Influenza, also known as a common flu, is an infection caused by the influenza virus, which has several subtypes that cause recurrent infections, especially in children up to age 5 and in the elderly and can be easily transmitted from person to person by drops. suspended in the air when coughing, sneezing or talking, for example.
Flu symptoms can be quite uncomfortable, with fever, general discomfort, body pain and nasal discharge, for example. Symptoms usually go away after a few days with just rest and a healthy diet, as the immune system is able to fight the infection without any additional treatment.
- While it is a very common disease.
- It is normal that there are still several doubts about the common flu.
- Therefore.
- We list below the most common doubts about the common flu and clarify what a myth is and what is true:.
Truth. Influenza is more common in winter because cold slows the movement of eyelashes that exist in the airways and acts by filtering the air and eliminating microorganisms.
In addition, the environment is drier and people stay indoors longer, which promotes the spread of the virus and disease transmission.
Myth. Influenza is caused by a virus, which means that a person only gets sick if they come into contact with the virus, which does not happen when taking a hot bath and then going into the cold.
Myth. The common cold is caused by the rhinovirus virus, which can also cause flu-like signs and symptoms, but it does not usually cause fever and symptoms are fought more quickly.
However, as the immune system weakens with the common cold, the chances of getting an influenza infection increase, so it’s important to start treatment quickly to avoid this problem. Discover some homemade recipes that help treat the flu and colds.
Myth. Although pneumonia can also be caused by the same virus responsible for common influenza, it is very difficult for the flu to develop into pneumonia because the immune system can fight the virus effectively. Therefore, there is no inflammation in the lungs and the development of pneumonia. Learn more about viral pneumonia.
Truth. Liquids such as water, teas and natural juices help fight the flu by smoothing secretions and facilitating sputum and coughing, helping to eliminate mucus and viruses in these secretions.
Watch some tea recipes that help treat the flu by watching the video
Myth. Vitamin C doesn’t help treat or prevent influenza, but eating fresh foods rich in this nutrient, such as fruits and vegetables in general, helps reduce inflammation in the body, alleviating symptoms of the disease.
Myth. The vaccine is made up of the inactivated influenza virus and is therefore not able to cause disease, but is enough to stimulate the body’s immune response to the influenza virus.
Therefore, symptoms that can occur after vaccination, such as mild fever, redness at the application site, and whiteness in the body, usually occur because the person already had a flu virus incubated in the body, but wakes up and fights shortly after contact with the vaccine. .
The flu vaccine is contraindicated only for infants under 6 months of age, people with fever, neurological or egg-allergic diseases or thimerosal substances present in mertiolate and neomycin. Learn more about the flu vaccine.