The truth about Influenza

     People are not fully aware of what influenza or flu is and what damage it can do to our bodies. Mostly, people tend to misinterpret influenza. Several diseases cause cough, fever, body aches, which are typical of the flu.

     Influenza or "flu" is an infection of the respiratory tract that can affect millions of people every year. It is virus is called the influenza virus. It can spread from person-to-person through mists or squirts of infectious respiratory secretions caused by coughing and sneezing. After the initial "flu-like" symptoms, cough, congestion, and sore throat become worse in most cases; you may also have abdominal symptoms (stomach ache, nausea, and vomiting). Muscle aches and pains can be bad enough to make walking difficult. Usually the symptoms subside within a week or so.

     In small children, influenza can also cause bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small air passages of the lungs). There are many other potential complications of influenza infection. Based on the observation of the experts, they see a temporary suppression of white blood cell production, which can make a child more susceptible to some bacterial infections.

     There are three types of influenza viruses, influenza A, B and C. Influenza A can infect humans and other animals while influenza B and C infect humans. Influenza C virus causes a very mild illness and does not cause epidemics.

     This virus affects all age groups and causes moderate to severe illness, loss of school and work, and complications such as pneumonia, hospitalization, and death.

     Some say that influenza is a common virus, but do we really know the full extent of what it can do to our life? By being keen and observant, doing proper hand washing, and avoiding crowds during outbreaks, we can help prevent what we called influenza virus.

Original essay by Patricia Nicole
September 10, 2004