Good day, dear friends and blog readers! Today we’ll talk about what is the prevention of swine flu and how to avoid getting infected. This question is very relevant now and worries every person.
The news is all about the H1N1 flu, how many are sick and how many are in serious condition, there are deaths.
Swine flu: sources of infection and symptoms
Swine flu is spread from person to person through respiratory droplets, especially through sneezing and coughing.
This flu is not spread by eating cooked pork products.
The new H3N2v swine flu virus became an epidemic in 2011.
Swine flu viruses can mutate, so they spread easily among people.
Swine flu - symptoms
Symptoms of swine flu in humans are similar to most influenza infections:
- fever (temperature 39 degrees or higher),
- cough,
- nasal discharge,
- fatigue and headache,
- sometimes nausea and vomiting.
The incubation period of the disease is 1-4 days.
Swine flu is contagious from one day before symptoms appear until five to seven days after symptoms appear. Some patients may be contagious for a long period of time.
The disease lasts from three to seven days, a severe form of influenza lasts 9-10 days.
Vaccination is the best way to prevent or reduce the likelihood of contracting influenza viruses.
Swine flu - symptoms, treatment
Primary care specialists, family doctors and pediatricians can provide advice and prescribe medications.
Two antiviral drugs, Zanamivir (Relenza) and Oseltamivir (Tamiflu), have been approved to prevent or reduce the effects of swine flu.
These medications should be taken within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. The most serious complication of influenza is pneumonia.
For whom is this disease most dangerous?
Flu vaccination is especially important for people who are at risk for serious complications from the flu.
The highest risk of contracting the H1N1 influenza strain is:
- Children from 6 months to 4 years.
- People over 50 years old.
- Adults and children with chronic diseases of the lungs (asthma) or the cardiovascular system, kidneys, liver, as well as patients with neurological, hematological and metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus).
- Persons suffering from immunosuppression and patients with HIV.
- Women who may become pregnant during the flu season.
- Children and adolescents (6 months to 18 years) who are at risk for acute liver failure (Reye's syndrome) after influenza infection.
- Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
- People with morbid obesity.
- Healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, healthcare workers caring for patients).
- Teachers and educators.
Drugs for treatment
An effective treatment is the use of antiviral medications. Medicines help to avoid complications; treatment is best carried out using bed rest.
Immunity, Oseltamivir or Tamiflu
In the process of using medicines for two days after the first signs of swine flu 2020 appear, the condition will improve quickly. If during the use of the drug a disturbance in spatial orientation and severe migraine occurs, the occurrence of these side effects must be reported to the doctor, and the medicine will be replaced. The drug has a limitation; it is prohibited for use by children under one year of age.
Relenza or Zinamivir
The drug is used in the form of inhalations; the recommended treatment time is five days, twice a day. The drug may be dangerous for children with asthma and bronchitis. For temperatures above 38 degrees, use Paracetamol and Indomethacin. The use of Aspirin is strictly prohibited for children under sixteen years of age.
Treating swine flu at home
There are effective folk remedies based on natural products that help eliminate flu symptoms and ease the course of the disease.
They soothe a sore throat, reduce fever, relieve swelling, remove phlegm and relieve cough.
Medicines help manage flu symptoms but do not kill the virus itself.
Medicinal plants, fruits and vegetables
Using some medicinal plants, fruits or vegetables, you can strengthen your body to fight the flu.
- Echinacea – Helps temporarily boost the immune system. The powerful organic compounds and essential oils in this plant may be one of the best ways to boost your body's defenses against swine flu. You can gargle with echinacea tincture by diluting a few drops in warm water.
- Garlic is one of the versatile and effective home remedies for swine flu. The active ingredient in garlic, allicin, interacts with the body in a rather unusual way, stimulating antioxidant activity while killing harmful microbes. Eating a clove of garlic with food can ensure a speedy recovery.
- Elderberry has diuretic and laxative properties and easily causes sweating. Elderberry tea removes toxins through the pores of the skin, cleanses the body, which will help speed up recovery.
- Recent studies conducted after the latest H1N1 outbreaks have shown improved health in patients treated with ginseng. The results were very encouraging - drinking ginseng tea and dietary supplements with it counteracts various strains of the virus.
- Honey has natural antibacterial properties, making it an effective immune booster. Honey will help speed up the recovery process in case of illness. Mixing honey with ginseng or ginger in tea can enhance the antimicrobial effect, effectively relieving swine flu symptoms.
- Pineapple Juice: The benefits of fruit juice are widely known in folk medicine. Thanks to its high concentration of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, pineapple juice helps provide the immune system with vitamin C, which increases the production of white blood cells.
- Cayenne pepper: The substance capsaicin contained in the product has powerful antimicrobial and antiviral properties. The plant perfectly warms the body; pepper essential oil is used for baths and inhalations.
Other flu treatments at home
- Vitamin A is one of the most important nutrients in the human diet, and carrots, which contain a high concentration of this vitamin, can provide beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant. It effectively cleanses the body of foreign agents and free radicals, which often weaken the immune system and allow infection to enter.
