Influenza is a kind of flu like illness. It mostly affects respiratory tract. It is a kind of contagious respiratory disease, caused by influenza virus, which infects nose, throat and lungs of a person.
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How influenza spreads?
It spreads through droplets, from cough or sneeze of influenza infected patient. When you touch those surfaces, where these droplets of influenza infected patient are present, and then touch your mouth, nose and eyes, you also get infected.
When do influenza infected person, most infectious?
That means, at what stage of influenza, patient’s droplet are most infectious? Patient is most infectious (contagious) during the first 3 days of illness.
- If a patient is presently not showing symptoms of influenza, but infected with influenza virus, still that patient can infect another healthy person. That means, influenza virus infected asymptomatic patient, can infect another healthy person.
- It is not necessary that influenza infected person is infectious, during when his or her symptoms start. Infected patient can infect other another person, in asymptomatic stage of influenza also.
Symptoms of Influenza –
When do symptoms of Influenza starts? Symptoms not start immediately after exposure to virus. Symptoms take time of 1 to 4 days to appear after infection. After 1 to 4 days of exposure to virus, symptoms appear suddenly in patient. The onset of symptoms of influenza is sudden and severe. Patient reports the sudden onset of following symptoms with too much severity –
- High fever - which may range from 100°F to 105°F.
- Chills – patient start feeling cold suddenly.
- Severe dry cough – which last for 2 weeks or more. It does not resolve quickly. It takes time of 2 weeks or more to resolve.
- Sore throat and
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Headache
- Severe muscle aches or body aches – lasting 1 to 2 weeks or more. Body aches or pain here and there in body, take time to heal. Sometimes, it takes time of 1 or 2 weeks or more than that, depending upon the severity of the condition.
- Vomiting and diarrhea – more common in children
- Too much Fatigue – Feeling too much fatigue or tired, because body is already has severe muscle or body aches. Because of those aches or pains, patient is not able to do any work or even not able to walk.
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Treatment of influenza –
Most people recover within 7 to 10 days. Cough and fatigue - take time to recover of around 2 weeks or more than that. The treatment procedure of influenza, include implementation of following steps –- Rest – Patient need to take the proper rest. It will help in speedy recovery from disease.
- Fluids – Needed for hydration.
- Anti-viral medicines 💊 – will help, when proper treatemt is taken from doctor, as early as possible.
- Pain medicines 💊 – Doctor give pain relieving medicines 💊 for muscle aches or body aches.
- Fever medicines 💊 – Doctor prescribes fever reduction for treating fever.
WHEN TO CONSULT DOCTOR –
If along with above symptoms, the following symptoms are present in severe mode, then do not waste time and immediately, consult doctor. Those symptoms are –
- Difficulty in breathing
- Persistant high fever
- Pain in chest
Complications of Influenza – Influenza, if not timely treated, can cause following complications. It can also do complications in following catoegroy of people, if timely treatment is not taken –
- Pneumonia
- Bronchitits
- Sinus or ear infecttions
- Worsening of chronic conditions for example – heart disease, asthma
Prevention –
- Annual vaccination – most effective to prevent flu.
- Hygiene – Frreqeunt hand washing and covering cough and sneezes
So, that was all regarding Influenza, but do you know - 12 Monsoon Health Tips to save yourself from Infections during rainy 🌧 season
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