A Look Into Influenza

Everybody has a little knowledge about the disease influenza. You are probably one of the lucky ones if you have never experienced the disease. Although it is something that can be cured with common medicines today, it is worth noting that influenza was once one of the deadliest diseases on the planet.

What It Is

Influenza is more commonly known to us as the flu. It is caused by the influenza virus, or what is known to the medical community as RNA viruses. They are called RNA viruses because they contain genetic material and can mutate. Influenza is infectious and is airborne which means it can be passed on from one person to the next. This is why if you know anybody who has the flu, it is best to stay away from that person until he or she is completely cured of it. Likewise, if you have the flu, you should stay away from others so that you won’t increase the threat of spreading it around. Typically, the virus is transmitted from person to person via coughing and sneezing. But since this is a disease of mammals and birds, you can actually get the flu from infected birds through bird droppings.

What Are The Symptoms?

Getting to know influenza means getting to know when it is around and you can tell this just by observing the symptoms. These are usually a fever, a headache, coughing, weakness of the bones and body, muscle pains and pretty much just general discomfort. A person who has the flu might even feel dizzy and not be able to perform properly in daily tasks. The most common symptom is high fever. Now, although the flu can be cured, it can also be dangerous because it can mutate into something worse like pneumonia. This disease can be fatal especially to younger people and the elderly. The flu is not the common cold and should be treated as something severe. Some other symptoms that are rare may include vomiting, nausea, and also something that is known as “stomach flu” which has something to do with the disrupting of the stomachs acids that create uncomfortable gases and therefore pain in the stomach.

What Should I Do If I Have It?

The first thing that you should do if you have the flu is to make sure that you do not spread it. This means that you should isolate yourself as much as possible. Stay in your room and get lots of rest. It is also important that you drink a lot of liquids so that you can entice your body to sweat the flu out. If you drink or smoke, these are activities that you should avoid because your immune system has been weakened and you should therefore not take in harmful substances that can cause further damage. Lastly, take all the right medications that are prescribed to you by a doctor. A doctor will probably prescribe you with antibiotics to battle the strain of flu that you might have.