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Cold and Flu
Questions and answers about the "Common Cold"; symptoms in the upper respiratory tract like sneezing, scratchy throat, and runny nose, but adults don't typically have fevers. Colds are usually caused by the rhinovirus (up to 40% of colds), or Coronaviruses (about 20%), but there are more than 200 viruses that can cause the common cold. Also questions about the seasonal flu, also called "regular flu", caused mostly by Type A and Type B Influenza viruses. Flu starts with similar symptoms as a cold only it hits faster and harder and usually includes fever in adults. Although the "stomach flu" is a common term, it is not a real diagnosis. The proper medical term for stomach flu is gastroenteritis (an intestinal disease, sometimes viral but also bacterial), it is often mistaken for influenza because the flu can sometimes include vomiting and diarrhea.
4,331 Questions
If you get sick then get better can you get that sickness again or are you immune to it?
It depends on the sickness.
Some diseases, like mumps, measles, or chickenpox, are pretty much "one time only" diseases. You get them, your body forms antibodies against them, and then you're protected.
Other diseases, like influenza or "colds", you can get many times. Your body forms antibodies against these also so that you only get each specific strain of influenza once, but the influenza virus mutates so quickly that every year there are several new strains and your immunity to last year's versions doesn't help you much.
Did the current strain of Swine Flu start in a pig?
It is not from swine, never was, never will. It merely RESEMBLES what swine have. There aren't any proven cases that it was transmitted from a pig or anything to a human being.
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm
Can you take a flu shot after Z pak?
There are no listed drug interactions or contraindications in taking that antibiotic or others at or around the same time as having a flu vaccination.
However, depending on why you are taking an antibiotic, it may or may not be a good idea in your case. If you have an active bacterial infection (what Z pak is used for), then it may be better to wait until your immune system has overcome that problem before giving it a new problem to deal with in responding with immunity to a viral infection at the same time. If you have fever from your bacterial infection or other symptoms of acute bacterial infections, you should wait until the fever is gone before getting a flu shot.
Your best decision for your situation can be made with the assistance and advice of the doctor who has prescribed the antibiotics.
When is a person with H1N1 flu contagious?
If someone in your home has swine flu, your odds of catching it are about one in eight, although children are twice as susceptible as adults, the study found. It is one of the first big scientific attempts to find out how much the illness spreads in homes versus at work or school, and who is most at risk.
The study was done by outbreak specialists from Imperial College London and from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results are in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.
Swine flu has sickened an estimated one-sixth of Americans since the novel virus was first identified in April. The second wave of cases now seems to have peaked, and health experts do not know if another surge lies ahead.
People with swine flu are advised to stay home for at least a day after their fever goes away by itself to avoid spreading illness. That puts family members at risk, but who is vulnerable and to what extent has not been known.
60 percent of cases are kids
About 60 percent of swine flu cases have been in children, but researchers wondered: are they truly more likely to get swine flu, or just more likely to be taken to a doctor and tested for it? Are they more likely to spread the virus than adults are?
To find out, researchers studied infection patterns in 216 people with swine flu from around the United States (half of them children) and 600 people living wiRespiratory illnesses that researchers assumed were swine flu developed in 78 of the 600 household members, or 13 percent. However, 10 percent had symptoms more specific to flu.
That's less than the "spread" rate during earlier flu pandemics in 1957 and 1968, when 14 percent to 20 percent of household members were infected. Less is known about spread in the 1918 pandemic, but households and lifestyles were very different then. In an ordinary flu season, the virus spreads to 5 percent to 40 percent of household members, various studies have shown.
Children were twice as susceptible to catching swine flu as adults were, and even more so if they were younger than 4, said one of the researchers, Lyn Finelli, surveillance chief for the CDC's flu division.
"It fits with what I'm seeing clinically," said Dr. James King, chairman of the American Academy of Family Physicians' board of directors and a family medicine doctor in Selmer in western Tennessee. "Most of the people I'm seeing are people under 20, mostly kids," he said.
Nearly three-fourths of households in the study managed to avoid spreading the illness to any family members.
In homes where the germ was transmitted, researchers found something unexpected: "People at all ages were just as likely to spread the virus," Finelli said. "That was surprising, since we always think of kids as super-spreaders."