- Many people forget that vitamin D must be part of a daily regimen produced by sunlight. Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin and helps maintain the function of many body systems, strengthens bones, and generally improves immunity.
- Olive oil contains polyphenols and flavonoids that protect against swine flu symptoms, including nausea, chills, fever, cough, headache and general weakness.
- When vomiting and diarrhea during swine flu, you need to drink water regularly - this is necessary to normalize sweating and urination. Drinking plenty of fluids will help remove harmful substances from the body and replenish water loss.
- Regular physical exercise is a good response to any ailment, as it helps cleanse the blood and strengthen immune function.
- Don't forget to stay in bed. Quality sleep gives the body time to rest and recuperate from exhaustion, restoring the immune system. Let the body focus on protection and repair without wasting energy on other activities.
Overview of Influenza A (H1N1)
It is believed that the outbreak of swine flu occurs during the New Year holidays - people stay at home for a long time, their immunity is reduced due to the consumption of large amounts of fatty foods and alcoholic beverages. By the way, it is precisely because people are in their homes that cases of influenza with severe complications are recorded very often - patients turn to doctors in critical condition.
Please note: the same picture is repeated year after year: first the influenza B virus rages, then the H1N1 flu begins to appear, but it quickly “burns out” and the influenza B virus comes again, which can slowly infect people. And even the period of such a wave-like infection occurs at the same time every year - from January to March.
A large percentage of swine flu cases were observed in 2009 – then deaths were recorded, and the severe course of the infection was clearly visible. Doctors predicted an outbreak of influenza A (H1N1) in 2020 in advance; this strain was included in the vaccine with which a large number of people were vaccinated - this made it possible to create a good immune layer among the population. And yet, from the beginning of 2020, dangerous swine flu began to actively spread throughout the countries of the Northern Hemisphere - Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Israel.
Prevention of swine flu
Swine flu is highly contagious and is considered extremely dangerous on a global scale, so during a flu epidemic, some preventive measures should be taken into account:
- try to spend less time in crowded places:
- if you still need to have contact with a large number of people, wear a medical mask (in the subway, in stores, etc.);
- before leaving the house, you should apply oxolinic ointment to your nostrils (it prevents the infection from settling on the nasal mucosa);
- you need to get a good night's sleep, eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, drink herbal teas - all this has a good effect on the immune system and the body will be less susceptible to illness.
Attention! You should definitely consult your doctor if the first symptoms of swine flu appear.
It is recommended to use only those home remedies that have been approved by the doctor and for which there are no contraindications.
People at risk
Despite the fact that the disease is considered contagious and is transmitted almost immediately upon contact, some people with strong immunity actually do not get sick. An excellent prevention of swine flu is vaccination or the use of antiviral agents. The latter can only be taken as prescribed by a doctor.
For the most part, the virus affects weak people. Pregnant women and pensioners get sick. Often the pathology is diagnosed in children. The younger the child, the more serious the consequences can be. If a young patient has chronic or congenital diseases, this further aggravates the situation.
Young children are especially susceptible to flu
Signs
Symptoms and treatment of influenza are inextricably linked, since the clinic of the disease makes it possible to choose the most effective method of medical care.
Children begin to get sick from 3-4 months of life . This is due to maternal immunoglobulins, which are transmitted with milk and prevent people from getting sick earlier. Naturally, babies on artificial nutrition begin to get sick faster.
Flu symptoms in children are quite typical . The disease begins acutely. Children who felt fine just a few hours ago suddenly begin to complain of:
- moderate headache
- body aches,
- drowsiness.
The temperature stays around 39-40 degrees. Then catarrhal signs of the disease appear:
- pain when swallowing,
- nasal congestion,
- inflammation of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract.
Children under one year old who are sick with the flu refuse to eat, cry, and are capricious . Against the background of fever, they become adynamic, lethargic and drowsy (at the same time wheezing breathing is observed).
The infection is often accompanied by intestinal dysfunction , causing stools to become more frequent and the consistency and smell of the contents to change. Children may experience vomiting and even convulsions due to severe intoxication of the body.
There are 4 degrees of severity of the disease:
- Easy . The most striking signs of the disease are catarrhal symptoms due to damage to the upper respiratory tract. Against this background, the child feels body aches, weakness, pain in muscles and joints. The temperature reaches subfebrile levels. Lost appetite.
- Average . Symptoms become more pronounced. Due to severe intoxication, they are joined by:
- headache,
- cough,
- difficulty breathing,
- vomiting (may be repeated).
Pain in the eyes,
The skin changes its color to pale gray. The temperature rises to 39 degrees. The child refuses to eat, becomes lethargic and drowsy.
The most dangerous complications of the flu can be:
- associated bacterial infection,
- otitis,
- sinusitis,
- pneumonia,
- meningitis,
- encephalitis.
During an infection, a certain sequence of child behavior :
- at first he is apathetic;
- then, against the background of intoxication and high temperature, screams, tremors and convulsions may be observed;
- in the end, the functioning of the nervous system is disrupted, the baby falls into a coma and does not respond to stimuli.
