Influenza is an infectious respiratory disease caused by influenza virus. The disease may be slight to severe and even fatal. The flu symptoms often appear suddenly, including fever or feeling of chills, cough, sore throat, runny nose or stuffy nose, muscle aches, headache and fatigue. Some people may vomit and diarrhea, especially young children. Notably, not everyone with the flu has a fever.
Most patients have the ability to recover after a few days to less than two weeks. However, some cases may experience dangerous complications. Sinus infections, ear infections are medium complications; Pneumonia is a serious complication, which may be caused by a mere flu virus or co -infection of the flu virus and bacteria.
Some other serious complications include myocarditis, encephalitis, multiple organ failure oremia. The flu may worsen chronic diseases such as asthma or heart disease.
All subjects are at risk of flu, including healthy people. However, people aged 65 and older, children under 5 years old, pregnant women and chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease are at high risk of serious complications.
For children, the flu can be severe when children breathe rapidly or shortness of breath, lips or cyanotic face, ribs shrinking with breathing, chest pain, or muscle aches that are so severe.
Children may be dehydrated (not urinating for 8 hours, dry mouth, no tears when crying), not alert, convulsions or fever above 40 degrees Celsius. If a child under 12 weeks of age shows signs of more severe recurrence or chronic disease becomes serious, need to see a doctor immediately.
In adults, dangerous signs include shortness of breath, chest tightness or prolonged abdominal pain, persistent dizziness, confusion, convulsions or unable to urinate. If the patient feels serious, the body is unstable, or shows signs of recurrence after the disease has been improved, it is necessary to go to a medical facility in time.
