So You Have The Flu
One of the most common illnesses people get is the flu. Many people mistake the flu for the common cold at first, but its symptoms quickly ramp up, and soon you’re feeling pretty horrible for days at a time. There are a few different things you can do to deal with the flu, but you first have to have a diagnosis—if you think you have the flu, you’ve got to go to the doctor to get medication! If you suspect what you have isn’t just the cold or some other mild illness, get it checked out.
What is the Flu?
The flu comes in a few different varieties. In this blog, we’re looking at influenza. This variety of the flu is a respiratory illness that is caused by a virus. There are three types of the influenza virus, A, B, and C, and they are all very contagious. This virus is most active during the winter, although some people do get the flu in the spring. The virus can enter the body in many different ways, and once there, it begins spreading through your respiratory tract (either the upper tract, the lower tract, or both).
How Does the Flu Differ from a Cold?
Both the flu and the common cold are spread by viruses that are quite contagious, and both affect the respiratory tract. However, the symptoms of the flu are almost always much worse. A cold may last for a short period and may lead to coughing, sneezing, a runny nose, and a lack of energy. However, the flu’s symptoms start out like a bad cold but then get much worse.
Symptoms of the Flu
Here are a few of the symptoms of the flu. As with many illnesses, you may not have all of these symptoms, and your severity may vary every time you have the flu.
• Coughing
• Sore throat
• Sneezing
• Headache
• Chest pain
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Body aches
• Weakness
These symptoms often come on very quickly. Unlike the symptoms from the common cold, these symptoms are usually fairly severe, and they can lead to other, much more serious issues like pneumonia.
Treatments
The flu is caused by a viral infection, which means antibiotics cannot be used to cure it. There are two different types of medication available to treat the flu. These antiviral drugs are only available with a prescription. They will help to prevent pneumonia and other complications, but they do have some side effects.
Many professionals recommend getting a flu vaccine every six months. While this vaccine is not 100 percent effective against the flu, it will greatly reduce your risks of getting sick. Some people do have an adverse reaction to the vaccine, but that is actually fairly rare.
Other treatments include taking things like vitamin C and making certain you eat a good, balanced diet. The old saying of “starve a cold, feed a fever” is only partially correct—you always need to eat! Just make sure that your diet is nutritional and well-balanced.
You may also want to start taking an acai berry supplement. Research has shown that a supplement such as the acai berry may be able to provide you with a number of benefits.
You can buy the best organic acai berry products here.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to treat, diagnose, or cure any diseases.