The Symptoms of Influenza

by Max Jones | Dec 14, 2014 | anti fungal, Uncategorized | 0 comments

The flu is one of the most common diseases today. Flu is caused by the influenza virus. Flu is more commonly found in children as the virus attacks the weaker immune system in the children. An adult who is suffering from Influenza usually has the infection for around six of seven days. Whereas, children get affected by the Influenza virus more severely and usually the infection persists for around ten days.

It is highly important to recognize the infection at an early stage. Sadly, the influenza virus actually starts to show the symptoms of the flu after around one day of the virus actually being present in the body. However, you should know what the influenza symptoms are so that it can be treated faster. Another reason why you should be aware of the symptoms of the flu is the fact that the influenza virus is contagious and can be passed from one person to another person very easily. In order to avoid spreading the disease or the infection to any other person, we must be aware of the influenza symptoms.

There are many symptoms of flu which include fever, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, diarrhoea and vomiting. When the person first gets infected, the initial influenza symptoms are headaches, chills, and a cough. The other symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, and muscle aches soon follow. In children symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea are found quiet common. However adults rarely suffer from these influenza symptom

Studies suggest that for influenza, the hospitalization rate for children under 5 years of age were second only to the hospitalization rate in people over 65 years of age. School-aged children have the highest infection rates both during and between epidemics, and they are likely to be infected early in the season. Households with school-aged children have infection rates 30% above the average rate.
Sometimes people mistake bad cold for influenza. It is important to know the difference.

Symptoms and Complications of Influenza

There are certain people other than children who are at high risk of getting the influenza virus. These people run a high risk for complications of the flu. They include people 65 years or older, people with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women, and young children. If you develop similar symptoms and especially if you are at high risk for complications of the flu, consulting a health care provider is very important.

Like mentioned earlier, normally the duration of the flu should not be more than a few days. However, sometimes in case of complications the flu can last up to a month. Secondary bacterial infection of the sinuses or lungs (pneumonia) is the main complication that occurs in flu. The symptoms of flu that follow include fever along with chills and a yellow, green, or brown sputum or nasal discharge. In the case of children, the main complication is ear infections like Otitis Media.
Risk of getting infected with influenza is high for people with weak immune systems. But people who work in nursing homes are at a higher risk of complications. People who suffer from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or congestive heart failure are also at a higher risk of developing bacterial infections like pneumonia.