INFLUENZA
INFORMATION
 |
This
FAQ is for information only, and has been compiled
from a number of sources to give an overview of the
use and effects of Tamiflu. It is not a definitive
guide to the effects or implications of use of Tamiflu,
nor is it intended replace the advice of qualified
healthcare professionals. If you have any concerns
about the use of Tamiflu or any possible side-effects,
consult your healthcare provider.
CLICK
HERE TO ORDER TAMIFLU |
What is influenza and how does it compare
to common cold?
What are the causes of influenza?
How serious is influenza?
How can I catch influenza?
Can influenza be prevented?
What are the symptoms of influenza?
How long before I get ill after being infected?
How long does a bout of influenza last?
If I do get influenza, what can I do about
it?
When should I go to the doctor?
Can influenza reoccur?
When do influenza outbreaks occur?
What is avian bird flu?
What is influenza and how does it compare to common
cold?
We often hear people say, I have got the flu, meaning they
are afflicted by influenza. But actually, they might only
have the common cold. While a common cold does make you
feel pretty bad and it carries almost the same symptoms
as the flu, it is not the same thing. Unlike common cold,
influenza may cause severe illness and even life-threatening
complications in many people. Influenza infection is characteristic
in its swift onset. People who are feeling completely well
might go on to become very sick within a few hours only.
Though influenzas basic reactions are heavy coughing and
sneezing, patients may also run a high fever, chills and
body aches, none of which are symptoms of the regular cold.
Moreover common colds generally do not result in serious
health problems.
Influenza
is in the real sense, the highly contagious viral infection
of the respiratory tract. The virus can be spread to others
by air through sneezes or coughs, or it may be picked when
people pick up objects or come in direct contact with other
people who have been contaminated and pass it into their
own body when the hand rubs the eye or nose. Highly contagious
as it is, the flu may appear out of the blue after 1 to
3 days of incubation.
What are the causes of influenza?
While influenza viruses may be of several kinds, two known
types, type A & type B are known to be the cause for
major sickness in humans. Both viruses have a number of
strains that cause illness in varying levels of severity.
At the same time, strains of the A family are known to be
more virulent than those of the B family. This has been
further proven by the fact that there have been 9 major
outbreaks of influenza type A in the UK in the 90s as compared
to only 4 reported outbreaks of influenza B.
How serious is influenza?
Influenza is normally a semi-serious illness for most healthy
children and adults and most people affected get back to
normal lives within the week. But yes, influenza could become
a serious ailment for those who are not healthy to start
with. If the immune system is down, then influenza can also
prove fatal. Influenza can also create a variety of complications
in those already in weakened state. Most of the time, the
complications are in the form of bacterial infections since
the bodys immune system is so weakened by influenza that
bacteria find it easy to attack. The most common and yet
the most serious complication is bacterial pneumonia. There
are also, high chances of the sinuses and inner ears becoming
inflamed and painful.
How can I catch influenza?
Influenza can be picked up from droplets of influenza virus
in the air that might have been released by someone else
with influenza while coughing or sneezing or else by direct
contact. Just 3 to 4 particles of influenza inhaled are
more than enough to give you an infection. So be careful,
you can contract influenza just by standing next to someone
with influenza in the subway, at work, anywhere.
Once
it has entered your respiratory tract, the virus makes its
way into your body and starts attacking the protective cells
of the respiratory tract. And as with all other infections,
the easiest to infect are children, who act as both victims
and carriers. What this means is that if a child in a family
becomes infected, there is more than 60% chance that there
will be a second influenza case in the family.
Can influenza be prevented?
Yes and no. Influenza can be prevented to a certain extent
and the best way to do so is to get vaccinated every fall.
Every vaccine acts on the principle of injecting a tiny
bit of inactive virus or some of its components into your
body. Since the virus is inactive, it can neither infect
your body cells nor make you ill. At the same time, injection
of the virus allows your body to create antibodies so that
when live influenza viruses strike, your body is all ready
for it with its immunity shield. Since strains of the flu
virus are constantly changing, so a single time vaccination
turns out to be only partially successful. Hence it helps
to get vaccinated each year.
What are the symptoms of influenza?
Influenza carries symptoms that are similar to a lot of
other diseases including the common cold. Most adults and
adolescents find influenza turning up in their bodies abruptly
with symptoms appearing out of the blue. Referred to as
flu like symptoms, these include
- High
fever and chills
- Splitting
headaches
- Extreme
tiredness combined with body and muscle aches
- Sore
throat and continuous coughing & sneezing
- Runny
or stuffy nose
- Anorexia
- Diarrhea
and vomiting also can occur but are more common in children
The fever (38-40 Celcius) which peaks within 24 hours of
onset normally lasts for 1-5 days. Other physical signs
include the appearance of being unwell, hot and moist skin,
flushed face, bloodshot and burning eyes and a clear nasal
discharge. Febrile convulsions are the initial sign in a
number of children.
