| | | | Other Names | | | Influenza, Flu.
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| | | Flu, or "influenza" is an acute infectious disease,
characterized by a sudden onset, fever and generalized aches and pains,
which usually occurs in epidemics and pandemics.
Cause
The disease is caused by a virus of the influenza group. There are at
least three types of influenza virus, known respectively as A, B and C.
One of their most characteristic features is that infection with one type
provides no protection against another type. Equally important is the case
with which the influenza virus can change its character. These two
characteristics explain why one attack of influenza provides little, if
any, protection against a subsequent attack, and why it is so difficult to
prepare an effective vaccine against the disease.
Epidemics of
influenza due to virus A occur in Britain at two- to four-year intervals,
and outbreaks of virus B influenza in less frequent cycles. Virus A
influenza, for instance, was the prevalent infection in 1949, 1951, 1955
and 1956, whilst virus B influenza was epidemic in 1946, 1950, 1954 and,
along with virus A, in 1958-59. The pandemic of 1957, which swept most of
the world, though fortunately not in a severe form, was due to a new
variant of virus A - the so-called Asian virus - and it has been suggested
that it was this variant that was responsible for the pandemics of 1889
and 1918. Since 1957, variants of virus A have been the predominating
causes of influenza accompanied on occasions by virus B. In 1997 an
outbreak of Chinese avian influenza caused alarm. The influenza virus had
apparently jumped species to infect some people in Hong Kong and, because
no vaccine was available, some experts feared it might start an epidemic.
Happily, it did not.
Symptoms The incubation period of
influenza A and B is two to three days and the disease is characterized by
a sudden onset. Usually this is followed by a short, sharp febrile illness
of two to four days duration, associated with headache, prostration,
generalized aching and respiratory symptoms. Typically the respiratory
symptoms are restricted to the upper respiratory tract, and consist of
signs of irritation of the nose, pharynx and larynx. There may be
nosebleeds, and a dry hacking cough is often a prominent and troublesome
symptom. The fever is usually remittent and the temperature seldom exceeds
39.4 degrees C (103 degrees F), tending to fluctuate between 38.3 and 39.4
degrees C (101 and 103 degrees F).
The most
serious complication is infection of the lungs. This infection is usually
due to organisms other than the influenza virus. It is a complication
which can have serious results in elderly people.
The very severe
form which tends to occur during pandemics - and which was so common
during the 1918-19 pandemic - is characterized by the rapid onset of
broncho-pneumonia and severe prostration. Because of the toxic effect on
the heart there is a particularly marked form of cyanosis, known as
heliotrope cyanosis.
Convalescence following influenza tends to be
prolonged. Even after an attack of average severity there tends to be a
period of weakness and depression.
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Please Note: This Traditional Use information is provided as a courtesy only. The products indicated above may be listed in error. This information is based on Traditional and Folklore Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA and is not based on scientific evidence from any source. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
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Flu / Influenza - Health - Marshmallow Root 450 mg
100 capsules
11.37 US
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