
When is influenza considered serious?
Influenza can be severe or even fatal if a person is not in good health to begin with. The body and its defences can also become so weakened by influenza that other infections can occur. Pneumonia, sinusitis, airway or inner ear infection may occur. Rare and sometimes fatal problems include inflammation of the brain and nervous system and kidneys. Influenza can also worsen other problems such as diabetes, chronic bronchitis or heart failure.
Causes
The flu is caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. These viruses spread through droplets in the air when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. The virus can also be spread by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching your own mouth, eyes or nose. You can spread the flu before you know you are sick, beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick.
Diagnosis
Your doctor may diagnose a probable influenza infection based on your symptoms alone. They will listen to your chest using a stethoscope. If your doctor wants to be sure of the diagnosis they may take a sample of cells and mucus from your nose or throat using a sterile cotton swab. This sample will be sent to a pathology laboratory for testing.
This information was sourced from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/colds-and-flu-diagnosis
Prevention
Prevention is the best treatment. A healthy lifestyle and diet, not smoking and exercise will all help. Vaccination is an effective way of lessening the chance of catching influenza. Unlike other infectious diseases, the flu virus changes and different varieties occur each year. That means that vaccines need to be changed on a yearly basis. This ensures they are effective against the virus type most likely to affect the community in the coming season.
All high risk persons should be vaccinated with a new vaccine each year since yearly vaccination has been found to be effective in preventing severe symptoms. It can be lifesaving in many cases. Doctors, nurses and others caring for high risk people should be vaccinated. Medical staff and nurses looking after patients with immunity problems should also be vaccinated.