The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses.
It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times, can lead to death.
Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with
certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.
Each year, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu
complications and about 36,000 people die from the flu.
The flu is spread in respiratory droplets released by coughing and
sneezing. It usually spreads
from person to person, though occasionally people may be infected by
touching something with virus on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
People with flu are contagious beginning one day before getting symptoms.
Adults remain contagious up to seven days after getting sick and
children can remain contagious for even longer.
Seasonal flu
can cause symptoms similar to the common cold, but flu is a much more
serious illness. Colds tend to
develop gradually while the flu tends to start very suddenly.
It is a contagious illness that affects the nose, throat, lungs, and
other parts of the body, and can spread quickly from one person to another.
H1N1 flu
is an influenza virus that was seen for the first time in the
United States in April 2009.
It has been called the “swine flu,” because it looked similar to some
flu viruses that pigs get, however, it is not the same thing.
While the symptoms for both seasonal flu and H1N1 flu are similar, there
are some differences between the two types of flu:
-
Seasonal flu occurs every year usually in winter and
early spring – H1N1 flu was first identified in April 2009 and has been
seen since that time through the present
-
Seasonal flu most affects people 65 years and older –
H1N1 flu mostly affects children and young adults (5-24 years old)
NOTE:
The H1N1 flu has been deemed
a pandemic, but what does that really mean?
This means the influenza due to the H1N1 virus is occurring in
multiple countries around the world and that human infection is widespread.
However, this does NOT mean that the severity of the illness has
increased. Despite its wide and
quick spread, most people who have gotten H1N1 flu have had mild illness.
The flu usually starts suddenly and may include the following symptoms:
-
Fever (usually high)
-
Headache
-
Extreme tiredness
-
Dry cough
-
Sore throat
-
Runny or stuffy nose
-
Muscle aches
-
Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, may occur in
children
To reduce your chance of getting or spreading the flu:
-
Get the flu vaccine.
-
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough and sneeze, or
cough or sneeze into the crease of your elbow.
-
Wash your hands often with soap and water.
-
Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when soap and water are not available.
-
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth – germs spread this way.
-
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
-
Keep surfaces like bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, kitchen
counters, and toys for children clean by wiping them down with a
household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.
Most people who have been sick with a flu virus recover at home without
treatment. Laboratory testing is
rarely needed for the diagnosis of influenza.
A clinical assessment is more accurate than a rapid antigen test
(quick flu test) and is more timely than a culture-based test.
The quick flu tests are of notoriously low sensitivity for
2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza.
And, the culture-based tests are not all that helpful because initial
treatment decisions need to be made before those results are available.
Most patients with influenza will recover spontaneously.
Otherwise healthy patients with the usual mild illness need no
intervention and thus usually don’t need to be seen at all.
Patients with above high-risk conditions may warrant medicine.
With both seasonal flu and H1N1 flu, complications can occur.
Seek emergency medical care if the following warning signs exist:
In children:
-
Fast breathing or trouble breathing
-
Bluish or gray skin color
-
Not drinking enough fluids
-
Severe or persistent vomiting
-
Not waking up or interacting as usual
-
Being so irritable that your child does not even want to be held
-
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
-
Fever with a rash
In adults:
-
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
-
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
-
Sudden dizziness
-
Confusion
-
Severe or persistent vomiting