The study was funded by several public and private health-related groups in England and the United States, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
How many people die of influenza in Australia each year?
The following links may help
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/f/flu/deaths.htm; Search for "Death statistics in Australia", but the info is from 2002.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/disease.htm
Has USA based info.
Like other influenza viruses, it attacks the respiratory system. It causes the tissues to become inflamed and actually enters some of the cells of the host animal to cause them to reproduce the virus and stop working for the host. Then as the replicated virus particles are released from inside the cell, they split open the cell to get out and the cell is killed in the process.
The most harmful condition it can cause in an otherwise healthy adult, is secondary pneumonia which can be a critical condition. Also when too many cells are infected and killed, the body must recover from the loss of function of those cells. There can be stress on the kidneys trying to rid the body of the dead cells and excess proteins and other by-products of the infectious disease. Secondary infections such as bacterial or viral pneumonia can result in respiratory failure, septicemia (infection in the blood and whole body), and even death. Many worse problems can occur in those at higher risk for complications with underlying disease, etc. [see more on that in related questions below]
Luckily, the new virus was a relatively mild infection for most people, so the death rate was lower than initially feared by epidemiologists.
What is the record for sneezing?
Depends on if you have any allergies or not, or how many colds you get per year. Someone who has allergies and gets a lot of colds per year will sneeze a lot more than someone without those. For example, one person could sneeze on average a dozen times per day, while someone else may only do that in one year, so I think it all balances out to one sneeze a day.
This answer shows a full list of all the diseases and conditions listed as a possible cause of Low blood iron by various sources. Acute Blood loss Blood test shows falsely decreased iron levels - e.g. error in collection or storage Breastfeeding Chronic Blood loss Chronic haematuria Chronic haemoptysis Colorectal malignancy Decreased acidity in stomach (hypochlorhydria) Decreased dietary intake Gastric malignancy Gastritis Gastrointestinal bleeding Hookworm Infancy Inflammatory bowel diseases Medications causing decreased stomach acidity Menstruation NSAID/aspirin use Parasites Peptic ulcer Pregnancy Puberty
When is a person with a common cold contagious?
There does not appear to be a period of time that a cold is least contagious. Scientists believe that a person who has the common cold can be contagious for a few days before their symptoms begin right up until the time when their symptoms subside. This period of time could take up to two weeks. However, the period of time when a cold is most contagious is usually when the symptoms are at their worst, usually 2 to 4 days into the cold.
You have had a cold for four weeks what can you do?
Stay home and sleep and drink as much as you can! Colds are highly contagious so that is why you stay home. The reason you drink is to ceep your mucus from stuffing your nose up and to keep your throat from getting dry. If you have a fever go to the Doctor for you might have an infection.
How many days does it take for swine flu to be cured?
The flu causes a fever, body aches, a headache, a dry cough, and a sore or dry throat. You will probably feel tired and less hungry than usual. The symptoms usually are the worst for the first 3 or 4 days. But it can take 1 to 2 weeks to get completely better.
See the related questions in the related question section below for more information about symptoms, course of the disease, and treatment.
When you are in contact with a person with a cold how soon will you get it?
From the time a cold virus enters the nose, it takes 8-12 hours for the viral reproductive cycle to be completed and for new cold virus to be released in nasal secretions. This interval is called the incubation period. Cold symptoms can also begin shortly after virus is first produced in the nose (10-12 hours). The time from the beginning of the infection to the peak of symptoms is typically 36-72 hours.
So about 10-12 hours after the virus first enters the nose is when the infected person will begin to notice symptoms; the worst symptoms will be around 36-72 hours after infection.
Sources: http://www.commoncold.org/undrstn3.htm
Are you protected if expired flu vaccine was used?
Probably not. Each year the ingredients in the flu vaccine are different, because each year different strains of the influenza virus are going around. They have to make up a new vaccine each year, to be sure it contains all the right strains that will provide immunity for the kinds of flu that are circulating at that time. Since the vaccine for the seasonal flu for this year in the Northern Hemisphere has just been manufactured and released very recently, it would not seem possible for it to be already expired. If you use a vaccine from a prior year (the more likely scenario if the expiration date on the bottle has already passed), then you will not be fully protected against the strains of virus that will be causing flu this year and may be taking something that could be harmful in addition to providing no protection.
