What is Flu?
Flu disease, especially seen in cold winter months or seasonal transitions, causes problems such as fatigue, weakness, pain, loss of appetite, breathing problems, loss of taste, and also negatively affects the person's social, family and business life. Flu is a disease caused by a virus called influenza, which infects the respiratory tract, multiplies and spreads, and can affect the whole body. It is different from the common cold and its complaints are more severe. It can cause complaints throughout the body as it multiplies and spreads where it settles. It makes the person extremely weak and can cause high fever, chills, joint, throat, head and abdominal pain. It may cause symptoms such as dry cough, loss of appetite, runny nose and dizziness.
Is Flu Contagious?
Flu is very easy to contract. Inhaling infected air or touching any object is enough to get the disease. The risk of contracting the disease is high in closed areas such as public transportation vehicles, cinemas and shopping malls. The virus causes symptoms 2-3 days after it settles in the body, subsides after an average of 7 days, and is completely eliminated from the body after about 10 days.
Symptoms of Flu
The symptoms of the flu can be likened to the symptoms of the common cold. The reason why the two diseases are confused is actually the similarity of the symptoms. However, the difference with the flu is that all complaints progress slowly. For example;
- High fever is seen in flu. (It is either not seen or seen rarely in colds)
- Since the flu affects the whole body, head, throat, stomach and joint pains are observed. (In cold cases, many of these pains are either not seen or felt more mildly)
- A runny nose is observed. (It is also seen in colds, but unlike flu, nasal congestion is also present.)
Ways to Protect from Flu
- The most effective way to protect against flu is to get a flu vaccine.
- On the other hand, it is necessary to eat healthy.
- The immune system is strengthened by consuming foods rich in vitamin C.
- You should drink plenty of water.
- Hands must be washed when coming home from outside. Clothing should be disinfected.
- You should cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing in closed and crowded areas for the health of others.
- You should avoid close contact, especially during cold winter months and seasonal transitions when the disease is seen at a high rate.
- You should ventilate your room frequently.
- You should increase the humidity of your room.
