The Flu

The Flu
Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………2
The Flu……………………………………………………………………………………………3
Symptoms…………………………………………………………………………..……3
Treatments……………………………………………………………………………….4
Is it a Cold or the Flu?............................................................................................5
Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………………...6Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………...7
Annexes……………………………………………………………………………………….....9












INTRODUCTION

Have you ever felt so bad that you think you are going to die? But the only symptoms you have are a runny nose, some coughing and maybe a fever? Well, if you don’t take care of yourself you cold die.
The Influenza virus is a very common disease; and if it is not treated properly it can causea person to die.
The objective in this project will be to teach people how to prevent getting sick with the flu, what causes people to get sick by it, and what to do if they get sick. Finally we’ll give the differences between the flu and the common cold.













THE FLU

The flu is an airborne virus, this means that it travels by air; this makes it very contagious anddangerous. It has similar symptoms as its brother the cold. In both cases when a sick person coughs or sneezes, the virus is expelled from the mouth and nose in tiny drops that travel in air contaminating the people around. It can also be transferred by contact, if a sick person sneezes and touches their nose the virus will transfer to every object the person touches. This is why good hygiene is soimportant, when a person gets sick with this or any virus; they should always use a disposable handkerchief and wash their hands more often than normal. Medicines will help a sick person feel better, but they will not cure a virus.

Symptoms

According to Adriana Yock, M.D. and Manuel Enrique Soto M.D. Pediatric Doctors of the National Children’s Hospital, the flu is a common virus that inmost cases has no real long term repercussions on the patient. It is known to be transmitted by contact with infected saliva and mucus. The most common symptoms include a persistent coughing, fever, nasal congestion, runny nose and it is associated with headaches and general body aches.
The virus incubates in two days from the initial exposure to it, and will have lasting effects for five to sevendays. The rainy season (in Costa Rica’s case from August to October) is the period in which it is most commonly found in the population.
Normally the first symptoms to appear are shivers and the sensation of being cold, even on a sunny day. Sometimes there can be fever on the first days and there is always a feeling of being so sick that the person can not get out of bed. Having body aches arealso related to the flu and a persistent headache with pain in the eyes.

People also complain of having their throat hurt when they swallow, of being congested and having a persistent cough. In rare cases, mostly in children there can be nausea and projectile vomiting.
After the third day most of these symptoms will have disappeared, the coughing will remain for up to ten days and thefeeling of being sick and tired will remain too. It is important to remember that even if the symptoms for the flu are not very serious, people have to take care of themselves and listen to their doctor, because it can actually become pneumonia, which is a deadly disease, especially in babies and old people.

Treatments

There are two types of viruses for the flu, a couple of years ago there was anepidemic for the type A virus, which includes the H1N1 virus, which has the same symptoms for the flu but is very dangerous, a lot of people died by this virus, and extreme measures where taken to prevent it from contaminating more people.
The type B is for the simple flu, and since the symptoms for the flu and for a cold are mostly the same, most people don’t have to see a...