"DUNAREA DE JOS" UNIVERSITY OF GALATI

CREU RUXANDRA FARMACIE AN I GRUPA 1

Abstract In this essay I am talking about flu. I will present the causes, symptoms, how is flu spread among people and how can we treat it in order to maintain our health in a good way. Introduction Flu is a respiratory infection caused by a number of viruses. The viruses pass through the air and enter your body through your nose or mouth. The flu can be serious or even deadly for elderly people, newborn babies, and people with certain chronic illnesses. Flu is caused by the Influenza virus. This virus targets the respiratory tract and results in an infection that settles into the nose, sinuses, throat, bronchial tubes and possibly the lungs. Flu patients often describe the way they feel as, "It's like being hit by a truck." Analysis The flu can last anywhere from 2-7 days, with 4-5 days being the most common. People with the flu usually run a fever, have aches and pains throughout their bodies, feel exhausted, experience severe headaches and may have cold symptoms. These symptoms come on more rapidly than they do with a cold. People with the flu are typically unable to perform daily activities due to the illness. Symptoms of the flu come on suddenly and are worse than those of the common cold. They may include: body or muscle aches; chills; cough; fever; headache; sore throat. Some of the patients can present complications, such as: bacterial pneumonia, ear sinus infections, dehydration and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes. Complications usually appear after a person starts feeling better. After a brief period of improvement, the following symptoms may suddenly appear: high fever, shaking chills, chest pain with each breath, coughing that produces thick, yellow-greenish colored mucus. Most people with the flu recover on their own without medical care. People with mild cases of the flu should stay home and avoid contact with others, except to get medical care. If you get the flu, your health care provider may prescribe medicine to help your body fight the infection and lessen symptoms. How the Flu is Spread: Influenza is spread by droplets from the mouth and nose. If a person with the flu sneezes or coughs, the virus is then released into the air and onto any objects around him including whatever the person touches. When someone else breathes in those droplets or touches any object that has the virus on it then touches his nose, mouth or eyes, the virus spreads. You can also get the flu by touching a surface or object that has the flu virus on it and then touching your mouth, eyes, or nose. Adults with flu may be able to infect others beginning one day before getting symptoms and up to one week after getting sick. Children can be infectious even longer, sometimes up to several weeks. That means that you can give someone the flu before you know you're sick as well as after you are feeling better.

How can we treat flu? If you have been diagnosed with the flu, you should stay home and follow your health care provider's recommendations. Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist about over-the-counter and prescription medications to ease flu symptoms and help you feel better faster. You can treat flu symptoms with and without medication. The main way to keep from getting the flu is to get a yearly flu vaccine. Good hygiene, including hand washing, can also help. You can treat flu symptoms without medication by: getting plenty of rest; drinking clear fluids like water, broth, sports drinks, or electrolyte beverages to prevent becoming dehydrated; placing a cool, damp washcloth on your forehead, arms, and legs to reduce discomfort associated with a fever; putting a humidifier in your room to make breathing easier If you get the flu, antiviral medications can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious complications from the flu. Antiviral medications work best when started within the first two days of getting sick. Antiviral medications are prescription pills, liquids, or inhalers used to prevent or treat flu viruses. Another way of preventing the illness is the flu vaccine that is typically available starting in August or September. The flu vaccine provides protection against the strain of flu that researchers believe is most likely to cause illness during flu season. However, because the influenza virus mutates so frequently, the vaccine may not provide complete immunity to the flu. If we do not want to get ill, there are some methods of prevention, such as: avoid sharing, drinking and eating utensils with people who are sick; wash your hands before eating, it really does help keep germs away; increase your vitamin C intake, which may boost your immune system, by eating ample amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables (oranges, tomatoes and broccoli are good choices); take a multivitamin every day to make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals. In conclusion, there are a lot of methods of preventing and treating flu, but in my opinion, I always say that it is much easier to prevent than to treat. We should be aware of the fact that we need to be very careful with our health in order to have a happy life. If we do not do this, we will support consequences and when we will get elderly we will regret. So, if we observe any symptoms of getting ill, we have to take care of us until we get well, and never forget that our live is more important that earning money or having fun.

KEY WORDS: respiratory infection; viruses; spread; treatment; prevention; madicamentation; health.

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http://www.flu.gov/symptoms-treatment/treatment/ http://coldflu.about.com/od/flu/p/fluprofile.htm http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/spread.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/flu.html