You should talk to those at the source of the vaccine to find out why the vaccine would be expired.
The 1918 outbreak of the Spanish flu was the most destructive malaria epidemic in history?
False. The 1918 Spanish Flu was caused by an influenza virus and became a serious pandemic that killed millions world wide. Malaria is caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium, a different type of infectious agent than a virus like the flu. Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes.
The Spanish Flu lasted approximately one year in 1918 - 1919. It was a very deadly pandemic during WW1 and is estimated to have killed between 25 and 50 million people world wide in that short time period, perhaps the worst human infectious disease toll in all of recorded history. The plague in the middle ages killed 8 to 13 million, for comparison. It may have influenced the outcome of some battles in WWI since it was taking a heavy toll on military men from all parts of the world.
Can you get the flu in spring?
Approximately one month prior to the start of the flu season. In the US the flu season is in the fall and winter, as in all Northern Hemisphere locations. It is the opposite time of year in the Southern Hemisphere.
The flu season in the Northern Hemisphere is October through March. It is not too late in January or February to get a vaccination if you do not get the shot sooner, but the longer you wait, the more risk you take that you will catch the flu before you get the vaccine and it has time to take effect.
See the related questions below for more information on the flu seasons.
How effective is the flu mist?
The seasonal flu shot is thought to be 70 - 90 % effective in prevention of the flu strains for which it is being given in otherwise healthy adults. It is slightly less effective for the very young or very old due to the immaturity of the young immune systems or the loss of function of some immune responses in the infirm or elderly. The variation for healthy adults is caused by how well (or not) the strain chosen to make the vaccine is matched to the actual strain of that flu that is in current circulation. The match between the flu vaccine and swine flu H1N1/09 is a very good match and it is projected to be over 90% effective, for example.
See the CDC Q&A on the subject in the related links section below.
Why don't feed a starving person a chocolate?
Their body is malnourished and cannot withstand the sudden indigestion of vitamins. They should be fed food in SMALL amounts by a certified dietician, which gradually increase over time. Depending on how long they have been without food, a small meal (for example, a cheeseburger) can make them sick or in severe cases KILL them.
Is major sinus pain but no stuffy nose a symptom of Swine Flu?
Any of the cold or general flu symptoms can be a symptom of swine flu. It can be as mild as stuffy nose or serious enough to put you in bed for weeks. Generally speaking though, the swine flu is like any other flu, if not a little milder, you get a fever, a cough and a stuffy/runny nose and body aches and it comes on pretty quick. Sinus pain can follow a bout with a stuffy or runny nose. As always, if in doubt, check with your doctor.
Why are dengue fever dangerous?
Fever is the body's way of fighting off a bacteria or a virus. The fever seems to slow it down and even inhibit it.
Does honey become toxic when put in hot water?
No.a toxic substance cannot be produced from honey.
Second Answer: As per Ayurveda, honey becomes toxic when mixed with hot water. It imbalances the Doshas and causes energy loss. Please do not mix with hot water or alcohol.
If you had a cold 1 month ago can you catch a cold again?
It is easier to catch a cold just after getting over one, since your body is resting from trying to fight off the germs. A way to prevent getting a cold is to wash your hands a lot, and also try to get as much sleep as possible.
What birds did bird flu affect?
All known subtypes of influenza A viruses circulate among wild birds, which are the natural hosts for influenza A viruses. H5N1 a subtype of influenza A viruses affects bird population all over Asia.Infected birds shed viruses in saliva, nasal secretions and feces. H5N1 infection in man may be because of contact with infected poultry.
In Asia with H5N1 outbreaks must avoid poultry farms and any surface contaminated with feces from poultry. All birds can get flu.
- Gargle with warm salt water to help reduce swelling and relieve discomfort.
- Prevent dehydration. Fluids may help thin secretions and soothe an irritated throat. Hot fluids, such as tea or soup, may help decrease throat irritation.
- Use a vaporizer or humidifier in your bedroom.
- Use nonprescription throat lozenges.
- Use a decongestant.
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