Me and most of the people I know have been hit by flu quite a few times, when flu hits you the only thing we think about is how long does the flu last?
Whether it is a child or a grown up, everybody has fallen a prey of some or the other disease.
Keeping in mind the importance of health as it is very well said that “health is wealth” therefore this post is based on a very common health issue called the Flu.
We’ll tell you about the initial stages of self-care and will help you know more about influenza, its types, symptoms, means of spreading and how long does the flu last.
Flu or cold?
Have you ever wondered that why people call their respiratory illness as flu?
Why didn’t they call it as cold? Have you ever wondered the difference between a cold and a flu?
Well before discussing the health issues it’s a compulsion to make you people aware of the fact that flu and cold are not the same diseases.
In this post, first of all we would like to introduce you to the difference between both the diseases.
Starting with the most common term used by people i.e. cold:
Cold is just a mild respiratory disease. Guys, focus on the word “mild”. If we compare cold and flu then flu isn’t mild at all in fact it can worsen your conditions.
While cold can merely give you headaches, stuffy and running nose, cough, congestion only for a few days, but when you are struck with a flu, your ill health can even get you hospitalized!
As stated earlier a cold can last for a few days, whereas a flu can break you down for for weeks and in some cases it last for months. It also causes serious illness like pneumonia, diarrhea, and swine flu.
How long does the flu last in Adults:
A majority of individuals who get infected by influenza most probably recover in a week or two; however, some may develop potentially life threatening conditions like pneumonia.
According to a research people get hospitalized and an average of thirty six thousand deaths are caused due to influenza nationwide.
These flu related complications can happen at any age, however it is noted that people who suffer from respiratory and chronic diseases are more prone to acquiring this diseases rather than the people who are young and healthy.
Usually flu is not detectable for the first two days, but the person is contagious even in this condition, not to be taken it at ease a healthy person remains contagious even after five to seven days.
Individuals who are severely infected by this disease usually remain contagious for about fourteen day.
Because it is severe than cold therefore when a body gets infected by influenza the person remains week and feeble for about fifteen to twenty days only if the influenza is a really strong one. Otherwise an adult can recover from it in about ten days.
To diagnose influenza a usually a quick test is done in which it can be easily detected that a person is infected by the A or B virus.
If the tests detect Influenza A virus special treatment is to be given to the patient as it is a more dangerous virus as compared to virus B.
How long does the flu last in children:
Children being more vulnerable and delicate therefore they are infected by the disease more than a healthy adult is infected.
Usually in adults symptom of high temperature is not found whereas in children temperature can reach up to hundred and four degrees.
Usually in the beginning of this disease children tend to get extremely exhausted and in addition to the body pains which keeps on worsening the situation. They may also suffer from convulsions.
Since the effects of influenza are life threatening therefore, it may take a long time for children to recover from it.
Children mostly take about a month to fully recover from its symptoms. Since children are the weak and delicate once therefore they remain contagious for about a week even after its detection.
PS: Special attention is to be given to children as they can also develop croup, bronchiolitis, hoarseness and barking cough.
While discussing how long does the flu last Flu or Cold we also want to shed some light on the different means through which Influenza virus spreads:
Direct contact:
If you hold hands, kiss, touch an infected person you are prone to catch it easily. If you are infected by the virus, germs will be present everywhere in your eyes, mouth. Skin or nose. Similarly if you get in contact with other people you will spread the virus.
Indirect contact:
If an infected person touched anything, like a door knob, toys, utensils etc. That commodity remains infected for hours. Therefore even if you touch those things which were previously used by an infected person you are prone to be caught by this disease.
Influenza can also spread through air. If an infected person sneezes or coughs the droplets can easily reach another infected person thereby making him also a patient of the same ailment.
