Seasonal Influenza
Seasonal influenza (also known simply as influenza, or more commonly as the flu), is a common acute viral illness caused by a highly infectious virus. It can be passed on when people breathe in airborne droplets containing the virus that have been coughed or sneezed into the air by an infected person, or during contact with virus contaminated surfaces such as door handles.
Symptoms
The incubation period for seasonal influenza is usually around 48 hours, though the virus can be spread even before symptoms develop. The virus infects the nose, throat, sinuses, lungs and upper airways, causing rapid onset of fever and general aches and pains.
Other symptoms may include runny or blocked nose, non-productive cough, headache, sore throat, sneezing, chills and fatigue, similar to a cold but tending to be more severe. Loss of appetite or nausea is also common. The symptoms of seasonal influenza usually peak after two or three days and typically last for up to a week, though a cough or fatigue may be present for a few weeks afterwards.
Complications
Though seasonal influenza viruses can cause infections all year round, in the UK most cases occur between October and April. For most healthy adults, flu is just like an unpleasant cold and they usually manage to fight off the infection without medical treatment. However, certain people have a greater risk of developing complications; young children; the elderly; people with compromised immune systems; and people with long-term illnesses. The complications of seasonal influenza can be life-threatening, therefore if symptoms get much worse, especially if severe vomiting or diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, a skin rash, cough with yellow-green or rust-coloured sputum (phlegm), earache, extreme lethargy or persistent uncontrollable cough develop seek medical advice.
Vaccination
As always, "prevention is better than cure". The best way to avoid getting flu is to strengthen your immune system by eating a healthy diet, taking regular exercise, getting enough rest and relaxation, and not smoking. You should also avoid people who are coughing and sneezing, especially if they're not covering their mouth and nose. Regular hand washing may also help.
Herbal remedies that may help prevent infection are Echinacea and Elderberry. Echinacea is an immune system stimulant, and elderberries help to prevent the virus entering body cells. If a virus can not enter a host cell then it can not multiply, so elderberries prevent influenza virus replicating and spreading.
Vaccination against the predicted current strain of seasonal influenza is available in the UK and recommended for everyone over the age of 65, everyone aged six months or over who has lung disease (such as asthma), heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes or lowered immunity, anyone living in a residential or nursing home, and people caring for those at risk of flu complications.
However, during a swine flu outbreak in the USA in 1976, a flu vaccine led to an increase in the number of cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Though there has been no evidence of a repeat of this association with any seasonal influenza vaccine since then.
Self-help
If you are infected with seasonal influenza there are some things you can do to shorten the duration and severity of the symptoms. If you are otherwise healthy, aged under 65 and with an uncomplicated case of the flu you could try the self-help remedies suggested below.
Fighting off a virus takes a lot of energy so the first thing to do is rest.
Your body fights the virus in a number of ways. Your hypothalamus (the temperature control area in your brain) raises the set point of your body temperature thermostat. Your temperature increases (fever), generally above 38°C/100°F which helps to weaken the virus. You will be pale and feel cold (chills). Support the body's attempt to warm up, with a short hot bath, hot drinks and piling on the covers. Good herbal choices are hot elderflower, yarrow and peppermint tea, or hot ginger tea, these herbs are recommended by herbalists because they help to induce sweating, especially when they are drunk hot.
Hippocrates is believed to have said "Give me a fever, and I can cure any illness".
A fever helps to shorten the duration of the illness so fever-reducing drugs such as paracetamol should be used with discretion. Having a raised temperature mobilises the immune system, stimulating immune cells to fight off the invaders, and inhibiting their spread.
As your temperature exceeds the set point you will look flushed, feel very hot and start to sweat. The body's temperature will start to come down. To avoid dehydration ensure an adequate fluid intake.
Having a fever is not safe for everyone, elderly people, newborn infants and the chronically ill are more at risk. If symptoms become much worse seek medical attention. Signs of worsening illness include, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, dizziness, confusion, severe or persistent vomiting. In children, warning signs might include irritability, failing to wake up and interact, rapid breathing, and a bluish skin colour. Or if symptoms appear to resolve, but then reappear with fever and a bad cough.
See the BBC article for more information on seasonal influenza, here
The Health Protection Agency has good information, here
A 2007 review of conventional, botanical and nutritional considerations can be found, here
Fever: new view stresses its healing benefits, here
See my blog article on swine flu and herbal antivirals, here