If You Get Influenza a Can You Get It Again

"Many people are non aware that the flu is much more serious than a common common cold," says Dr Téa E. Collins, Medical Counselor to the World Medical Clan on global health issues and member of the Influenza Hub editorial board.

"If you're an older person, in item, the flu could touch on you lot desperately – but it can be prevented. We're in the 21st century now, and nosotros no longer have the flu pandemics that took so many lives in the 19th and 20th centuries. Nonetheless, people still get the flu because they don't know how to prevent information technology."

Do the unproblematic hygiene habits that will help you to protect yourself from the flu – particularly during the flu season.

Preventing is key

Before we look at some simple steps you can have to help prevent yourself from catching the flu, permit'due south explore why prevention is so important, specially when we're not as immature as we used to be. Afterwards all, the flu isn't something we just catch one time in our lifetime – or even in one case a yr.

We demand to accept steps to protect ourselves every flu season, throughout the season, as Dr Collins explains: "We become the flu multiple times – not only every year only throughout the twelvemonth. There are different strains of the virus, and we never know how each strain will mutate and what will be circulating each flavour."

The influenza changes constantly

Let'due south take a closer wait at what Dr Collins ways when she says there are multiple strains of the flu and that these strains mutate

There are three types of flu viruses: types A, B, and C ^(ane). Blazon A viruses are divided into two different subtypes ⁽ⁱⁱ⁾ and then the A subtypes and B viruses are divided into different strains. Type A and B flu viruses cause outbreaks and epidemics in humans ⁽²⁾.

There'due south a mix of different flu virus strains circulating among humans ⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾. These different strains tin each spontaneously mutate, which means at that place's a gradual modify in the flu viruses circulating over the course of the flu season and from i season to the next ⁽³⁾.

These changes fool our immune organization ⁽⁴⁾. Call up how we explained in an earlier mail service that our allowed system remembers a influenza virus that has previously attacked it and tin respond immediately? When a mutated flu virus tries to infect u.s., our defence organisation doesn't recognise information technology and then can't respond with such haste.

You may be more than at risk

So, we've seen how and why different strains of the influenza virus exist at any 1 time, and that these dissimilar strains are continually irresolute. The severity of the flu differs betwixt strains and depends not only on the virus itself but likewise on a host of other factors – including the infected person ⁽³⁾.

While astringent flu and complications can potentially occur in anyone, hospitalisations are more common if you are of pensionable age ⁽³⁾. Yous take a greater gamble of developing astringent complications, such equally pneumonia, since your immune response may as well be less effective – especially if yous accept an underlying affliction that reduces your resistance to infection.

Preventing the flu

Dr Collins reveals some simple steps you lot tin can take to help you avoid catching the dissimilar strains of the e'er-changing influenza virus: "We need to prevent the influenza because treating the influenza is practically impossible," she explains. "Prevention includes common hygiene practices and vaccine schedules; simple things like hand washing, roofing our mouths and cleaning the door knobs – and making sure you go and seek assistance if you have a fever that persists."

If y'all are of pensionable, the flu could touch on yous badly. It'south much more than but a common common cold. Practice the simple hygiene habits that volition aid you to protect yourself from the flu – peculiarly during the flu season.

---

Sources:
(ane) http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs211/en/
(2) http://www.euro.who.int/en/wellness-topics/catching-diseases/influenza/data-and-statistics/virology-of-human-influenza
(3) https://ecdc.europa.eu/en/seasonal-influenza/facts/factsheet
(4) https://wiki.ecdc.europa.european union/fem/w/wiki/how-pathogens-try-to-play tricks-our-defenses

johnsgratelver.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.flu65plus.com/articles/why-you-could-catch-flu-more-once

Share this post