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What is Influenza ?
It is an infectious disease that
comes on suddenly and infects mammals and birds. It is commonly
called as flu and caused by a RNA virus. The flu is not the same
as the common cold but more severe and can even lead to death.
Causes
The flu is caused by the influenza virus of the Orthomyxoviridae
family. The virus is classified as influenza type A and type B,
which further contain subtypes. The subtypes are different from
the original virus but have the same characteristics. Type A
generally occurs during the early winter. The virus that causes
influenza keeps changing often, so having flu caused by one
subtype does not give immunity to other subtypes. People who get
affected with flu tend to get sicker and sicker when there is a
shift in the subtype of the virus.
Signs and Symptoms
The symptoms of influenza starts one to two days after the
infection and can also begin all of a sudden. The first
indication of the disease is the chilling sensation and starts
with body pain later. The disease is contagious and the virus
that causes the disease attacks the respiratory tract of the
patient. The virus can be transmitted from one person to other
through the saliva while coughing.
Symptoms of the Influenza includes the
following
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• Fever of 100 F to 104 F is common
during first few days can reach about 106 F. It is contagious
and can be discontinuous. Generally children and younger adults
have high temperature compared to old people.
• Headache.
• May experience pain while moving
the eyes and it starts watering.
• Dry cough.
• Sore throat.
• Runny nose.
• Fatigue, loss of appetite.
• Body aches and muscle pain. The pain is usually in the arms,
legs and back.
• Extreme chillness.
• Vomiting.
• Sneezing.
• Nausea.
• Loss of smell.
• Nasal congestion.
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The fever may stay from three days
up to eight days. The temperature gradually comes down after
three days followed by the other symptoms. After the fever and
other symptoms reduce respiratory symptoms becomes noticeable
that lasts for three to four days after the fever comes down.
Dry cough remains for about ten days. It might take about two to
three weeks for the patient to recover. Complications are more
in people who have lung and heart diseases. The virus has
already mentioned is contagious and anyone who get exposed to
the virus can be affected. The places where it is spread
normally are schools, nursing homes, shelters and day cares.
The Possibility of getting the Symptoms
is higher in
• Children less than four years of age.
• Women who are in their second and third semester of pregnancy
during flu season.
• People with AIDS.
• People with lung and heart diseases.
• Adults who are in the age group of sixty-five or higher. About
ninety percent of the deaths due to flu are in this age group.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is done purely based on the symptoms of the
patient. Generally, antiviral medications are given. Diagnosis
may involve certain blood tests to identify the virus. The
results may take up to one or two days. There is also a rapid
flu test that gives results in thirty minutes time. The rest is
not 100% accurate however; it helps in deciding whether the
patient should be put on antiviral medications.
There are certain other laboratory tests done for influenza that
includes
• Serology.
• Viral isolation.
Serology: Detection of serum
antibodies by haemagglutination inhibition.
Viral isolation: Rapid
examination of cells by immunoflouroscence. Inoculation of cell
cultures.
Respiratory Tests:
secretions by direct aspirate, nasal washings and gargling.
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Treatments
The treatments for flu involves symptom treatments, curative
treatments and unconventional treatments such as decongestants,
antivirals and echinacea respectively.
Certain antibiotics are prescribed. Though antibiotics have no
effect in treating virus it helps in preventing bacterial
superinfection. The drug Amantadine may prevent flu if taken
continuously but is not used commonly.
Antiviral medications are given to
• Reduce the spread of virus.
• Reduce the complications and duration of the symptoms that are
caused by the influenza virus.
• Control the outbreak of the disease in spreading areas such as
schools, nursing homes, day care etc. |
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• Shorten the length of sickness.
People who are at high risk of complications should rush to the
doctor immediately to prevent worsening the situation. The
doctor should be contacted within fourty eight hours after
getting infected.
Home
Treatments
There are some home treatments that can be taken to feel better.
Those are included in the following
• Fluids must be taken in plenty to replace those that was lost
from fever. Fluids such as water, soups, fruit juices hot tea
are good and keeps the nasal mucus thin.
• Bed rest will make the patient feel better and also avoids the
disease from spreading to others.
• Taking steam or breathing moist air from hot shower will help
in clearing the stuffy nose.
• If the temperature is high you can take medicines such as
ibuprofen or acetaminophen to reduce it or sponge the body with
lukewarm water. Using ice or cold water must be avoided.
• It is better to avoid antihistamines since they are not
effective in treating flu symptoms and also makes the nasal
mucus thicker.
• It is common to have body aches during fever. It is advised to
take aspirin, ibuprofen or acetominophen to get relieved.
Children should be avoided from taking aspirin since they can
upset the stomach.
• Cough syrups can help in easing the cough. If you have dry
cough it is recommended to use cough medicine that contains
dextromethorphan to reduce it. If coughing makes you irritated
in the night times, elevating the height of the pillow and
sleeping makes you feel comfortable.
• Avoid smoking since it might cause respiratory infections or
can increase the respiratory infection for people who already
have it.
Prevention
Mostly vaccine are given to avoid seventy percent of the
disease. The best way to prevent influenza is to get immunized
to influenza vaccines every year. It is given as injection
which, is known as the flu shot. The effectiveness varies with
many criteria such as health status, age and how closely the
virus strains contained in the vaccine match. The flu shots can
cause some side effects in few people but the effect is not that
serious and do not last long. Even if the injections does not
work effectively, the vaccines helps in reducing the symptoms of
flu and decreases the risk of complications. An alternative for
flu shot was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) which, is a nasal spray flu vaccine. The spray is known as
FluMist and is available for healthy children and adults between
age nine and fourty nine years. The spray cannot be given to
people with lung and heart diseases. The rate of the nasal spray
flu vaccine is supposed to be costlier compared to the flu shot.
Researches is being done to find out a neutralising epitope that
is more stable and can be used as an universal vaccine.
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Article Contributed By: Sukanaya Banerjee
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