Influenza: types of influenza, symptoms, treatment, prevention

Influenza is a viral disease transmitted by airborne droplets, affecting the respiratory system, which is part of the ARVI group, causing severe complications, such as pneumonia, hearing loss, vision, death.

Annually, in addition to the known, new viruses with altered RNA, causing the flu, appear. Types of influenza A, B, C. Each year there are bursts of epidemics.

It is considered that the virus of group C is the least dangerous, since it does not cause epidemics, limited only to respiratory diseases without coughing and fever.

The virus of group A includes the following strains: H1N1, H1N2, H3N2. Previously, not known the most dangerous strain of influenza A / H1N1, or swine flu, without timely, adequate treatment can lead to death.

Constant modification or mutation of the virus allows it to easily evade the immunity of the carrier (human, birds, artiodactyls). While the previously infected carrier is susceptible to influenza throughout life, that is, the host's body produces antibodies against the virus that caused the flu. The types of influenza that attacked a person or an animal will not be perceived in the future by the immune system and will stun the body again, and until the time of antibody production the disease will proceed at full speed.

Most people have innate immunity, but you can resort to vaccination.

Every year, more than 25 percent of the world's population develops seasonal influenza, the number of fatal cases associated with this disease ranges from 3,500 to 50,000 (an average of 38,900 a year).

Seasonal flu affects people every year from the beginning of September to the end of May, while there is unstable raw weather.

Symptoms of seasonal flu

Often a person can not always immediately distinguish seasonal flu from a cold, as the symptoms are quite similar: sputum production, thick discharge, nasal congestion, headache, weakness, heaviness in muscles and joints, fever. Although the majority of the disease passes within seven days without any medical assistance, it is still very dangerous to treat the disease on its own, without the participation of specialists, in some cases it is fraught with complications.

Complications of influenza can occur in:

• Bacterial pneumonia;
• Sinusitis, deafness, infectious diseases of the inner ear;
• Dehydration of the body;
• Inflammation of the heart muscle.

There is a certain group of people for whom any influenza virus can be very dangerous:

• Elderly men aged sixty-two;
• Women from sixty-seven years of age and older;
• Babies and preschoolers.

Treatment of seasonal influenza is recommended to be carried out with such drugs as "Teraflu", "Kodelak", "Panadol", "Doctor Mom".

Prevention measures that are most effective against a viral disease: wearing an antiviral dressing, timely vaccination, the use of an antiseptic for hand disinfection, the intake of vitamins, and the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Avian influenza in humans

Signs of H5N1 flu are similar to the initial symptoms of the seasonal virus: fever, cough, heaviness in the muscles. In this case, the developed complications in the form of pneumonia or breathing problems result in a lethal outcome in 70-85% of cases. The severity of the disease depends on the patient's immunity or vaccination and on how dangerous this strain of influenza is for a single organism.

The largest number of infected H5N1 was recorded in Mexico, Taiwan, Japan, Canada. Currently, there are no cases recorded by medicine, when the carrier of the H5N1 virus was a human, but the bird flu continues to be a disease that can be fatal.

Prevention of a dangerous disease

There is no reliable data on the transmission of the avian influenza virus from humans to humans, but there have been cases when infection occurred by direct contact with an infected bird or through surfaces contaminated by faecal masses of feathered peddlers.

Infection from meat or eggs is impossible, since heat treatment kills the virus.

To protect yourself from the virus, you must:

1. You can eat only eggs and meat after careful heat treatment for thirty minutes at 60-65 degrees;
2. Wash hands with soap for at least twenty seconds, use an antiseptic in situations where full washing is impossible.
3. Cook poultry meat on a separate cutting board and in a separate bowl.
4. Remove from the diet raw eggs and eggs with semi-salty (liquid) yolk.
5. Avoid contact with an infected person, if contact was unavoidable, temperature should be measured for three days at least twice a day, and follow the symptoms within a week.
6. During a pandemic and in dealing with a patient, it is recommended to wear a mask, changing it every three hours.
7. Eat fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C.

Remember! Annual vaccination against seasonal influenza does not contribute to the development of immunity against avian influenza.

Effective drugs for the treatment of the H5N1 virus

In detecting early symptoms of avian flu, patients are prescribed broad-spectrum inhibitors, such as neuraminidases.

Usually, drugs: "Oziltamivir", "Zanimivir", "Relenza" are used for medicinal treatment. If the temperature is raised to 38 degrees, it is recommended to use antipyretic, for example, paracetamol. When complicating the disease and suspected of pneumonia, antibiotics are prescribed.

In some cases, the use of "Antihypin", "Analgin", "Aspirin" can lead to serious consequences, for example, deafness.

