Symptoms and Differences of Influenza
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an acute respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus. It is a highly contagious disease that spreads rapidly. It is primarily transmitted through droplets in the air, person-to-person contact, or contact with contaminated objects. Typical clinical symptoms include the sudden onset of high fever, body aches, significant fatigue, and mild respiratory symptoms. It is most prevalent in the autumn and winter seasons, and the complications and mortality it causes can be very severe. The influenza virus is prone to mutation, highly contagious, and often leads to flu epidemics.
Symptoms
1. The onset is abrupt, with chills and fever. The body temperature rises to its peak, between 39-40°C or higher, within a few to 24 hours. It is accompanied by headache, body aches, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Respiratory symptoms are milder, such as a dry throat, sore throat, dry cough, and sometimes diarrhea.
2. Flushed face: congestion of the outer canthus of the eye, a congested throat, and follicles on the soft palate.
Differences between Influenza and the Common Cold
Influenza is caused by a viral infection. Because the virus spreads through the air, the nose is the first to be affected. The virus first infects the nasal mucosa, then replicates continuously, causing inflammation of the nasal mucosa, leading to symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, and nasal congestion.
The common cold, often referred to as a "head cold," usually affects only the respiratory system. All symptoms are related to the nose, such as a runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, and even fever. It typically resolves within a few days.
Influenza is caused by the influenza virus. Flu symptoms affect the entire body, including fever and chills, sweating, body aches, headache, bone pain, muscle pain, tiredness, loss of appetite, cough, and nasal congestion. In severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia and other complications, which can be fatal. A characteristic of the influenza virus is that it has many types, and a new strain of the virus tends to emerge every ten years or so.