Influenza is a contagious disease caused by a virus. A virus is a germ that is to say very small. Influenza virus infect many parts of the body, including the lungs.
When someone who have the flu sneezes, coughs, or even talks, the flu virus is expelled into the atmosphere and may be inhaled by anyone close by. Flu may be transmitted by direct hand contact.
What Happens When You Get The Flu?
When flu strikes the lungs, the fining of the respiratory tract is destabilized. The tissues become swollen and inflamed. Fortunately, the damage is once in a while permanent. The tissues usually alleviate within two weeks.
Influenza is repeatedly called a respiratory disease, but it affects the adjectives body. The victim usually become acutely ill next to fever, chills, fragility, loss of appetite, and aching of the team leader, back, arms, and legs. The flu sufferer may also enjoy a sore throat and a dry cough, nausea, and burning eyes.
The fever mounts fast -- temperature may rise to 104[degrees -- but after two or three days, it usually subsides. The tolerant is often disappeared exhausted for days afterwards.
Is Flu Considered Serious?
For healthy children and adults, influenza is typically a moderately severe weakness. Most people are put money on on their feet inside a week.
For people who are not decent or well to inaugurate with, influenza can be intensely severe and even fatal. The symptoms described above own a greater impact on these persons. In ornament, complications can occur.
Most of these complications are bacterial infections, since the body can be so feeble by influenza that its defenses against bacteria are low. Bacterial pneumonia is the most adjectives complication. But the sinuses and inner ears may become inflamed and painful.
Who Gets The Flu?
Anyone can draw from the flu -- especially when it is widespread contained by the community. In a flu epidemic year, from 20 to 50 percent of those not immunized may contract influenza.
People who are not on top form or well to inaugurate with are conspicuously susceptible to the complications that can follow. These people are prearranged as "high risk." For anyone at dignified risk, influenza is a very serious condition. You may be at high risk if you:
* enjoy chronic lung disease such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, tuberculosis, or cystic fibrosis
* have heart disease
* own chronic kidney disease
* have diabetes or other chronic metabolic disorder
* own severe anemia
* have diseases or are have treatments that depress immunity
* are residing in a nursing home or other chronic care facility are over 65 years of age
A physician, nurse, or other provider of precision to high-risk persons should be immunize to protect high-risk patients.
How Are Flu And Complications Prevented?
Influenza can be prevented when a person receive the current influenza vaccine. This vaccine is made each year so that the vaccine can contain influenza virus that are expected to cause complaint that year.
The viruses within the vaccine are killed or inactivated so that someone vaccinate cannot get influenza from the vaccine. Instead the individual vaccinated develops protection surrounded by his or her body in the form of substances call antibodies.
The amount of antibodies in the body is greatest 1 or 2 months after inoculation and then little by little declines. For that object and because the influenza viruses usually amendment each year, a high-risk individual should be vaccinated respectively fall beside the new vaccine. November is the best time to find your flu shot. Such a yearly inoculation has be found to be about 75 percent decisive in preventing flu. It also may intensely well drain the severity of flue and be lifesaving in vaccinated people.
A drug called amantadine also can be used to relieve prevent flu. It is discussed later contained by the section on treatment.
What About Reactions To The Vaccine?
Most culture have little or no counterattack to the vaccine.
One in four might have a swollen, red, tender nouns where the inoculation was given.
A much smaller number, probably more children than grownups, might also develop a slight confusion within 24 hours. They may enjoy chills or a headache, or feel a touch sick. People who already have a respiratory disease may find their symptoms worsened. Usually none of these reaction lasts for more than a couple of days.
In count, adverse reactions to the vaccine, possibly allergic in spirit, have be observed in some relatives. These could be due to an egg protein allergy, since the egg in which the virus within grown cannot who completely extracted. These people should be vaccinate only if their own physician believes it required and if the vaccine is given under close watch by a physician.
Why Should Be Vaccinated?
People at high risk should be vaccinate yearly against flu. In combination, those who provide care to high-risk patients should be vaccinate.
If you are not in a high-risk group, ask your doctor if you have need of the vaccine.
Can You Have A Recurrence Of Flu?
A person can own influenza more than once. Here's why:
The virus that causes influenza may belong to 1 of 3 different flu virus family, A, B, or C. Influenza A and influenza B are the major family.
Within each flu virus home are many viral strains, resembling so many brothers and sisters. Both A and B enjoy strains that cause illnesses of varying severity But the influenza A domestic has more virulent strains than the B family connections.
If you have the flu, your body responds by developing antibodies. The following year, a up to date, family associate or a member of another household may appear. Your antibodies are less effectual or ineffective against this unfamiliar strain. If you are exposed to it, you may come down near flu again.
How Are Flu And Complications Treated?
For uncomplicated flu, your doctor will probably tell you to stay contained by bed at home as long as the sickness is severe--and perhaps for roughly speaking two days after the fever is gone.
The drug call amantadine is useful for treating someone who develops influenza A, remarkably if it is given as soon as possible after the onset of flu. Amantadine also can be used as a preventive, but for prevention it must be taken day after day as long as flu cases continue to materialize in a community Your doctor would hold to decide whether to use amantadine any for prevention or treatment. If it is used for treating an early baggage of flu, it may shorten this illness and curtail the severity. Amantadine works only against influenza A virus and should be used only if influenza A is suspected.
Amantadine sometimes cause side effects such as difficulty in sleeping, tremulousness, or depression; these are usually mild and repeatedly go away even when the medication continued.
The treatment of non-bacterial complications varies beside the illness. if you should develop a bacterial complication, however, your doctor can make a contribution you an antibiotic.
Why In Some Years Do More People Get Flu Than In Others?
Every 10 years or so, a flu virus strain appears that is dramatically different from the other member of its family. When this through change occur a worldwide epidemic -- called a pandemic -- almost inevitably follows. Few populace have antibodies that are potent against the new virus.
One such virus cause the 1918 flu epidemic that swept the world and left within its wake more than 20 million insensible. Fear of a similar outbreak in the spatter of 1976 inspired a mass vaccination challenge. Fortunately, no epidemic developed.
Key Points To Remember
* If you are a high risk individual, you should get your once a year flu shot.
* You should know about treating flu in travel case it occurs despite your inoculation.
* Discuss this with your doctor.
It's a Matter of Life and Breath[R]
This publication be made possible in segment by your support of Christmas Seals[R] and other contributions to the American Lung Association.
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