the northern hemisphere, the flu appears each year between the months of November and April, being more aggressive from December to March. But in the south, the virus appears, in the period from May to October.

What is Flu? Also known as influenza, influenza is an infection of the respiratory system whose main complication is pneumonia, responsible for a large number of hospital admissions in the country. Influenzastarts with a high fever , usually above 38ºC , followed by muscle pain, sore throat , headache and dry cough .

Fever is the most important symptom of the flu and lasts around three days. Respiratory symptoms, such as coughing , become more evident as the flu progresses and generally persist for three to four days after the fever subsides .

It is a very common disease all over the world, and it is possible for a person to acquire influenza several times throughout their life. Influenza  is also often confused with other respiratory viruses and, therefore, its definitive diagnosis is only made through a specific laboratory test .

Every year, with the approach of winter, we start to worry about avoiding the respiratory diseases that we popularly call the flu . Although we use this term in a generic way to refer to symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing and headache , the flu and colds are caused by different viruses and have some characteristics that allow them to be differentiated.

While most people are infected a few times a year with the cold virus, the flu occurs less frequently, for example, once in a few years.

Flu Symptoms:  One of the main characteristics of the flu , as opposed to a cold, is how the symptoms start. In the case of a cold , the condition begins mildly and progressively worsens over the next 48 to 72 hours.

In the flu , the symptoms appear suddenly and before the end of the day the patient is clearly sick, collapsed in bed. In some cases, the onset of symptoms is so abrupt that the patient can even tell what time it was and what he was doing at the time the flu appeared.

The severity of symptoms depends on the virulence of the influenza strain and the ability of our immune system to deal with the virus. Influenza can cause from mild, almost imperceptible symptoms to a serious clinical picture, with lung infection and risk of death. But in the vast majority of cases, even in those who develop relevant flu symptoms , the condition usually has a benign course, with spontaneous resolution within 1 week.

In general, when the infected patient develops symptoms, the most common are:

• High fever , usually above 38ºC.
• Chills.
• Cough , which may be dry or with expectoration.
• Headache .
• Tiredness.
• Muscle and/or joint pain .
• Coryza.
• Sore throat .

Gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea can occur, especially in children, but are not common in adult flu . Exceptionally, some strains can cause these symptoms in adults, as occurred in the Influenza A (H1N1) epidemic of 2009, when the frequency of gastrointestinal symptoms was higher than usual for Influenza cases .

Flu Treatment:  There is even a flu -specific antiviral, oseltamivir phosphate, or Tamiflu, which speeds recovery and prevents complications. But as the disease usually goes away on its own after a week, the doctor usually prescribes only medicines that control the malaise and other flu symptoms.

Teas and other hot drinks soothe tiredness, sore throat , cough and nasal congestion . In fact, proper hydration makes the body more prepared to fight infection, so every professional recommends drinking plenty of water.

A balanced diet is also part of the treatment. Carrots , dark vegetables and pumpkin are sources of beta-carotene, a nutrient that stimulates the lungs to expectorate mucus. Grandma’s soup provides natural anti-inflammatories and substances that strengthen the immune system .