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Flu

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Flu
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Flu

Flu is a common infectious viral illness spread by coughs and sneezes. It can be very unpleasant, but you'll usually begin to feel better within about a week.

You can catch flu – short for influenza – all year round, but it's especially common in winter, which is why it's also known as "seasonal flu".

It's not the same as the common cold. Flu is caused by a different group of viruses and the symptoms tend to start more suddenly, be more severe and last longer.

Confusing flu with a bad cold is common. Flu and cold symptoms may both include a runny/blocked nose, sore throat, and cough.
To help you tell them apart, below are some symptoms of flu that are different from a heavy cold:

high temperature
cold sweats and shivers
headache
aching joints and limbs
fatigue, feeling exhausted
There may also be gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; these are much more common among children than adults.

Normally, symptoms linger for about 1 week. However, the feeling of tiredness and gloom can continue for several weeks.

It is worth noting that not every person with flu will have all of the symptoms; for instance, it is possible to have flu without fever.
Confusing flu with a bad cold is common. Flu and cold symptoms may both include a runny/blocked nose, sore throat, and cough.

To help you tell them apart, below are some symptoms of flu that are different from a heavy cold:

high temperature
cold sweats and shivers
headache
aching joints and limbs
fatigue, feeling exhausted
There may also be gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; these are much more common among children than adults.

Normally, symptoms linger for about 1 week. However, the feeling of tiredness and gloom can continue for several weeks.

It is worth noting that not every person with flu will have all of the symptoms; for instance, it is possible to have flu without fever.
Influenza is contagious, which means it can be spread easily from person to person. Viruses that cause influenza spread from person to person mainly by droplets of respiratory fluids sent through the air when someone infected with the virus coughs or sneezes. Other people inhale the airborne virus and can become infected.

In some cases, the flu can be spread when someone touches a surface (e.g., doorknobs, countertops, telephones) that has the virus on it and then touches his or her nose, mouth, or eyes. The flu is most easily spread in crowded places such as schools and offices.

There are three families of influenza virus: A, B, and C. Type C more commonly affects ducks, geese, turkeys, and chickens, but it has also been involved in a small percentage of human cases. Type B mainly affects humans and causes a milder disease, and it changes very little from year to year.

Type A influenza poses the most serious problems for humans. Strains of this type have also been found in birds, humans, horses, pigs, seals, whales, and ferrets. Viruses that affect two different species sometimes combine and mix-and-match genetic information to create a new strain that nobody is immune to and for which no vaccine has been prepared.
Usually, you can manage flu symptoms yourself at home and there's no need to see a GP. Most people feel better within a week.
You should consider seeing your GP if you're at a higher risk of becoming more seriously ill. This includes people who:
are 65 or over
are pregnant
have a lung, heart, kidney, liver or neurological disease
have a weakened immune system 
have diabetes
In these cases, your GP may suggest taking antiviral medication.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com
 http://www.medbroadcast.com
 https://www.nhs.uk
 
Flu

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