| |
Millions of people get “the flu,” almost always in the winter. For most people, the best treatment is a few days of bed rest, aspirin for fever, and plenty of water, fruit juice, soft drinks, and other liquids.
Flu is short for influenza. It is a viral infection of the nose, throat, and lungs. It is usually a mild disease in healthy children, young adults, and middle-age people. However, flu can be life-threatening in older people and in people of any age who have chronic illnesses such as heart disease, emphysema, asthma, bronchitis, kidney diseases, or diabetes.
When you have the flu your body’s ability to fight off other infections is lowered and other more serious infections can occur, especially pneumonia. It is very important for older people to prevent flu, because treating it can be harder as people age. You can prevent flu with a shot. People age 50 and older need to get a flu shot every year.
It is easy to confuse a common cold with the flu. But a cold usually doesn’t cause a fever-the flu does. Also, a cold causes a stuffy nose more often than flue does. Overall, cold symptoms are milder and don’t last a long as the flu.
People use to think the flu was caused by the “influence of the stars and planets.” It the 1500’s, the Italians called the disease “influenza,” their word for influence.
Symptoms
Flu symptoms can differ from person to person. Some people with the flu feel weak, develop a cough, a headache, and a sudden rise in temperature. The faver can last from 1 to 6 days. Other symptoms include aching muscles, chills, and red, watery eyes.
Complications of Flu
The flu in rarely fatal. But while your body is busy fighting off the flu, you may be less able to resist a second infection. Older people and people with chronic diseases have the greatest risk of developing these secondary infections. If this second infection is in the lungs-such as pneumonia-it can be life-threatening. Pneumonia is one of the five leading causes of death among people 65 and older.
The symptoms of pneumonia are similar to the flu but are much more severe. Shaking chills are very common. Coughing becomes more frequent and may produce a colored discharge. The fever will continue during pneumonia and will stay high. Pain in the chest may occur as the lungs become more inflamed.
Sometimes pneumonia-an inflammation of the lungs-is caused by flu virus. More often it is the result of bacteria. Bacterial pneumonia is usually treated with antibiotics, such as penicillin. Antibiotic drugs, which kill bacteria, are very effective if given when you first get pneumonia.
One of the most dangerous complications of pneumonia is the body’s loss of fluids, your doctor will prescribe extra fluids to prevent shock, a serious condition caused by inadequate blood flow.
What causes Flu?
Scientists discovered in the late ‘30’s and early ‘40’s that flu is caused by viruses that enter your system and begin to multiply rapidly. When there are too many viruses for the body to fight off, you get the flu.
|
 |
|
|
