About Common Cold and Influenza - What is the Difference (III)

By Knut Holt

THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF INFLUENZA

As with common cold staying away from people being sick and a strict washing regime may also prevent the transmission of the influenza virus, but such a regime is difficult to carry through.

It is often possible to prevent flu with vaccination. However there are many strains of the flu viruses, and therefore the vaccination must be given exactly against that strain being epidemic at any given time.

By flu it is important to reduce the activity level and keep oneself warm and comfortable until all the symptoms have resided. By severe symptoms, rest in bed is recommended. Straining and stressing during a flu episode easily result in an aggravated disease and additional bacterial or viral infections.

It is advised to stay away from tobacco when having flu.

Aspirin or paracetamol can be used to relieve the pain and bring down the fever. As by cold, paracetamol is commonly recommended, especially for children and teens. The drugs should not be taken in higher doses than recommended and even recommended does shall be used with caution, and not too long.

There exist modern drugs that help against the proliferation of some strains of influenza virus in the body, and thereby alleviate the disease and shorten the time it takes to get rid of the disease. The two classes of anti-virals are neuraminidase inhibitors and M2 inhibitors (adamantane derivatives). Neuraminidase inhibitors are most often preferred, for example the drug Tamiflu. These inhibit the action of the enzyme neuramidase that the virus uses. There is a reluctance to use these drugs because strains of virus not susceptible to the drug can develop, and the stores of the drug can easily get short with extensive use.

Drugs to decrease swelling, inhibit mucus production, loosen mucus and suppress cough can also be used by influenza as by common cold.

The same natural supplements used to improve the immune system against colds may also be of help to prevent flu and to help the body to overcome the disease faster, like supplements with Echinacea and vitamin c. Some herbs in the genus Scutellaria (skullcaps) contain a natural neuramidase inhibitor and may also help against flu. Scullcap is often prepared as tea.

DISTINGUISH COLD AND FLU FROM MENINGITIS

Meningitis is a serious disease that requires immediate treatment. Meningitis may begin with the same symptoms as cold and flu. There are however two symptoms that strongly suggest meningitis:

By meningitis there is often severe neck stiffness. If bending down the neck is very difficult and causes severe pain, the condition may be meningitis.

The other symptom is red spots in the skin that do not get pale when pressing at them. These spots can occur anywhere on the body.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHECKING A PERSON HAVING COLD OR FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS

When some person, and especially a child, gets sick with cold or flu-like symptoms it is necessary to measure the temperature, check for neck stiffness and to look at the whole body to detect any red spots. These checks should be done several times each 24 hours. In this way one more easily distinguishes between common cold and flu, and meningitis is more easily discovered in time.

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Flu Season: The Most Miserable Time Of The Year!

by Richard H Ealom

Introduction
Flu (influenza) season means the months of the year when a lot of people have it and it's easy to catch. Outbreaks usually begin suddenly and occur mainly in the late fall and winter. It is a respiratory infection caused by a number of different viruses. Vaccines are usually given in the fall, before flu season starts and are available as a shot or nasal mist. Shots are most important for: people 65 or older, nursing home patients, children over 6 months old, people with health problems such as asthma or with long-term diseases, such as HIV or heart disease, children or teen-agers who must often take aspirin, people who are often around older people or those with health problems. Symptoms can be mild or severe …#34; and if they’re mild can become severe without notice.

Symptoms

If you get infected by the virus, you will usually feel symptoms 1 to 4 days later. Signs of the flu may include: fever, chills, headache, muscle ache, dizziness, loss of appetite, tiredness, cough, sore throat, runny nose, nausea or vomiting, weakness, ear pain, diarrhea. They come on suddenly and are worse than those of the common cold however; having these symptoms does not automatically mean that you have the flu. Many different illnesses, including the common cold, can have similar symptoms. It is very difficult to distinguish the flu from other infections on the basis of these signs alone.

If you develop flu-like symptoms and are concerned about your illness, especially if you are at high risk for complications, you should consult your health-care provider. Based on your signs, your doctor can usually tell if you have influenza, especially during times when a lot of it is going around. After 5 days, fever and other signs have usually disappeared, but a cough and weakness may continue for a while. All symptoms are usually gone within a week or two.

Vaccine

Two kinds of flu vaccines are available in the United States: The "flu shot" …#34; an in-activated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm OR the nasal-spray …#34; a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause influenza (sometimes called LAIV for “live attenuated influenza vaccine” or FluMist®). On October 24, 2007 CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended expanding the use of the nasal influenza vaccine LAIV (FluMist) to include healthy children ages 2-4 years old without a history of asthma or recurrent wheezing.

Anyone who's at risk of getting really sick needs to get a flu shot, or vaccine. It’s good for kids who are around older people and younger kids (like little brothers and sisters) to get the vaccine also. If you get the vaccine, or shot, it will protect you from getting a bad case of the flu. Whichever one you get, you need to get a new vaccine every year because the flu virus changes every year and the vaccine is created to fight the viruses that are going to be a problem that year. The flu vaccine is usually offered between September and mid-November, although it may be given at other times of the year. Because it prevents infection from only a few of the viruses floating around that can cause flu-like symptoms, it is not a guaranteed protection against getting sick. Call your doctor or local public health department about availability in your area.

Treatment

Many people treat their flu by simply Resting in bed, Drinking plenty of fluids, Taking over-the-counter medicine such as aspirin or acetaminophen (Tylenol). You can develop complications if you get a bacterial infection, which can cause pneumonia in your weakened lungs. Treatment is usually not necessary for children, but if the illness is diagnosed early and the patient is at risk of developing a severe case, it can and should be started. Treatment will only help however; If started early and only if the illness is actually influenza. Treatment includes bed rest and plenty of fluids; anti-viral drugs may also be prescribed.

Conclusion

Influenza usually starts suddenly and may include the following symptoms: Fever (usually high), Headache, Tiredness (can be extreme), Cough, Sore throat, Runny or stuffy nose, Body aches, Diarrhea and vomiting (more common among children than adults). A doctor's exam may be needed to tell whether you have developed the flu or a complication. There are tests that can determine if you have influenza as long as you are tested within the first 2 or 3 days of illness. In some people, the illness can cause serious complications, including bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes. The flu can cause mild to severe illness and at times can lead to death.

Although most healthy people recover from the flu without complications, some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), are at high risk for serious complications. The virus usually spreads from person to person in respiratory droplets when people who are infected cough or sneeze. People occasionally may become infected by touching something with the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes. The single best way to protect yourself and others against influenza is to get a vaccination each year.

The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease). October or November is the best time to get vaccinated, but getting vaccinated in December or even later can still be beneficial since most influenza activity occurs in January or later in most years.

About the Author
Richard H. Ealom is the Author of this article and the creator of "Free Articles On Diseases: How To Prevent and Cure Them". Need more information Please visit our website @ http://rainydrops.com/a-flu/flu.php or http://rainydrops.com/alternative-orthodox.php