What can and can not be done with the flu?

What can and cannot be done with the flu?

Each of us had the flu, as a rule, once a year it happens to everyone. Of course, questions arise about what can be done during this illness, and what is better to refrain from. Below we have answered the most frequently asked questions about the flu for you:

How to distinguish the flu from SARS and colds?

It is possible to distinguish influenza from SARS if you know the main signs and symptoms inherent in these conditions. Comparative characteristics of the two infections are shown in the table.

How long does a flu fever last?

The temperature during the flu lasts for 3-5 days, then goes down. If the body temperature remains elevated for 6-7 days or more, then this indicates the development of complications.

How contagious is the flu?

Influenza is a highly contagious infection. So, according to available data, within an hour one patient is able to infect all the people who are with him in the same closed room.

Is a flu shot required?

The flu shot is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended for children aged 3 months and older, adults, especially those over 45 years old, medical, educational and commercial workers, as well as people with chronic diseases and impaired immune function. Only vaccination can be more or less reliable protection against influenza during the next epidemic.

Is it possible to go to the bath with the flu?

You should not go to the bath with the flu. Firstly, doctors generally do not recommend leaving the house with this infection and require bed rest. Secondly, the temperature of the human body is increased, and in the bath it can reach critical values. Thirdly, the body is weakened due to illness and additional loads will only aggravate the course of the infection.

Is there flu without fever?

Any infection can occur without fever, including the flu. However, this is a dangerous signal that the immune system does not resist the disease, which is very bad. (High fever without symptoms – what are the causes and what to do?)

Can you breastfeed with the flu?

You can breastfeed with the flu if the mother is not taking any medications that are incompatible with the lactation process. It is recommended to cover the face with a special sterile mask during the feeding process.

Is the flu sexually transmitted?

Experts identify two ways of transmitting influenza: airborne and contact-household. The sexual route of transmission of the infection is not specified, although it is obvious that both methods of infection can be involved during intimacy.

Does a mask protect you from the flu?

Unfortunately, the mask will not be a reliable means of protecting against the flu, and this has been experimentally proven. According to a study conducted in a large medical center in Hanoi on 1607 physicians, it turned out:

• 97% of viruses and pathogenic microbes penetrate through fabric masks;

• Through masks made of non-woven material, 56% of pathogens penetrate;

• Masks only protect against microscopic droplets of mucus emitted by patients when sneezing and coughing;

• With prolonged contact, droplets collect on the outer surface of the mask and become a source of infection.

The mask regimen should be observed by a patient with the flu, so as not to infect others. A healthy person can apply a mask in close contact with a sick person, provided that they are replaced every one and a half hours.

Can you have the flu without a cough?

Yes, cough and runny nose with influenza may not be at all, at least in the first three days from the onset of the disease. If it appears later, then it is characterized as a “dry” cough. The appearance of a cough in the first 1-2 days is a sign of acute respiratory infections or SARS.

Can you get the flu after getting vaccinated?

The appearance of flu symptoms in a vaccinated person is caused by the following reasons:

• Too little time has passed since the vaccination, since it takes at least 7 days for the production of antibodies, preferably 2-3 weeks. It is advisable at this time to limit contacts to the maximum, not to visit crowded places of a large number of people;

• The influenza virus that struck the patient belongs to a different strain that is not provided for by the vaccine. This circumstance occurs very rarely, the vaccine is selected taking into account the characteristics of the predicted epidemic danger. Even with such a mismatch of strains, the disease in a vaccinated person will be easier, will not cause complications;

• The disease is not caused by influenza, but by ARVI viruses, that is, there is an error in diagnosis;

• A person fell into the same 2-4% of the total number of vaccinated people who do not develop immune protection against the disease. And even in this case, the flu will proceed according to the easiest scenario, will not cause dangerous complications.

Can you vomit with the flu?

Yes, maybe, since the influenza virus, when it enters the human body, affects many organs and systems. With the help of vomiting, the immune system tries to rid the body of intoxication. Intoxication is especially dangerous for children, the elderly and debilitated patients.

Can you have the flu without a runny nose?

Yes, at the beginning of the disease, a runny nose is not a characteristic symptom of the flu. The absence of signs of a cold, combined with fever and headache, is one of the signs of influenza infection.

