One of the wide – spread types of upper respiratory tract infections is the flu. About 90 % of patients with respiratory viral infections have this virus. Unfortunately, each winter season is attended by epidemiological attacks of this infection. This article is about how to treat the flu and avoid infectious complication. All recommendations are provided by a professional therapeutist.
Everyone knows about this malady, as the flu is a widespread infection, which causes epidemics each year.
It’s known that the flu takes a very acute course in middle – aged people, little babies and everyone with weak immunity (who has serious chronic diseases, immunodeficiency and so on).
The rest people should not worry too much about: fever, headache, muscles ache and cough pass in several days and a person is healthy again!
However, few people want to be ill and lie in a bed within this period. Of course, we want to do our best to avoid this malady. However, to do it, you need to learn more about this virus.
Flu Virus
Mixovirus influenza is a causative agent of the flu. This small ball contains RNA molecule and two superficial proteins: neuraminidase and hemagglutinin.
This pathogenic agent is rather unstable because of external factors.
It dies very quickly under dry climate, disinfecting agent affection and in case of heating in the sun. However, it remains active for several years under low temperatures (from – 25 ˚C to 70˚C ).
While contacting a sick person, the virus penetrates the respiratory tracts and epithelium cells, mainly, tracheae and large bronchi, via airborne droplets.
The flu virus is able to multiply rapidly, that is why one becomes ill suddenly, (21 – 48 hours later the moment of affection).
Viral Attack
- When viral particles multiply, they destroy the affected cell and go out to affect the adjacent cells. That is why a person suffers from chest pain and dry cough.
- Therefore, the virus leads to emission of biologically active agents and cells decay products, which affect toxically the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
In this case, a person complains about weakness, fatigue, headaches and eyeball ache while moving and press on the eyes. Ache in muscles, joints and photophobia is also possible.
Other symptoms of the flu are: high temperature, palpitation and breathing become more frequent, blood pressure goes down, edema and bleeding appear in some acute form of the flu.
That’s why the flu is often attended by exacerbation of some chronic diseases, bacterial complications: cold, pneumonia, maxillary sinusitis, kidneys affection and so on.
Sometimes herpes and thrush emerge under the flu.
Usually, symptoms start regressing on the 5th – 7th days of the disease and then just pass.
How To Tell the Flu Apart From a Simple Cold
The flu is divided into typical and atypical affections (without temperature, intoxication and it is also fulminant).
Usually, the atypical flu is a single instance, while typical is more widespread under an epidemic period.
A classic flu infection has light, middle, acute and severe forms . Nevertheless, there are always several signs, which help to differ the flu from other URI infections.
- The flu starts from acute symptoms, such as, high temperature, which is more than 38 degrees within 2 – 5 days.
- Cold and throat pain are not typical for the first day. If you have these symptoms, then it means you have a bacterial infection or some other URI. In case of the flu, a patient complains about nose stuffiness as far as it’s connected with mucous edema.
- Also, a sick patient has a specific pain in a frontal area of a head, eyeballs, photophobia and lacrimation; ache in muscles and joints is also typical for the flu.
- Stool disorder never happens under the flu.
- Nose bleeding, blood splitting and skin rа
However, one should do certain tests, so that a doctor could diagnose the flu for sure! (antigens detection, swabs from mucous of nose and so on).
However, such diagnostics are not required under an epidemic period, as the flu virus is a reason of URI in 90% of all the cases.
The Flu Prevention Measures
In 70th people saw a large vaccination company against the flu in different countries of the world. Since then, medics admitted the vaccination to be useless in most cases.
It is known that the flu virus has a great number of subtypes and continues mutating. Moreover, today’s vaccine will be ineffective against the tomorrow’s strain.
In addition, it’s impossible to assume which subtypes require new vaccination in the next year. Of course, there is a hypothesis about an artificial epidemic and its vaccination, produces in advance by different laboratories.
Each year the effectiveness of anti – flu vaccine is subjected to disclaimer, however, the advertisement works very well and people start experimenting with their health.
An injection bears the mini – virus and there is no guarantee that you won’t be infected in the future! Unfortunately, little babies also suffer from these circumstances.
There are many remedies to prevent the flu: the most simplest and effective method is to wear a gauze bandage within the period of epidemic.
If you prefer some other methods, then try tempering, take vitamins, micro and macroelements, vegetable and synthetic immunemodulators, interferons and inductors.
Apply to a doctor to choose the best remedy for you!
How To Treat the Flu Quickly and Safely?
In case of the flu, it is important to start immediate treatment.
- Put on a gauze bandage over your mouth and nose. It protects you and your relatives from the infection and lets to recover quickly. Being in the bandage, you inhale damp air and this is a kind of curative inhalation. Don’t forget to change the bandage each 2 – 3 hours in case you don’t have a disposable paper bandage, made of a gauze.
- Drink as much as possible. No less than 2 – 2,5 l of water a day (compote, made of dried fruits, alkaline mineral water (no more than 1 -2 glasses a day), milk, tea with lemon and so on.
- You may drink 2,5 gm of ascorbic acid within the first day and then the dosage should make up 1 gm a day.
Dissolve ascorbic acid powder (25 gm) in a warm tea with sugar.
Keep in mind that the ascorbic acid can be easily destroyed under high temperature, shaking and in the light.
That is why pour the powder in tea or hot water directly before drinking it.
Drink it in little portions throughout the day.
- Take anti-viral preparations, such as remantadinum, arbidol from the first day of the infection.
How to take remantadinum?
- The first day: 300 mg.
- The second day: 200 mg.
- The third day: 100 or 200 mg.
- Children under 12 years are not allowed to take this preparation.
Arbidol: take 200 gm 3 times a day within the first 3 days. You can take a double dosage on the 1st day. Children under 6 years are not allowed to take this preparation.
- Start taking interferon before you visit the doctor: Cycloferon, Viferon, Amyxin and so on. These preparations are effective if you start taking them on the first days of your illness.
- Antifebrile drugs intake depends on the general condition of the patient. If you feel good under fever, then you don’t have to resort to these drugs.
Then, a doctor should control the treatment course. Thus, don’t forget to apply to a real specialist even if you practice a self – medication.
It should be noted that hepatitis, rubeola, HIV infection frequently have the same symptoms the flu has. Self – treatment is very dangerous in this case.
A doctor should learn the history of your disease properly and then prescribe you preparations to prevent a possible bacterial contraindication.
Moreover, the patients with a severe form of the flu should be hospitalized as far there is a risk of brain edema and other aftereffects which may lead to death.
We recommend you to take preventive measures and be healthy!
