How long does the flu last ?

How long does the flu last

Just about anyone that's gotten the flu tells the same story: feeling miserable with body aches, fever and chills and not able to get out of bed for days. For most of us, the flu lasts around five to seven days. If you've had the flu shot, it'll be less intense and not last as long.

In general, healthy people usually get over a cold in 7 to 10 days. Flu symptoms, including fever, should go away after about 5 days, but you may still have a cough and feel weak a few days longer. All your symptoms should be gone within 1 to 2 weeks.

Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.

Flu is different from a cold. Flu usually comes on suddenly. People who have flu often feel some or all of these

symptoms:

1. fever or feeling feverish/chills
2. cough
3. sore throat
4. runny or stuffy nose
5. muscle or body aches
6. headaches
7. fatigue (tiredness)

Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

It’s important to note that not everyone with the flu will have a fever.

flu viruses spread mainly by tiny droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might get the flu by touching a surface or object that has the flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes.

Treatment consists of fluids and activity modifications

Flu is primarily treated with rest and fluid intake to allow the body to fight the infection on its own. Paracetamol may help cure the symptoms but NSAIDs should be avoided. An annual vaccine can help prevent the flu and limit its complications

Usually, you'll need nothing more than bed rest and plenty of fluids to treat the flu. But if you have severe infection or are at higher risk for complications, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication, such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu), zanamivir (Relenza), peramivir (Rapivab) or baloxavir (Xofluza). These drugs may shorten your illness by a day or so and help prevent serious complications.

Oseltamivir is an oral medication. Zanamivir is inhaled through a device similar to an asthma inhaler and shouldn't be used by anyone with certain chronic respiratory problems, such as asthma and lung disease.

Antiviral medication side effects may include nausea and vomiting. These side effects may be lessened if the drug is taken with food.

Most circulating strains of influenza have become resistant to amantadine and rimantadine (Flumadine), which are older antiviral drugs that are no longer recommended.

Some lifestyle and home remedies.

If you do come down with the flu, these measures may help ease your symptoms:

Drink plenty of liquids.
Choose water, juice and warm soups to prevent dehydration rest.
Get more sleep to help your immune system fight infection.
You may need to change your activity level, depending on your symptoms.
Consider pain relievers.
Use an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), to combat the achiness associated with influenza.
Children and teens recovering from flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin because of the risk of Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal condition.

To help control the spread of influenza in your community, stay home and keep sick children home until fever has been gone for 24 hours.

Facts related with flu :

The Spanish Flu caused the highest known mortality rates from influenza-related deaths ever: approximately 20 million worldwide in 1918. (The Russian Flu in 1889 caused one million deaths.) 7. The flu virus can survive on surfaces between two and eight hours.

1. The word influenza is the Italian word for "influence."
And it refers to the cause of the disease — people believed that the planets, stars, and moon influenced the flu. The word "influenza" was used for the first time in English in 1703.

2. Each year, an average of 5% to 20% of the U.S. population contract the virus.
Even worse: More than 200,000 people will be hospitalized from flu-related complications.

3. Hippocrates first reported a flu-like disease in the year 412 B.C.
Some historians believe the flu might have contributed to the demise of Athens in 404 B.C. But the first documented flu pandemic was in 1580, which afflicted over 90% of the population.

4. You should get vaccinated by October.
Although most activity peaks in January, some seasonal flu outbreaks happen as early as October. And since it takes about two weeks for the antibodies from the vaccine to develop in the body, doctors recommend you get vaccinated early. Since February 2010, the CDC has recommended that everyone six months and older get the vaccine.

5. It's hard to pinpoint the exact number of flu-related deaths each year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 6,309 Americans will die from underlying flu and pneumonia causes annually, but only 8.5% of these deaths are associated with influenza. Sometimes it's a relatively low number — only 961 deaths in 1986 — or sometimes it's scarily high — over 14,500 in 2003.

6. There have been four major flu epidemics in the last century.
The Spanish Flu, Asian Flu, Hong-Kong Flu, and most recently Swine Flu, which caused over 12,000 deaths worldwide. The Spanish Flu caused the highest known mortality rates from influenza-related deaths ever: approximately 20 million worldwide in 1918. (The Russian Flu in 1889 caused one million deaths.)

7. The flu virus can survive on surfaces between two and eight hours.
They live the longest on hard surfaces. Pass the hand sanitizer, please!

8. There are three different flu viruses — Influenza A, B, and C.
Influenza A is the most severe of the three, causing outbreaks in birds and humans. It was the cause of the pandemics of H1N1 (Spanish and Swine Flu), and more. Influenza B is exclusively found in humans, but mutates at a much slower rate. Influenza C infects humans, dogs, and pigs, but is less common than the other two.

9. However, there are an unknown number of strains.
The flu itself is constantly mutating. Each year, three or four strains are identified before vaccine development begins.

10. During the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918, doctors either prescribed shots of whiskey, or no alcohol at all.
Others recommended half a bottle of wine a day, or a glass of Port wine after a very hot bath. Many people also relied on folk remedies, like eating and bathing in onions. To prevent the flu, the Colgate Company recommended avoiding tight clothes and shoes and chewing food carefully.

11. You can get your flu diagnosis in just 15 minutes.
Many hospitals and doctors' offices are already using Alere i, a medical device that can diagnose the flu with a simple nasal swab. This means you can get your antiviral treatment when you need it most: in the first 24 to 48 hours after infection.