Really cold or flu?

The flu virus decompose

People say very quickly that they 'flu', but this is often a bad cold. Real flu, influenza, is caused by a series of viruses. How does the flu virus and what can you do? 

In a classic flu , there is an infection with the influenza virus.There are several types of influenza viruses, but the disease course is approximately identical. Briefly, influenza causes an acute inflammation of the airways

For weeks, weak and tired

But it is not a common cold, it's much more serious and is much faster. When influenza feel very ill quickly with throbbing headache, muscle aches throughout the body and you have high fever. To 38 ° C and when one speaks of raising your body temperature above 38 ° C, is called fever. At 39 ° C you have high fever. 

Normally refurbish patients after three to five days again, but many still feel weak and tired for weeks. 

In people with poor immunity, the flu very seriously outdated and deadly. Die each year in the Netherlands about a thousand people on a seasonal flu or its consequences. 

Virus Particles

Viruses belonging to the micro-organisms, as well as fungi and bacteria. Viruses are smallest of the micro-organisms, is much smaller than bacteria. They can not in itself parts, but they need to share living cells. 

Once a virus enters a cell, that cell gives the command to copy themselves. The cell reproduces, as it were automatically that blueprint, just as long to completely volzit cell with virus particles. Dan 'explodes' the cell and the virus jumps to the next cell. 

Serious complications

Fortunately our immune system recognizes cells that make viruses. As soon as possible makes the immune system's own infected cells die, so the virus does not spread further. 

The disadvantage of this counterattack is that bacteria can strike earlier in the broken cells. Therefore, a flu often associated with complications of severe distress to pneumonia .

Briefly, a runny nose the effect of the virus, but the green and yellow snot that you get a few days later, the result of a bacterium that saw opportunity in the damaged mucosa to strike.

The flu vaccine that many people get year in October, ensures that the infected cells before the immune system recognizes.The vaccine provides an example on how an infected cell looks like. 

The body will then earlier in the counterattack and the risk of complications is much smaller. The flu shot is therefore also given to alleviate symptoms of the flu. 

Viruses mutate

Like all viruses, the influenza virus can mutate. It changes itself constantly a bit. Thus, the virus of Spanish Flu is different than the Hong Kong flu of the late sixties. The influenza viruses have their own name, such as H3N2 influenza A for the Hong Kong flu. The Spanish flu and swine flu are a type of H1N1. 

Through those mutations, the virus is more difficult to combat.Each year a new flu vaccine needed for the type that last winter was dominant. Moreover, the virus is not restricted to a mortar, but can jump from birds to humans. 

We saw in 2005 and 2006 at the ' bird flu ', H5N1 or in other words, a variant of the virus. And we see at this moment at the Mexican flu, or influenza A (H1N1). 

For this type of mutations, scientists are very wary, because they are difficult to control. 

Infection prevention

As is known the RIVM recommends elderly and high risk to have annual vaccinations. If you are not vaccinated against influenza, you can only try to prevent becoming infected with the virus. A good physical fitness is the first condition.

Get enough sleep, eat fruit and vegetables and provide sufficient exercise. Good hygiene prevents cross-contamination then. With cross-contamination, we mean the transfer of bacteria, fungi or viruses from one person to another. Very frequent hand washing is the simplest and most effective way to prevent the flu virus gets you in its grip. 

Bed rest

Once you have the flu, a cure is bed rest. It is important in order to drink much, and at a high temperature of the patient to be cooled. Sometimes an antibiotic cure needed if there is a bacterial infection such as pneumonia. 

Itself out of flu is not a luxury but a necessity. Who to quickly get started, runs the risk of six months or longer to keep fatigue.