How long before I get ill after being infected?
The flu normally does not give any time or notice for preparing
and a victim of influenza usually becomes acutely ill very
fast. Incubation period can be as short as a single day
or as long as 7 days, but normally lasts around 2 to 3 days.
So if by chance you have become infected by the influenza
virus, it could be up to 7 days before you notice the first
symptoms. And remember, you continue to spread the virus
all around you during this entire period.
How long does a bout of influenza last?
If the flu attack is without complications then a healthy
person would normally start feeling better in a number of
days. But the cough and malaise associated with influenza
can persist beyond 2 weeks. But if some how some other complications
like pneumonia were to occur, then the seriousness of the
disease and the time required to come out of it would increase
considerably.
If I do get influenza, what should I do?
The first thing to do on feeling the effect of influenza
is to get plenty of rest combined with the intake of large
quantities of liquids. Avoid alcohol and tobacco if you
wish to get back to normal fast. Medication to relieve the
symptoms of influenza can also be taken (but take care to
avoid giving aspirin to children or teenagers who show similar
symptoms like fever).
Treatment
of colds based only on symptoms is aimed at relieving only
the most harassing symptoms of the illness and there are
several such medications available. At the same time, most
doctors prescribe antiviral drugs that shorten the influenza
symptom duration to around 1 to 2 days. But these drugs
too are effective only if taken within 48 hours of the appearance
of flu like symptoms.
At
the same time, you can take certain steps to ensure that
you dont spread the flu further:
Distance
yourself from others so that they dont pick up the infection
from you
Always cough or sneeze into a tissue and throw it away after
use
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after
you cough or sneeze. If water is not available, use an alcohol-based
hand cleaner
Rest at home and take leave from work, school as well as
errands when you are sick. That way, you will not pass on
the flu to others
Germs often spread when you touch your eyes, nose or mouth,
so avoid such touching
When should I go to the doctor?
Once your symptoms start worrying you, get in touch with
your doctor. And if any of the following holds true for
you, get in touch with your physician at the earliest:
- you
belong to the risk groups and believe or feel that you
have influenza
- you
have a cold that is more than seven days old
- you
have a constant fever that stays above 40 degrees Celsius
-
your ears hurt
- you
have a headache that worsens on bending over
- you
throat feels badly sore and infected
- your
sputum is greenish in colour or bloody
Can influenza reoccur?
Yes, influenza can affect the same person on multiple occasions
on account of the fact that influenza causing viruses might
belong to either of the two influenza virus families A or
B. Moreover, both these families have several different
strains, like siblings in a family.
The
viruses in themselves are also continuously changing. Your
body normally develops antibodies to the viral strain that
caused influenza but these antibodies are not effective
against new or changed strains. So, if you have had influenza
one year and a different kind of viral strain appears the
next year, you can get influenza again. This capacity for
variations is the biggest reason behind influenzas success
in spreading every year.
When do influenza outbreaks occur?
Outbreaks of the flu take place almost every year, most
prominently in winter or early spring. On occasions, there
can be simultaneous outbreaks of two different kinds of
influenza. As a result, the risk of contracting influenza
every year remains very much alive. Some year, the outbreak
might be only of local proportions but at times, it might
spread on to become a national epidemic.
What is avian bird flu?
Avian bird flu is an affliction spread by the avian influenza
viruses. These viruses occur naturally among birds across
the globe and while most wild birds carry the viruses in
their intestines, they rarely get sick from them. But this
does not make the flu any less contagious among birds and
it can prove fatal for domesticated birds like chickens,
ducks and turkey.
Normally
the avian bird flu viruses do not affect humans but since
1997 (when the first case of avian bird flu among humans
appeared in Hong Kong), this kind of flu has infected and
killed several humans in the South East Asian countries.
While WHO does not recommend avoiding travels to these countries,
it does advice staying away from live animal markets and
poultry farms. This is because the droppings of infected
birds generally carry large quantities of the virus.
CLICK
HERE TO ORDER TAMIFLU
If
you have any concerns or questions about whether or not
you should take Tamiflu , talk to your healthcare provider.
IMPORTANT:
It is very important that you make sure
that your healthcare provider knows what medications you
take and what medical conditions and allergies you have.
|
