What is Influenza?
Influenza is an acute, highly contagious disease caused by an RNA virus of the orthomyxoviridae family. It is commonly known as the flu or the grippe. This disease in most common in October and May. It lasts from three to five days and can be followed by fatigue for two or three weeks.
It is characterised by a runny nose, sore throat, headache, fever and aching muscles and joints. The flu is very easily spread from one person to other through infected droplets coming from infected person's coughs or sneezes. It can also be spread through direct contact with infected people.
Influenza is an illness, generally caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract. Compared with most other viral respiratory infections, such as the common cold , influenza infection are the most serious one.
What Are The Causes Of Influenza?
The influenza is caused by three types of viruses - influenza A, B and C. Influenza types A and B are responsible for the respiratory disease that occurs almost every winter. Influenza type C usually causes a very mild disease often without symptoms.
This virus usually passes from one person to other through airborne transmission (i.e., sneezing or coughing). But, the virus can also live for a short time on objects (on which infected droplets landed) - such as door knobs, pens, pencils, keyboards, telephone receivers, and eating or drinking utensils.
Therefore, flu can also be spread through touching surfaces on which infected droplets landed or has been handled by someone infected with the virus and then touching it to your open parts like - mouth, nose, or eyes. Influenza virus may also be spread by inhaling droplets that have been coughed or sneezed out by an infected person.
Symptoms
Some people often confuse flu with a common cold - seeing the initial symptoms which are usually common in both, but flu symptoms tend to develop quickly and are more severe than the typical sneezing and stuffiness of a cold .
Influenza usually comes on suddenly and its Symptoms may include:
Fever (38° C to 40° C).
Muscle and Body Aches.
Dizziness.
Loss of Appetite.
Headache.
Tiredness (can be extreme).
Runny Nose.
Diarrhea.
Nausea which may also be accompanied with vomiting.
Weakness.
Ear Infection.
Indigestion.
These symptoms are usually referred to as "flu-like symptoms."
Some of the Common Home Remedies are given below:
Get Vaporized - Plugging in a vaporizer and resting in bed for atleast two days can make you feel better. It can also help relieve a painful sore throat and loosen dried mucus.
Drink Lot of Water - Drink lots and lots of water everyday. Especially, when you are suffering from flu then your body gets dehydrated more easily, so drinking more liquid is very much essential - liquids in the form of water, fruit juice, decaffeinated soft drinks can be taken.
Long Pepper - Long Pepper is one of the best known home remedies for the treatment of influenza. Suffering patient may be given half a teaspoon of powder of long pepper, mixed with two teaspoons of honey and half a teaspoon of juice of ginger - This mixture should be taken thrice daily, till you see some improvement.
Gargle with Salt Water - To relieve a sore throat, a main symptoms of influenza - the person may gargle with salt water, prepared by mixing one teaspoon of salt in one glass of luke warm water.
Onion and Honey - Suffering patient may be given mixture of equal amounts of onion juice and honey. One teaspoon of this mixture can be given to the person, three to four times daily.
Vitamins and Minerals - Vitamins and Minerals - especially Vitamin C and Zinc are very good for treating influenza, they also boost your immune system and also increase number of while blood cells in your body, to help you fight with germs more effectively.