Influenza is a quick fix
How does it spread?
Influenza is an infectious disease caused by a virus, spread by droplet infection or direct contact, therefore daily hygiene plays a major role in its prevention. In addition to using handkerchiefs and frequent hand washing, make sure not to share towels with others, clean more often and it is important to ventilate daily. Even during the flu season, eat properly and drink enough fluids. If we meet a lot of people during our work, it is worth using gloves and a mouth mask, this is especially essential for healthcare workers.
Who can it affect?
Of course, everyone, because anyone can catch the flu, regardless of age or gender. Children, those requiring hospital care, expectant mothers, and people suffering from chronic diseases (e.g. asthmatics, diabetics, obese) are particularly at risk. Smoking reduces the defensive ability of the airways, so smokers are more likely to develop bacterial pneumonia or sinusitis, which occurs as a complication of the flu.
Cold or flu?
Influenza strikes suddenly and is characterized by high fever, depression, muscle aches, dry cough, and the chronic symptoms of the common cold, i.e. runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing or inflammation of the conjunctiva, are absent. If you have already caught the flu, you should definitely stay at home, in bed and drink a lot of fluids, reduce your fever. Another common misconception is that the flu can be treated with antibiotics. The disease is caused by a virus, not bacteria, and in the case of a virus, antibiotics are ineffective.
The flu is no big deal!
But it is. Due to its frequency and severity, the most dangerous complication of influenza is pneumococcal pneumonia. The symptoms of the disease are chills, high fever, difficulty breathing, chest pain when taking a breath, rapid breathing, rapid pulse, and in severe cases, bloody respiratory secretions. The risk of developing complications is greatest in the case of chronic cardiovascular, lung and kidney diseases, as well as metabolic diseases. In the middle-aged and elderly age group, where the above-mentioned diseases are more common, the risk of complications is naturally greater.
Good hand hygiene can prevent infectious diseases such as colds, flu, diarrhoea, pneumonia and infectious hepatitis. Ignatius Semmelweis's recognition of the importance of hand disinfection is as relevant today as it was in his time. Making proper, thorough and regular hand washing part of our daily routine is an excellent way to stay healthy.