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

By Knut Holt


THE CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND COMPLICATIONS OF INFLUENZA

Like cold, influenza is caused by virus strains that mutate frequently, but there tend to be one main virus strain each year that spread throughout the globe.

The transmission of the disease occurs by secretions from sick persons. These secretions can be carried as drops through the air, contaminate surfaces people touch, or get into the food. Symptoms start one to four days after the virus has entered the body.

Flu often begins as a diffuse lack of wellness that persists for some hours, and sometimes for a couple of days. Sometimes the flu does not progress past this stage. However, after some time the symptoms often suddenly get worse with a great degree of general discomfort. By flu the symptoms from the windpipe are the same as by common cold, but they are weaker:
- The throat or nose feels sore, but usually mildly.
- There can be some increased secretions from the nose and throat.
- There will be swelling in the nose and throat.
- Cough and sneezing are symptoms.

Symptoms from the rest of the body are the strongest by flu. The symptoms can be distributed throughout the whole body:

- Flu often gives high fever. High fever is the most important symptom to separate influenza from common cold.
- In spite of the fever, there is often a feeling of coldness in some parts of the body or of general coldness.
- There will be nausea, often severe, and often vomiting. Severe nausea and vomiting are also good indications of influenza, especially by children and teens.
- There is often a marked feeling of tiredness and general weakness.
- Mild to severe headache is common.
- Stomach ache and digestive disturbances often occur by flu.
- Aching around in the body, for example in muscles and around joints is common.
- Some persons experience a little neck stiffness and pain in the neck when trying to flex it, but this symptom must not be great. If these symptoms are distinct, the disease can be meningitis.
- The eyes can be read and irritated.
- Also skin redness can occur.

Having flu decreases the resistance against other viral and bacterial diseases substantially, especially if one does not get enough rest and comfort when having flu. Lung infection and throat infection by bacteria are common complications by flu.

High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease and Influenza

By Stephen Morgan

Wow, the above title sounds a real mouthful but the reason for it is this. Apparently, (listen up at the back please) the yearly Winter Flu Jab can help reduce the number of fatal heart attacks, incidence of death and the number of unplanned emergency procedures that require work on the clogged arteries of patients with Coronary Artery Disease,

“Way to go, lets all pile down the Doc’s and get jabbed”

Without being accused of making too much of a joke about the above topic there is growing evidence apparently suggesting that people with Heart Disease or Heart Trouble generally should get a shot of the flu vaccination every year.

If you think about it the underlying logic behind it all is extremely sound. It is a common fact that people with Cardiovascular problems die of influenza every year, in fact in greater proportions that the norm. Therefore if you can prevent them getting influenza in the first place then you are a major step forward to preventing these deaths.

The key is that with patients already at high risk of deterioration in their condition could really be either put at the edge or over it health wise without this vaccination.

The latest study that has all the medical community talking was presented at the recent American Heart Association meeting in Chicago by a Research Group presenting its findings from their studies in Poland.

The problem with replicating the study in America was that in Poland the research involved 658 patients who had Coronary Heart Disease and the methodology of the survey would be deemed unethical in the US. They took 325 of them and gave them an active Influenza Vaccine and with the other 333, they gave them a placebo.

The problem with doing this in the US is that guidelines prevent them from doing it recommending that Heart Patients get the flu shots.

The real problem that this whole exercise has highlighted is this. The findings were extremely useful because of the parallel groupings etc in that their base terms of reference were almost identical i.e. they all had Heart Disease. This gave the research an extra form of validation but the reliance on the guidelines in the US against replicating this survey there has highlighted another major inconsistency.

According to the American College of Cardiology, only one out of every three Adults in the US with Heart Disease actually received the Influenza jab last year.

So much for adhering to guidelines preventing further research and a recommendation that every heart patient should get a flu vaccination. It would appear to be a case of “do what I say and not what I do!”

Stephen Morgan is principle Editor at Living with High Blood Pressure and also writes for High Blood Pressure and Heart Attacks

Winter flu doubles the risk of heart attacks and stroke

Scientists in Britain say a dose of winter infections such flu can double the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

An extensive study by scientists from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine's Medical Statistics Unit has revealed that the risk did not depend on age or gender and victims are twice as likely to be affected in the week after catching a respiratory infection.

For the comprehensive study the scientists examined two million patients registered with approximately 500 GPs and found the increased risks associated with flu were a 'substantial public health problem' that kills thousands of people every year.

The research has prompted renewed calls from experts and campaigners for all those with heart disease to have the flu jab in order to minimise their risk.

The GP database was used to identify all cases of a first-time diagnosis of MI or stroke and it was found of the 300,000 people who suffer heart attacks in Britain each year, 117,000 of them are fatal and more than 130,000 people in England and Wales suffer a stroke each year.

The scientists believe that infections such as flu dislodges fatty deposits that build up in the arteries, leaving them free to move around the body and clog up the brain or heart where they block the blood flow.

Around 23,000 more people die in winter than in summer and of the two million people whose GP records were studied, 11,000 had suffered a heart attack and were twice as likely to have been diagnosed with flu or a respiratory infection in the previous month.

The 9,000 who had suffered a stroke were twice as likely to have been diagnosed with a respiratory infection in the past three days.

The researchers say the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke tailed off with time, and by three months after being diagnosed with flu there was only a 'slightly increased risk' of either complaint.

Professor Tom Meade and Dr. Tim Clayton, co-authors of the study, say heart attacks and strokes brought on by flu could account for several thousand of winter deaths and vaccinating against respiratory complaints could have a significant effect on lowering the numbers of victims.

The winter flu season usually begins in December or January and last for two months; free vaccinations are available for over-65s and patients with certain illnesses such as asthma.

Britain has not had a flu epidemic for a number of years and experts say one is due; they say influenza is a serious infection, particularly in patients with heart disease and they recommend anyone with heart disease have the flu jab.

The research was funded by the British Heart Foundation and is published in the journal Heart.

Respiratory Infections in Winter Associated With High Heart Attack Risk

Researchers at London School of Hygiene have revealed that respiratory infections can double the risk of heart attacks and strokes in winters

It has been found that there is a sturdy increase in the number of deaths from coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke during the winter months.

The study led by Tim Clayton and Tom Meade of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine's Medical Statistics Unit suggests that the benefit of reducing respiratory infection, either through ensuring high immunisation rates or by treating and preventing infection, may be substantial.

Clayton said that the data provides a strong evidence for a linking the infection with heart problems.

"These data add to the growing body of evidence linking respiratory infection with subsequent risk of cardiovascular events. However, the absolute risk of such an event to an individual with respiratory infection remains low," said Clayton.

Dr. Mike Knapton, Director of Prevention and Care at the British Heart Foundation who funded the research also said that influenza could cause heart attacks.

"We recommend that anyone with heart disease has the flu jab. Influenza is a serious infection, particularly in patients with heart disease such as heart failure, and it could even trigger a heart attack," said Knapton.

"Flu is a potential killer and heart patients are offered the flu jab for free, no matter what their age."

"We strongly recommend they take up the offer to give themselves protection against the flu," he added.

The research is published in the online edition of the European Heart Journal.