H1N1 or a new flu, known as pork

For the first time, cases of swine flu infection were recorded in the United Kingdom (England) in 2009, within a few months the virus spread to two hundred countries, across all continents.

As a rule, the symptoms of all viral infections are very similar, and the swine flu is no exception. Types of influenza, such as A and C, have the same symptoms as H1N1, but unlike it, they are not so painful and do not give complications in the form of pulmonary pneumonia.

Symptoms of the H1N1 virus

Infectious patients have a temperature increase of 38-40 degrees, pathological migraines, nasal congestion combined with a runny nose, swelling of the throat, fatigue, dry cough and shortness of breath, heaviness in muscles and joints, signs of poisoning.

The course of the disease depends on the health status and immune system of the individual, but according to the data, all those infected with H1N1 flu began treatment in the first seven days of the disease, so the treatment was successful and without complications.

Risk group

In case of infection by a virus into a risk group:

• Women in the 1-3 trimester of pregnancy;
• Elderly people at the age of sixty years;
• Babies and children under seven;
• People suffering from chronic diseases: pneumonia, pyelonephritis, diabetes, congenital heart disease, cholecystitis, seasonal asthma.

If symptoms of H1N1 are detected, you should consult a doctor if there is no way to call an ambulance, you can start treatment with antiviral drugs: "Temiflu", "Relenza", "Zanomovir", to strengthen the effect, the shock dose should be taken in the first forty-eight hours.

Swine flu in children is treated mainly with "Temiflu" and "Relenza", but they should be used with extreme caution, since probably side effects such as: heaviness in the abdomen, migraine, signs of acute poisoning.

New flu can be suppressed with timely vaccination, it is especially important to vaccinate people at risk.

Avoid infection if you do not neglect the following measures:

• Use a disposable napkin for coughing and sneezing;
• Observe the hygiene of the hands and face;
• Ventilate the premises, maintain the cleanliness of household items;
• Use a protective bandage;
• To carry out a timely vaccination.

Swine flu in children is usually epidemic.

The most bloody influenza virus in history

"Spaniard", or Spanish flu - a virus that has claimed a huge number of lives in the history of human existence. From history it is known that in 1920-1921 (for 20 months) more than 600 million people were infected, i.е. 30 percent of the world's population. According to the number of deaths, this epidemic is among the most large-scale disasters in the history of mankind. The virus that causes such dangerous epidemics - A / 1HN1.

Symptoms of the disease:

1. Gray-blue complexion.
2. Cyanosis.
3. Infectious pneumonia.
4. Coughing with blood.
5. The more severe stages are accompanied by the presence of blood in the lungs, which subsequently leads to death from suffocation.

The disease can pass and is asymptomatic, but in this case the patient dies in a few days.

The Spanish flu got its name because of the place in which the pandemic was first recorded - in Spain.

Gastric Influenza

Types of influenza, such as rotavirus infection or gastroenteritis, are not actually considered to be influenza, since the causative agent of the disease is calicivirus, which leads to inflammation of the human gastrointestinal tract. In general, this disease affects children under the age of seven, and in rare cases, adults. At the same time, intestinal flu in adults with a strong immune system can proceed in a latent form, full recovery in this case occurs within a week.

Usually, the virus enters the body with non-observance of personal hygiene. In people, the gastric flu was called "disease of dirty hands."

Symptoms and treatment of gastric flu

A few hours before the appearance of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea appears cough with phlegm, signs of sore throat, runny nose, which go through a few days.

When the first signs of the disease appear, you should consult a doctor who will prescribe medicinal enzymes to improve the digestive tract, such as "Activated Carbon", "Filtrum", "Smecta", "Polysorb".

Quarantine for influenza

Quarantine is a measure aimed at preventing viral diseases. The term of quarantine, depending on the severity of the disease and the number of infected, is an average of one week.

Most often, quarantine for influenza at school or kindergarten is announced, this is due to the fact that the immune system in the child is not yet formed, and the body can not resist infection.

Quarantine is declared if more than 20 percent of children are absent from the school.

Before the expected epidemic, it is necessary to vaccinate adults and children (with the permission of the parents), to ventilate the premises, disinfect the work surfaces, and avoid a large crowd of people. It is important to remember, during the quarantine period for influenza or ARVI, preventive vaccinations and Mantoux reaction are prohibited.

Preventive measures for influenza

Doctors are recommended as a preventive measure to strengthen their body and immunity throughout the year with the help of hardening, physical education, proper nutrition and intake of vitamins and minerals. The most effective way is vaccination against influenza two to three months before the expected epidemic. In addition, in public places it is necessary to wear protective masks, changing them every three hours.