The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. Learn more about its symptoms and how to prevent it so you can avoid it altogether. If flu symptoms have already appeared, combat them with AXIM DayTime or AXIM NightTime
What is the flu?
Flu season comes every year, but have you ever wondered what the flu actually is? The flu, more formally known as influenza, is an acute and contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. These viruses are one of the most common causes of respiratory infections in people of all ages and often occur as outbreaks during the winter months.
There are two main types of influenza viruses that affect humans: type A and type B. Both types are behind the influenza epidemic that hits the United States every year. Millions of people in the U.S. are affected by the flu each year, with the elderly, infants, and people with chronic illnesses being the most severely affected. Although the flu tends to be less severe in healthy school-aged children, it is more frequent among this group.
Regardless of the type of flu virus, symptoms often include fever, cough, runny nose, headaches, and body aches, combat this sympthoms with AXIM DayTime.
Keep reading to learn more important information about the flu.
What causes the flu?
The flu is caused by viruses. Influenza type A and type B viruses are the ones that cause the major flu outbreaks each year. Type A is often found in animals such as ducks, chickens, pigs, and whales, then transmitted to humans and is often more severe. Type B is found only in humans.
Both types of viruses are commonly transmitted through droplets that enter the air when infected individuals cough, sneeze, or talk.
A person with the flu can infect another person who is within a distance of up to six feet. You can also contract the flu by touching a surface or object that has the flu virus and then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose. If you get infected with a flu virus, you develop immunity to that strain of the virus. However, flu viruses mutate regularly. Each year there tends to be a new strain of the flu virus that infects people, and even those who have been sick with the flu before are vulnerable to infection with the new strain.
What are the different types of the flu?
Influenza type A and influenza type B are the flu viruses that affect humans. Influenza type A is the type of virus associated with pandemics like H1N1 and H3N2. There is much speculation about the differences in these subtypes of the flu virus that can cause pandemics, as well as the symptoms they can cause and the severity of those symptoms. Research has shown that the specific virus subtype you are infected with is not very predictive of the symptoms you will experience or how severe those symptoms become.
Flu symptoms
People who are infected with the flu may not show any symptoms. They may also experience mild to moderate symptoms, and in some cases, severe symptoms.
Flu symptoms closely resemble cold symptoms, but flu symptoms tend to be more severe and appear more rapidly.
The most common flu symptoms include:
- Fever
- Dry cough
- Muscle and joint aches
- Fatigue
- Chills or sweats
Combat this sympthoms with AXIM DayTime. For a better night, use AXIM NightTime that helps deal with all symptoms
How long does the flu last?
Flu symptoms in children and adults usually last less than a week. Acute symptoms, such as fever, generally do not persist beyond 10 days.
What is the difference between a cold and the flu?
Colds and flu are similar in that they are both caused by viruses and both induce respiratory symptoms. However, they are caused by different types of viruses, and flu symptoms tend to be more severe and appear more rapidly than cold symptoms. Combat this sympthoms with AXIM DayTime. For a better night, use AXIM NightTime that helps deal with all symptoms.
Is the flu contagious?
The flu is highly contagious and also has a short incubation period, which means that once someone has been exposed to the flu virus, any resulting infection is likely to cause symptoms rapidly. If you are infected with the flu virus, you are likely to start experiencing symptoms within 1 to 4 days.
Flu viruses seem to spread most commonly through aerosol infection, where people become infected due to droplets in the air containing the virus. Droplets enter the air when someone infected with the virus talks, coughs, or sneezes.
Another way these flu viruses spread is through direct contact with surfaces that contain the virus. Handshaking is strongly implicated in the transmission of the flu from person to person. A person with the flu can infect another person who is within a distance of up to six feet.
The flu is contagious up to a day before symptoms appear. It is also important to note that young children may transmit the virus earlier after exposure and for longer periods than adults, so young children are contagious for a more extended period.
Since children are contagious for a longer time and are also more likely to be infected, experts encourage vaccinating children to help reduce the overall burden of the annual flu.
If you think you have the flu, make sure to limit contact with other people. Once you are improving, keep in mind that the infection can continue to spread for five to seven days after becoming ill, so it is important to continue taking precautions.
How can I treat flu symptoms?
Most children and adults with the flu will recover from flu symptoms on their own. However, there are several over-the-counter medications that can help treat multiple flu symptoms while they last, including AXIM DayTime and AXIM NightTime. Make sure to identify which flu symptoms you are experiencing so you can get the relief you need.
