Flu
What is the flu?
The flu is an infection of your airways. It's caused by the flu virus. The flu is normally worse than a cold, and it can make you feel very sick.
Flu stands for influenza. There are three types of influenza virus: A, B and C. Types A and B can make you very sick.
1 Type A is the world's most common flu virus.
2 It usually makes you more ill than type B.
3 Type C isn't normally very serious.
Source:
Nicholson KB, Wood JM, Zambon M.
Influenza.
Lancet. 2003; 362: 1733-1745.
Nicholson KB, Wood JM, Zambon M.
Influenza.
Lancet. 2003; 362: 1733-1745.
Source:
World Health Organization.
WHO report on global surveillance of epidemic-prone infectious diseases.
Available at http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications (accessed on 16 March 2009).
World Health Organization.
WHO report on global surveillance of epidemic-prone infectious diseases.
Available at http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications (accessed on 16 March 2009).
Source:
Cox NJ, Fukuda K.
Influenza.
Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 1998; 12: 27-38.
Cox NJ, Fukuda K.
Influenza.
Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 1998; 12: 27-38.
Doctors diagnose the flu by looking at your symptoms. They only test for a particular virus if they are monitoring a type
of flu that could spread to lots of people.
If you get the flu, it can make you feel very ill.
The flu virus lives in your nose, your throat and the air passages leading to your lungs. You usually get a fever, body aches,
chills and a dry cough. The flu virus can cause more serious problems, such as
pneumonia.
1
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an infection in your lungs. Anything that causes infections (bacteria, viruses or fungi, for example) can give you pneumonia.
Pneumonia is an infection in your lungs. Anything that causes infections (bacteria, viruses or fungi, for example) can give you pneumonia.
Source:
Nicholson KB, Wood JM, Zambon M.
Influenza.
Lancet. 2003; 362: 1733-1745.
Nicholson KB, Wood JM, Zambon M.
Influenza.
Lancet. 2003; 362: 1733-1745.
When you're infected with a virus, your
immune system tries to fight it. If you've recovered from a virus before, your body knows how to deal with it in future. This means that
you won't get sick if you come into contact with the same virus again. But the influenza virus changes all the time.
1 This is called mutation. So you can catch the flu even if you've had it the year before.
immune system
The immune system is made up of the parts of the body that are devoted to fighting infection. The body is constantly being threatened by infections from things like bacteria, viruses and parasites. The immune system fights these infections in different ways. At the microscopic level, the immune system uses antibodies and white blood cells, which travel in the blood and target infectious agents, such as bacteria. These microscopic parts of the immune system either kill the infectious agent directly, or take it to other parts of the body, like the spleen, where it can be dealt with. The lymph nodes are another important part of the immune system. Within them, white blood cells filter through the foreign material that has entered the blood, to see if there are any infections. When you have a swollen gland during a cold, this is actually a lymph node that is reacting to the infection. Unfortunately, it is possible for the immune system to become confused and to use its destructive powers to target healthy parts of the body. Diseases that result from this type of situation are called autoimmune diseases.
The immune system is made up of the parts of the body that are devoted to fighting infection. The body is constantly being threatened by infections from things like bacteria, viruses and parasites. The immune system fights these infections in different ways. At the microscopic level, the immune system uses antibodies and white blood cells, which travel in the blood and target infectious agents, such as bacteria. These microscopic parts of the immune system either kill the infectious agent directly, or take it to other parts of the body, like the spleen, where it can be dealt with. The lymph nodes are another important part of the immune system. Within them, white blood cells filter through the foreign material that has entered the blood, to see if there are any infections. When you have a swollen gland during a cold, this is actually a lymph node that is reacting to the infection. Unfortunately, it is possible for the immune system to become confused and to use its destructive powers to target healthy parts of the body. Diseases that result from this type of situation are called autoimmune diseases.
Source:
Nicholson KB, Wood JM, Zambon M.
Influenza.
Lancet. 2003; 362: 1733-1745.
Nicholson KB, Wood JM, Zambon M.
Influenza.
Lancet. 2003; 362: 1733-1745.
The flu spreads very easily from person to person. You can get it from people who cough, sneeze or talk near you.
3 You can get the flu from someone while they are sick or a few days before they have any symptoms.
Source:
Cox NJ, Fukuda K.
Influenza.
Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 1998; 12: 27-38.
Cox NJ, Fukuda K.
Influenza.
Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 1998; 12: 27-38.
Some people in Asia, Russia and Turkey have caught a more serious type of flu from close contact with birds. It's called avian flu or bird flu. To read more, see Avian flu.
Flu vaccines help to prevent some types of flu. To read more, see Flu vaccines.
Sources for the information on this page:
- Nicholson KB, Wood JM, Zambon M.Influenza.Lancet. 2003; 362: 1733-1745.
- World Health Organization.WHO report on global surveillance of epidemic-prone infectious diseases.Available at http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications (accessed on 16 March 2009).
- Cox NJ, Fukuda K.Influenza.Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 1998; 12: 27-38.
This information was last updated on Apr 09, 2009
This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
The information on ConsumerReportsHealth.org should not be viewed as a substitute for a consultation with a medical or health professional.
The information is meant to enhance communication with your doctor, not replace it. Consumers Union can not be liable for any loss, injury, or other damages related to your use of this information.
Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.
Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.
Source: ConsumerReportsHealth.org Copyright © 2005-2008 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
Find a condition
Search
Condition name not found!