Is it possible to do inhalation with the flu?

Since influenza is a disease of a viral nature, inhalations are completely ineffective for influenza, since they do not act on the virus. In addition, at high temperatures, any physiotherapy measures are contraindicated. Inhalations are used to treat influenza complications (bronchitis, sinusitis, tracheitis) after the temperature drops to +37,5°C.

Can you drink alcohol with the flu?

No, alcohol causes irritation of the mucous membranes of the pharynx, which are already inflamed, aggravating the swelling and provoking an increase in the inflammatory process. The toxic damage caused by the influenza virus is aggravated by the decay products of alcoholic beverages, which further aggravates the condition of a sick person.

Does vodka help with the flu?

According to medical experiments conducted in the United States in 1993, vodka or good cognac in a small amount can protect a person from infection with influenza and SARS.

The researchers explained this effect by the fact that alcohol increases the acidity of blood plasma. An increased pH level promotes the production of interferon, which neutralizes viruses and pathogenic microbes. In addition, the permeability of the walls of blood vessels and small capillaries increases. A similar process starts in the body with the appearance of inflammatory processes of any etiology.

Can you go outside with the flu?

The gold standard for influenza treatment is bed rest, which must be observed until the symptoms of the disease disappear. Any physical activity, including walking on the street, makes the cardiovascular, respiratory, and circulatory systems actively function. With an increased toxic load on the body during influenza, such a load is fraught with complications – myocardial dystrophy, heart failure. In the acute period of the disease, instead of walking, it is better to ventilate the room in which the patient is located more often, protecting him from drafts.

Can you take aspirin with the flu?

Contrary to the established opinion about the benefits of aspirin in influenza, it has been proven that it is unsafe to take it, and it is completely contraindicated in viral infections. Since aspirin acts on vessels that are already affected by the influenza virus, taking it can cause hemorrhagic edema of the lungs and kidneys, when the liquid fraction of blood penetrates through the vascular walls and fills the organ. Aspirin in large doses causes liver necrosis, leads to acute liver and kidney failure, provokes the appearance of Reye’s syndrome with liver damage and encephalopathy.

Can I get the flu again in a week?

The influenza virus is highly contagious (infectious) and variability. Although, to certain types of this virus, a person can develop partial immunity for 1,5-3 years, a changed subspecies can re-infect the body.

However, in most repeated cases, the disease returns after a week for the following reasons:

• The disease was carried on the legs, or it was not fully cured, and a relapse occurred that affected the weakened body;

• A patient with a weakened immune system for the second time suffers not the flu, but one of the varieties of acute respiratory viral infections caused by adenoviruses.

Are antibiotics prescribed for the flu?

Influenza is a viral infection, so antibiotics do not affect the causative agent of the disease, since their action is directed exclusively against bacteria. Antibiotics are prescribed to treat complications caused by bacteria attacking a weakened body. The most common complications are pneumonia, bacterial bronchitis, otitis, conjunctivitis, pharyngitis, meningitis. Uncontrolled administration of drugs of this pharmacological group leads to a decrease in overall immunity.

Can you have sex with the flu?

Although the main route of transmission of influenza is considered to be airborne, transmission of this infection during sexual contact is not excluded. The influenza virus soon after infection is found in the blood (viremia), it penetrates through any membrane, including through the mucous membranes of the genital organs.

If this possibility of infection is not taken into account, then having sex exposes the partner to a considerable risk of infection. The influenza virus can spread within a radius of 3 meters around the patient. In addition, any physical activity provokes the appearance of complications for the body affected by intoxication.

Can flu cause diarrhea?

Yes, maybe, and the cause of this symptom is the most severe intoxication, which, among all other body systems, also affected the digestive tract. The pancreas and liver temporarily lose the ability to produce digestive enzymes to fully digest food.

Can I wash my hair with the flu?

If health permits, the patient can take a short shower to remove toxins actively excreted through the skin. It is desirable that the room is warm, and the water temperature is slightly higher than body temperature. After a shower, it is recommended to dry the skin and go to bed. A bathing cap is put on the hair during this procedure to protect it from getting wet. Wet hair dries for a long time and can cause hypothermia, so it is impossible to wash your hair in the acute period of the disease in order to avoid complications.