Medically Reviewed by Dr Muhammad Ashraf Shera
Influenza, more commonly known as flu is a much-anticipated possibility each year during the seasonal transition. One person in your house gets it, and a week later the whole family has their separate set of tissue boxes, cough drops, and vapor rubs. But, this year, the increasing number of flu-related deaths and the persistence of symptoms is reason enough to believe that this outburst is getting out of hand.
How did the flu become lethal?
While flu-related deaths are usually more commonly seen in children and elderly or those with any pre-existing conditions, an alarming percentage of healthy adults have reported developing fatal complications. The infection can go from simple cough and cold to a full-blown pneumonia attack, a possibility of it spreading to the bloodstream, causing a multi-organ infection. CDC global is attributing this on an influenza variant known as type A, which is very strong and pretty resistant to the influenza vaccine as well.
How to identify its seriousness?
Mostly, the flu symptoms subside within 3-7 days and can be treated with off-the-counter pain killers, fluids and rest. But, if you notice that the symptoms are prolonged and you are having difficulty breathing, it’s most certainly becoming serious.
What to do if I have the flu?
It’s better to not self-medicate yourself in this flu season, considering the complications. Once you have noticed the flu symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and body pain, visit the nearest available doctor to rule out the cause. They can treat you with anti-virals which can help you with getting rid of the symptoms as well as reduce the duration of the illness.
How to prevent cold & flu?
- If there are cases of flu already present in the city, the first thing to do is to avoid crowds.
- You must wash your hands regularly, avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, and mouth with your hands
- If you are the one who is the first victim in the family, stay in your room, take rest, increase your fluid intake and avoid going out so that you are not the one spreading the virus.
- Although vaccines are not 100% effective, it’s always better to get a shot since according to physicians; those who have gotten themselves vaccinated are likely to have less severe cases than those who have never gotten vaccinated.
The recent flu outbreak has even made this not-so-worrisome illness a subject of anxiety. The above-mentioned points will help you with ways on how to recognize, prevent and treat the illness.
