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 DEFINITION
The flu is an illness caused by a virus (virus of the influenza) that transmits from person person across the cough, the sneezes and objects straight contaminated. It takes as a peculiarity to be a virus of easy mutation; thus the circulating virus in winter will be, probably, different from that from the previous winter and, therefore, the immunity acquired previously cannot be effective.
The most frequent symptoms are, in addition to the breaking of the general state, shakes, a fever of up to 40th C, sneezes, cough, headache, muscular inconveniences, sore throat, etc... The fever lasts generally from 3 until 5 days and, if there are complications, the finished recovery takes place between one and two weeks.
PREVENTION
In case of the flu an advisable preventive vaccine exists. Every year, the World Organization of the health recommends the composition of the vaccine to be used in this period, in those persons included in the high-risk groups, between whom it is necessary to emphasize, fundamentally, aged persons, certain patients, groups that could transmit the illness to persons with risk and those that are employed at certain public services. GENERAL MEASUREMENTS
The flu must always continue his course, but certain measures can be taken to relieve the symptoms:
- To accentuate the rest.
- To take a soft analgesic to calm the inconveniences, any time it has no contraindications.
- To drink water and juices in abundance.
Also, it is of interest to carry to extremes the habitual hygienic measurements (disposable handkerchiefs...). To remember that to wrap up the nose and the mouth, on having sneezed and/or to cough, avoids the transmission of the illness to the persons who surround the patient.
TREATMENT
There is no medicine that treats the flu, so that his treatment comes down to the mitigation of the symptoms (non-conducting, analgesic...).
It is necessary to remember that to the being a viral process is not effective the treatment with antibiotics, being able to give place, on the other hand, to bacterial resistances. The antibiotics must only be administered under strict medical prescription and to treat or to prepare the complications, in persons whose previous state of health like that advises it.
IT IS NECESSARY TO CONSULT THE DOCTOR:
- If it does not eliminate the fever despite the treatment.
- If it appears make difficult to breathe in rest.
- If it is included in some high-risk group.
- If there appears some symptom that the proper experience does not recognize as of flu, or his intensity increases very much.
- If it does not stop the cough in ten days.
TO SEE ALSO
WHAT DOCTOR CAN TREAT ME?
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DEFINITION 
