Every year thousands of people suffer from cold, cough, fever or simply upper respiratory tract infection, which is considered quite normal during seasonal change. Many people with these symptoms do not even seek doctor’s help; they go for over-the counter medicines or self-medication, which should be strictly avoided. The upper respiratory tract infection is also called as influenza or flu. More about influenza and its prevention is dealt in the article.
About Influenza
Influenza is a viral infection that causes symptoms like fever, chills, cold, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle ache, tiredness, ear pain, and sinus problems. It affects the nose, throat, and the lungs. Many people with flu usually recover within 2 weeks of infection, but in some, the infection leads to serious complications like pneumonia. It is said that about 10 – 20% of Americans suffer from flu every year, about 200,000 people visit the clinic with flu symptoms, and 36,000 people die due to flu and its complications. Influenza is a contagious disease that spreads through nasal drops that are coughed or sneezed into the surrounding air.
Influenza or the flu is caused by two basic types of virus – type A and type B both are capable of causing clinical illness in humans. These influenza viruses are responsible for seasonal flu each year. The evolution of a new flu results in influenza pandemic like the one that out-broke during the 2009 spring when the new H1N1 virus (influenza virus type A) was causing severe symptoms in people.
H1N1 virus
The name H1N1 rings an alarm in our mind due to it severe and major outbreak during the year 2009. H1N1 is an influenza type A virus that, apart from the common influenza virus, affects the respiratory tract. The H1N1 virus is also called as the swine flu virus because of its similarity with the flu virus in pigs (swine). It is a contagious (spreads by contact) disease that spreads through the air from an infected person and by direct contact with the respiratory droplets or from humans to humans. Though the H1N1 virus is called swine flu, and is similar to the flu virus found in pigs, consuming pork or pork products do not spread H1N1 virus. But remember to properly cook any meat or meat products.
People at risk
People at high risk of developing the influenza infection are
- Young children from 6 months to 19 years
- Adults above 50 years of age
- Women who are pregnant during the flu season
- People living in nursing homes or long term care facilities
- Care taker and people who handle house hold items of a 6 months old baby
- People with medical conditions like asthma, chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease, coronary artery disease, blood disorders, diabetes, liver disorder, kidney disorder, metabolic disorder, weak immune system, and people with neurological conditions
- Health care professionals who contact maximum number of infected people
- Morbidly obese people (Body mass index, BMI – 40 or greater)
Preventing influenza infection
The Center For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine. Individuals should get themselves vaccinated whenever the vaccine is available and during the flu season. As there are many different flu viruses, the flu vaccine is designed against the most common flu viruses. The flu vaccine is actually dead or weakened virus that when administered into the body, triggers the immune system and produces antibodies against the virus, and keeps the body ready with the antibodies to fight a live virus, when encountered. The CDC also states that people who fall under the high risk category should compulsorily get vaccinated. The flu vaccine is available as shot or as nasal sprays.
Apart from getting flu vaccination personal hygiene is also very important to stop spreading the virus. Practices like covering nose when coughing or sneezing, not touching eyes, nose, and mouth, and washing hands with soap or alcohol based hand rub are helpful. It is better to stay away from sick people. If sick, then staying home or working from home and limiting contact with other people is advised. Taking anti-viral drug if prescribed by the doctor may reduce the chances of infection. Healthy eating, regular exercises, and sleeping sufficiently help in preventing the spread of flu virus.
People who shouldn’t get flu shots
People who fall under any one of the following category should talk to their doctor before getting flu shots
- Had previous allergy to flu shots
- Had developed Guillain-Barre syndrome (side-effect that causes partial or complete loss of muscle movement, tingling sensation, and weakness) within 6 weeks of getting the flu shot
- Infants younger than 6 months of age
- Women in their first trimester of pregnancy
- Allergic to eggs
- People with moderate or severe illness should wait until they get better
People who shouldn’t get nasal-spray vaccine
People who fall under the following condition should avoid getting a nasal-spray vaccine.
- Children who are below 2 years of age
- Adults above 50 years of age
- People allergic to egg and egg products
- People with previous allergy to flu vaccine
- Individuals with weak immune system
- People with long term health issues
- Individuals suffering from diabetes, lung disease, kidney disease, and heart disease
- Women who are pregnant
- People with previous history of Guillain-Barré syndrome
- People who are on long-term aspirin therapy
Chances of flu after flu vaccine
People can get the flu even after being vaccinated, but the symptoms are milder than in people who are not vaccinated. The complications due to flu infection are also less severe. Flu after a flu vaccine is because it does not provide 100% protection. And every year people get vaccine containing 3 different strains (types) of virus. The type of virus chosen for the year is the one that scientists believe are most likely to cause the infection. If the chosen strain is right, then the vaccine is 70 to 90% successful in preventing flu in healthy adults. The vaccine is less likely to prevent the flu in people above 65 years of age.
Safety of vaccines
The flu vaccine is completely safe. But as the vaccination is nothing but dead or weakened viruses, the person is like to get fever along with sore arm, sore muscles, and tiredness for a short time if flu shot is taken. If nasal-spray vaccine is taken then symptoms like runny nose, cough, sore throat, and headache might be experienced.
Flu vaccine during pregnancy and nursing
As pregnant women are at higher risk of getting the infection during pregnancy, they can get the flu vaccine in form of shot and completely avoid getting nasal-spray vaccine. Researches also show that getting vaccinated during pregnancy also protects the baby from flu for the initial 5 months. Even breast-feeding women can get the flu vaccine; the flu vaccine does not have any side-effects on the baby and on the mother.
Anti-viral flu drugs
Many people do not require any drug as they get better without drugs. But for some people doctor decides to prescribe drugs in case it’s right for the patient. Anti-viral flu drugs are medicines that are prescribed by the doctor for flu symptoms. There are 4 anti-viral drugs that are approved to treat flu – amantadine, oseltamivir, rimantadine, and zanamavir. Taking these drugs within 2 days of feeling sick can reduce the symptoms, decreases the duration of illness, and lessens the spread of infection to other people. Three of the anti-viral drugs are shown to prevent the flu. But there are not substitutes for flu vaccine. They are generally used in hospitals, nursing homes; care centers where people are in close contact with each other and are at high risk of developing flu complications. And sometime these anti-viral drugs are given along with the flu vaccines to prevent flu until the vaccine takes charge.
For further information on flu, the Center For Disease Control And Prevention can be contacted.
Conclusion
It is always better to prevent than to struggle curing the disease. The symptoms of flu might sound very common and unserious but in some they can prove fatal also. The benefits of flu vaccines overshadows it risks and helps to prevent flu infection. So without wasting any more time, call the doctor and fix an appointment for flu vaccine, it’s time to wind up sick this winter.
