Joseph R. Anticaglia MD
Medical Advisory Board
Most people would agree that the flu is more troublesome than a cold. Influenza (flu) is a contagious viral infection that targets your nose, throat, larynx and lungs. Flu virus droplets spread through the air when people sneeze, talk or cough. You can also contract the virus by touching a surface with the virus and then touching your nose or mouth.
The symptoms vary from mild to severe and in some instances can result in death. Influenza is particularly worrisome because it can cause necrosis of lung tissue, leading to bacterial bronchitis and pneumonia. It is the bacterial complications that are most worrisome.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2013 influenza and pneumonia accounted for almost fifty seven thousand deaths. This deadly combination is especially potent in susceptible individuals. Those at high risk are:
- Young children (particularly children under two years of age)
- The elderly (over 65 years of age)
- Those in confined areas (e.g. nursing homes, school children)
- Pregnant women
- The chronically ill (diabetes, asthma, heart-lung conditions)
- Compromised immune system: (HIV, patients receiving chemotherapy)
Flu symptoms start suddenly, unlike a cold, and they are usually limited to the flu season. After you’ve been exposed to the flu, it takes a few days (1-4 days) for the symptoms to appear and you’re contagious one day before and for about a week after you get sick (5-7 days or longer).
People complain of muscle or body aches, tiredness – “I feel wiped-out” – and headache. Other symptoms may be coughing, stuffy or runny nose, fever/chills and sore throat.
There are three main types of influenza virus.
- Type A
- Type B
- Type C
Type C causes an infrequent, minor illness. Type A cause the great majority of influenza. A & B produce clinically similar pictures and symptoms as noted above. The lethal 1918 influenza outbreak that lasted from 1918-1919 was a type A virus that killed anywhere from twenty to forty million people!
This flu season, manufacturers are scheduled to provide Americans with 175 million doses of the flu vaccine to combat influenza. And there is no guarantee that this vaccine will prevent you from getting the flu.
Peter laments, “I got the flu shot this year, but it didn’t help. I got the flu anyway/”
Recent studies show that the flu vaccine works about 55% of the time among the general population. This happens even when viruses in the vaccine are closely matched, i.e. the seasonal flu vaccine produces antibodies in your body that are closely related to the viruses circulating among people. This good match provides a degree of protection against the infection.
It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to be at full strength in your body to fight the attacking flu virus. If you’re not healthy, exposed to viruses before your body is at full strength after vaccination or if there is a mismatch, you are at greater risk of contracting influenza. The flu virus subtypes or strains change every year and cause havoc for us and the experts.
These viruses all too often outmaneuver and outsmart us. They change their makeup, break down our defenses, invade our bodies and cause infection and deaths. But there are things we can do to protect ourselves against the flu. The CDC recommends that you:
- Get a flu vaccine each year
- Wash your hands with soap
- Drink lots of fluids, get plenty of rest, cover your cough
- Acetamenophen, ibuprofen for pain
- No aspirin to minimize the risk of Reye’s Syndrome
Make an appointment to see your doctor if you have flu symptoms and are at high risk for complications or if the flu is getting worse. Most people do not take the flu lightly and for good reason.
References
CDC Influenza; Selecting the Viruses in the Seasonal Flu Vaccine.
CDC Influenza, Key Facts About Influenza and Flu Vaccine.
Paterson, KD; Pyle, GF (Spring 1991) The geography and mortality of the 1918 influenza pandemic.
This article is intended solely as a learning experience. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options.