Everything You Need to Know About the Flu
Today it’s all about everything you need to know about the flu. When it comes to your health, there’s not much else more dreadful than having the symptoms of the flu (besides severe illnesses). It seems like a few years can go by where you avoid it, but eventually, the flu virus finds a way of catching up with you. Please refer to the CDC for accurate information on the flu, viruses, COVID-19, or any bacterial infection.
Continue reading to discover everything you need to know about the flu. This is especially true if you’re a parent or guardian of children that spend every day in a daycare or public school.
Those places are like a breeding ground for viruses, while children, along with mom and dad, sometimes have to pay the price.
Doctors and employers will encourage you to get a flu vaccination that will protect you against the different strains out there. This way you aren’t missing out on school or work.
Just giving you the heads up here, I will not discuss if I am for or against flu shots. Thanks for understanding.
There’s a lot of information that you need to know about the flu, from how it spreads, how to prevent it and what to do when you get it. This is everything that you need to know about the flu.
Everything You Need to Know About the Flu
The flu, or influenza, is a respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. Every flu virus out there is extremely contagious, while infecting the throat, nose, and even lungs in some cases.
There are also different ranges of it, from mild, more severe, and in some cases even causing death. It’s also different from the common cold, as it can come on quite suddenly.
How Many Types are there?
Not all flu are the same. Some are mild, while others are more severe. There are four types of flu strains, A, B, C and D. Depending on which strain, you’ll be fighting flu symptoms for around 7 to 10 days.
How It Spreads
Influenza viruses are spread through tiny drops of spittle or mucus when people cough, sneeze, or simply talk. If it lands on another person’s mouth or nose, the virus can spread.
Often, the flu can be picked up by touching a surface where the flu-virus is lingering, and then unconsciously using that same hand to touch your mouth, nose, or eyes.
Flu-Like Symptoms
There’s a wide range of uncomfortable symptoms that you may experience when you’ve caught the flu. Symptoms may include a fever, chills, body aches, tiredness, headache, cough, sore throat, and a stuffy or runny nose.
Vomiting and diarrhea often follow, as your body works to flush the virus out of your system. In some cases, people can have the flu, even without ever having a fever. You will also notice a loss in appetite during your illness.
People at High Risk
There’s no telling where the flu epidemic will strike, as it can affect anybody, though a weakened immune system increases the possibility.
Severe cases of the flu are more likely to affect children under the age of 5, pregnant women, as well as people that are older than 65 years of age.
Older individuals that have chronic medical issues, including asthma, heart disease, and diabetes also are at high-risk.
Best Way to Prevent It
There are a number of ways that you can prevent catching the flu, but the best approach may be by getting a flu vaccination every year. Not surprisingly, nearly half of Americans don’t get the vaccination.
The vaccine protects against a number of common flu viruses out there, or at the very least, decreases the severity of the flu-like symptoms.
It’s also important to keep a close watch on your sick family members. Remember to wash your hands often with soap and hot water. Keeping surfaces clean with a disinfectant can keep germs from spreading as easily.
These are especially important things to remember during the flu season, which is typically at its peak from December through February.
Taking vitamin C may also ward off a flu virus by providing you with a stronger immune system. It might not keep it away altogether, but it will lessen the symptoms and time to heal afterward.
It’s Too Late!
If you become sick with the flu, it’s important that you stay home and away from others. It’s also extremely important to keep your mouth and nose covered when you sneeze, cough, or when you blow your nose.
Afterward, remember to wash your hands. It’s also important that your body gets plenty of rest. Some people seek comfort by running a humidifier or spending time in a steamy bathroom.
While missing school or work can be frustrating, doctors will tell you to stay home another 24 hours even after the fever has vanished. That way you ensure that the virus will not spread to others.
What To Eat and Drink When You Have the Flu
Your body may be telling you not to eat, or you won’t feel the need to. But if you are hungry, you don’t want to be eating a big hearty meal when you have the flu.
That may cause you to throw it up. Eat foods like broth, chicken soup, oatmeal, yogurt, and fruits containing vitamin C.
While your body is flushing the virus out, it’s easy to become dangerously dehydrated. It’s important to drink plenty of liquids. My favorite Cough Lozenges by My Doctor Suggests.
Doctors will tell you to drink at least 64 ounces each day. It also doesn’t have to be all water. Gatorade and Powerade can help replace your electrolytes from all the vomiting or diarrhea you may have been experiencing.
If you’re still having trouble keeping fluids down, try using Pedialyte to help your body get the nutrition that it needs. You may want to try these Natural Remedies.
When to See a Doctor/Head to the ER
Everything you need to know about the flu. For people that are older than 65 years of age and are just beginning to experience the symptoms of the flu, it’s best that you see a doctor.
The same holds true if you’re pregnant, as you run a higher risk for a more severe case.
You’ll also want to go to the doctor if your condition appeared to get better, but then became worse again. If you’re noticing pain in certain areas, or if your conditions haven’t improved within one to two weeks. Listen to your gut or intuition.
If you are experiencing symptoms such as dizziness, loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, confusion, or severe vomiting, you need to get yourself to the emergency room.
Final Word
The flu…who needs it? This is everything that you need to know to be able to fight back against it. Have you ever experienced a moderate to a severe case of the flu?
