Flu - Informations

Informations about flu and advise how treat it

What is influenza?

Influenza or Flu is a viral infection of the upper/ lower respiratory tract, which affects birds and mammals and is marked with typical symptoms such as fever, chills and a general feeling of weakness and pain in muscles, head and abdomen.

The typical human flu that occurs every year is caused by influenza virus A, B or C. This virus passes from human to human all year and in fact, never disappears completely. When the weather gets cold, the threat of the infection rises several times. People tend to spend more time together inside, the air is drier, which is not good for the respiratory tract as such and the viruses may remain longer on exposed surfaces such as doorknobs,etc. Even though there are vaccinations accessible to avoid the virus, or at least it´s most critical stages, the virus keeps mutating, so the protection is never 100% certain.

The flu affects individuals of all ages, however children and the elderly are those most at risk. Infection is usually a result of inhalation of the droplets from coughing and sneezing, which are already infected. The incubation time takes for about one or two days after which some of the typical symptoms take place: chills, muscular pain, high fever (up to 40°C or even more) and overall feeling of weakness accompanied by irritation in throat and sometimes also coughing and breathing complications. The fever, however tends to fall after three or four days. Death tolls are often high as due to great amounts of the infected. Death is usually caused by some complications such as pneumonia or bronchitis occuring often among older weakened people.

There are three main types of flu known as Influenza A, B and C as well as many other subtypes which tend to be different every season as due to their constant evolution. Despite all of the 3 main types of flu share very similar syptoms, they are quite different.
- The A viruses are the most common, occur in many subtypes and cause the most serious epidemics
- The B viruses do less harm
- The C viruses are not responsible for causing any harm to the humans at all.