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INFLUENZA--OR IS IT JUST "THE FLU?"
"The flu" is a general term that we all use for an illness that is more severe
than the common cold and less severe than pneumonia. To some of us, "the flu",
may be an intestinal illness, with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever. To others, our
"flu" was a sore throat, dry cough, and fever. However, influenza is a specific,
severe, lower respiratory illness caused by a handful of similar viruses--and the season
is approaching.
What exactly is influenza? Influenza is a severe, viral illness that often occurs in epidemic proportions in the late fall and winter months. One to four days after coming into contact with the virus (usually by inhaling it from another infected person), the patient characteristically has an abrupt onset of high fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, cough, runny nose and occasional nausea. The aching, fever and prostration are usually out of proportion to the cough and congestion. The illness tends to run its course in 7 to 10 days, and antibiotics are not effective (unless the person gets a second, superimposed bacterial infection such as bronchitis or pneumonia). Influenza is very dangerous for elderly or chronically ill people (asthmatics, diabetics, or people with heart disease, emphysema, cancer or AIDS), since these people are the most likely to get these superimposed serious infections. There is good news and bad news about the influenza vaccine. Each year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta makes its best estimate of the specific strains of virus that will prevail in the next season and makes a vaccine against them. Vaccination is recommended in the fall for all elderly or high risk people, and for health care workers. The vaccine is usually very effective. However, the virus can often change (or mutate) to another strain later in the season, leaving vaccinated people with incomplete protection. This scenario last occurred with a vengeance in 1984-1985, and the result was the largest influenza epidemic in 10-20 years. In addition, the influenza vaccine protects only against influenza, not against colds and "the flu."
Should you miss the chance to be vaccinated and an epidemic hits, the next best alternative may be one of the antiviral medications for Influenza A called rimantadine or amantadine which can help prevent the illness and/or make it less severe. These medications are only effective against influenza type A.
One special note about influenza and aspirin. Influenza and chicken pox are the two illnesses that have been linked with aspirin as a possible cause of Reye's Syndrome, a severe and often fatal illness with liver inflammation and coma. Reye's syndrome has most commonly been described in small children, but there have been cases in patients as old as 21 years. Therefore, if you are a teenager and you have a respiratory illness, it's a good idea to use an aspirin substitute.
If you have influenza, stay in bed, drink lots of fluids, take Tylenol or other non-aspirin medications, and try not to spread the illness to friends, family or classmates. You should be seen by the Student Health Service (or your family physician), if you need medications (such as rimantadine or amantadine), or if you think you may have developed a secondary bacterial infection (such as an ear infection or pneumonia).
CSUB STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES (661) 654-2394 mjh Updated 8/05