What were your symptoms and how long was the recovery process? I’m glad you could read everything you need to know about the flu. May God bless this world, Linda
How To Stop Influenza In Your Home
Copyright Images: FLU AdobeStock_120527288 Narozhnii, Flu Stuff AdobeStock_286791019 MissKaterina, FLU Season AdobeStock_178959142 Michail Petrov
We’ ve had a respiratory infection for 10 wks husband and I . Been to Dr and told Sudafed and mucinex. I’m going to try and clean today . I was thinking hydrogen peroxide with EO orange. Your opinion ?
HI Carol, 10 weeks!! Dang! I take silver almost every day (not colloidal silver), structured silver. This is crazy for it to go on for 10 weeks. The silver I use is from My Doctor Suggests (.com) Several months ago I was exposed to whooping cough (Pertussis), I had such a bad cough and the doctor said my cough sounded more like Pertussis. I had to use Nyquil daytime and nighttime. The off brands did not work. Now, I NEVER take over the counter drugs. I rarely get sick. My husband didn’t get it. But he kept saying we need to take you to the ER. He bought me a $150.00 humidifier at Costco. We do not spend money like that. I was so sick. Are you using a humidifier? These viruses are bad this year. I would try everything you can. I went through 2 jars of VicksVapro rub. Small ones. I lathered my chest and feet every single day. Please let me know what works for you. I also drank green tea with lemon and honey 4 times a day. I used a whole bottle of Breathe EO,Linda
My remedy for the flu is: immediately take 1 l-lysine 1 aspirin and a cup of coffee every 60 minutes for 3 hours. Honestly it knocks it right out. I have done this 3 times and never got any sicker. I found this on earthclinic.com years ago.
Hi Katherine, I need to try that lysine, I have heard some really good things about this! I will check out that website, thank you so much! Linda
A study published in China last year found that naproxen (Aleve) was a better antiviral than Tamiflu in mice. Clinical trials have not yet been conducted. An article on this study and the findings will appear on my blog on Tuesday.
Hi Jennifer, oh my goodness, this will be awesome to read!! Thanks for the heads up, Linda
Honestly, having worked in health care for many years, I go right to CDC website to link look at maps of confirmed cases and what medical protocols for treatment and sequestering, what is known to date and read a lot of medical journals. What really worries me is what is being seen with this coronavirus (2019-nCoV) scare of late, in its modulation of cytokine—it is cytokine explosions in the lungs that is the major death and disability causing effect of Avian Flu. It may be that at some point we will need to shelter-in as a barrier against the more dangerous flu and virus. I think we can learn some great skills for that on this site!!
Hi Kathleen, thank you for sharing your knowledge on this new (2019-nCoV) scare. I thank you for mentioning we can learn some skills from my website as well. That means a lot to me. I really hope people realize they must store water, food, OTC medications, EO, or whatever they use in order to hunker down in their homes. I hope people read your comment, it’s critical they know to be ready to stay home if it hits their neighborhood. Thanks again, Linda
Linda, I wish more people were reading articles like yours, just for nothing else but for the advice to stay home when sick, instead of spreading it. Frankly, our society’s mobility is one reason flu has become so widespread (just my opinion). One comment made was about checking the news for the areas affected. I thought that was a great idea. Yrs ago when I was doing chemo, if my kids school was having an outbreak, I’d use a facemask when shopping, and even at a couple of school activities. Funny how people steer clear of a person with a facemask on (lol). At one point, when my immune system was really low, my doctor suggested I use plastic gloves when shopping. (I’d shared with her my habit of facemask). I didnt get sick even when my kids caught a bad cold because I cared for them with both facemask and gloves on. And sprayed common touch areas with Lysol! I do appreciate Walmart having wipes at the front of their stores here, and hope this helps to stop the spread of germs. Our daily lives expose us far more than we realize. If our area was hit with a bad flu again, I’d be back to using facemask and gloves again, tho I’m in good shape.
Hi Wendy, I love those wipes at Walmart. Here in Southern Utah, more and more grocery stores are getting the wipes to wipe down at least the handles of the carts. I sure hope we can all get through this flu season quickly. The facemasks are the best. Linda
And the gloves Wendy! Linda
Linda, I think the gloves are great too. I regularly ‘steal’ some from my clinic. Lol, the clinic offers free facemasks to anyone walking in but no offer on the gloves which may be more important
My husband caught respiratory flu from a friend who’d had the flu for 3 weeks while taking antibiotics and cough meds and such from doctor’s prescription. When my husband (age 68 at the time) caught it I immediately started him on Umcka, an over the counter cold and flu remedy with no side effects. It comes in lozenges and syrup. We chose the cherry flavored syrup. The fever and other symptoms were gone in THREE DAYS. I have offered this remedy so many times to friends and they all said it worked. I keep it on hand always so I can start using it at first symptoms. Some grocers carry it, but you can also order it online. It’s made by Nature’s Way. It shortens the duration and severity of cough, congestion, sore throat, and nasal and bronchial irritations. Worth every penny.
Hi Pat, thank you so much for this tip. I am ordering a bottle TODAY. I love the brand Nature’s Way. We need to hear about remedies like this, thank you for sharing!!! Linda
I’m saving the name of this!