G r i p p
Influenza is a viral infection that affects the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. As a rule, for practically healthy people, influenza is not dangerous.
Causes of influenza
The viruses that cause influenza are constantly present around us. They tend to change very quickly (mutate), and that is precisely why you can get influenza many times. The virus spreads very quickly. When sneezing, coughing, or talking, sick people spray tiny droplets into the air, which contain the viruses. Doctors say that influenza is transmitted by airborne droplets.
Symptoms of influenza
During the acute phase of the illness, you may have a high fever, headache, muscle and joint pain (body aches), followed very quickly by a runny nose, cough, and sore throat. This condition may last for a week.
In some cases, the illness spreads to the lungs, causing bronchitis and pneumonia.
This is more common in elderly people, smokers, people in poor health, or patients who have asthma or other lung diseases.
What you can do
- It is better to rest until you feel better and your temperature goes down.
- It is good to drink up to 8 glasses of fluids a day (water, juices, sweet herbal tea with lemon and honey /if you do not have an allergy).
- It is especially important to drink plenty if you have a high fever and are sweating a lot. You should not drink strong tea, coffee, or alcoholic beverages, as they do not replenish the body’s fluid deficit and, on the contrary, make it worse.
- Fresh lemon juice mixed with honey and hot water, warm milk with honey reduce sore throat and soothe a dry cough.
- It is better to eat light foods, and only when you feel like it.
You can take medicines that relieve pain and reduce fever.
Children should not be given aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid); it is better to buy children’s paracetamol at the pharmacy.
Before taking any medicine and especially before giving it to children, carefully read the instructions on the package and follow all recommendations.
You can consult a doctor or a pharmacy staff member about new medicines that improve how you feel when you have influenza and reduce the amount of time you feel very ill.
But keep in mind that usually such medicines need to be taken within the first 48 hours from the onset of the first symptoms of the illness (joint aches and elevated body temperature).
What a doctor can do
It is best to see a doctor right away (call a doctor to your home) and take sick leave. If you go to work, to the store, or to any other public place, you not only risk getting some complications, but also contribute to the spread of the illness. Elderly people or people who are often ill for long periods should definitely see a doctor, as should a child who has fallen ill or if an adult’s elevated temperature lasts longer than 4 days.
Influenza is caused by viruses, so the use of antibacterial drugs will not help. Antibiotics are prescribed by a doctor only if complications caused by bacteria develop.
Preventive measures
If you are at high risk of developing complications or have a high likelihood of getting influenza (including work-related: police officers, healthcare workers, teachers, employees of childcare institutions), a doctor may suggest getting vaccinated. Vaccination against influenza is best carried out in October-November.
You can contact a doctor or vaccination centers yourself.
Vaccination does not give a 100% guarantee that you will not get sick, but it significantly reduces the risk of illness.
Vaccines change annually, depending on the types of viruses that are likely to cause an epidemic.
Vaccination is not performed for children under 6 months of age, people with an allergy to egg protein, or those who previously had a reaction to the administration of the influenza vaccine.