Flu

Flu is an infectious disease that anyone can get sick with. The causative agent of influenza is a virus that enters the nasopharynx of others from infected people.

Most people get the flu for only a few days, but some get more serious, possibly severe, up to fatal outcomes.

With the flu, the existing chronic diseases worsen, in addition, the flu has an extensive list of possible complications:

Pulmonary complications (pneumonia, bronchitis). Pneumonia is the cause of most deaths from the flu.
Complications from the upper respiratory tract and ENT organs (otitis, sinusitis, rhinitis, tracheitis).
Complications from the cardiovascular system (myocarditis, pericarditis).
Complications from the nervous system (meningitis, meningoencephalitis, encephalitis, neuralgia, polyradiculoneuritis).
To avoid possible complications, it is important to carry out timely prevention of influenza and properly treat the disease itself.

Usually the flu starts suddenly. Influenza pathogens, viruses of types A and B, are characterized by aggressiveness and an exceptionally high rate of reproduction, so in a few hours after infection, the virus leads to deep lesions of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, opening up opportunities for bacteria to enter it.

Flu symptoms include fever, fever 37.5-39 °C, headache, muscle and joint pain, chills, fatigue, cough, runny or stuffy nose, and sore and scratchy throat.

Flu can be confused with other diseases, so a clear diagnosis should be made by a doctor, who also prescribes treatment tactics.

What to do when you get the flu?

The patient himself, at the first symptoms, needs to stay at home, so as not only not to infect others, but also to take up treatment in time, for which it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor. To prevent the further spread of infection, the patient should be isolated from healthy people, it is desirable to allocate a separate room.

Important!

Parents! In any case, do not send sick children to kindergarten, school, or cultural events. With the flu, it is extremely important to observe bed rest, since the disease increases the load on the cardiovascular, immune and other systems of the body.

Self-medication for influenza is unacceptable, and it is the doctor who should diagnose and prescribe the necessary treatment that corresponds to the condition and age of the patient.

For proper treatment, it is necessary to strictly follow all the recommendations of the attending physician and take medications in a timely manner. In addition, it is recommended to drink plenty of water — it can be hot tea, cranberry or lingonberry juice, alkaline mineral water. You need to drink more often and as much as possible.

Important!

When coughing and sneezing, the patient should cover his mouth and nose with a handkerchief or napkin.
The room where the patient is located should be regularly ventilated and wet cleaning should be carried out as often as possible, preferably with the use of disinfectants that act on viruses.

Communication with a sick person with the flu should be limited, and when caring for him, use a medical mask or gauze bandage.