Quitting smoking could be a useful preventative measure against flu — not only
for you but also for your children, family, or anyone else who lives with you.
People who smoke have a more exaggerated response to viruses, including the
flu.
Flu virus symptoms that are often mild in those who do not smoke could have a
severe effect on people who do. For example, smokers are more likely to die than
non-smokers during flu epidemics.
Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT, conducted an
experiment that revealed that exposure to cigarette smoke from two cigarettes
per day for 2 weeks triggered an overreaction in the immune system of mice
when exposed to the flu virus.
Although the mice's immune systems cleared the flu virus normally, there was
inflated inflammation and higher levels of tissue damaged than would be
expected.
These findings suggest that flu severely affects people who smoke not because
they can't fight it off, but because their immune system overreacts to the virus.
Lead author Dr. Jack A. Elias, the chair of internal medicine at Yale School of
Medicine, compared the reaction of smokers with using a sledgehammer rather
than a fly swatter to get rid of a fly.
The University of Rochester Medical Center in New York also discovered that
"children who are exposed to secondhand smoke" have a higher chance of
needing intensive care and longer hospital stays when hospitalized with flu.
The immune system protects your body from infection. When it is in tiptop shape
and functioning properly, the immune system launches an attack on threats —
such as flu viruses.
For most individuals, the immune system does a good job of regulating itself.
But immune system disorders, allergies, asthma, medications, and autoimmune
diseases can all impact how well the immune system works.
You can benefit your whole body, including your immune system, by
implementing healthy living strategies, such as:
consuming a fruit- and vegetable-rich diet
exercising frequently
aiming for a healthy BMI
sleeping for 7–9 hours each night
reducing stress
Studies have produced some interesting findings surrounding the immune system
and flu.
Vitamin D supplements have been demonstrated to halve the risk of respiratory
infections such as flu in people with low baseline vitamin D levels. Vitamin D
plays a vital role in the functioning of the immune system.
Lactobacillus brevis — a type of lactic acid bacteria — from a pickled turnip that
is popular in Japan was found to be protective against flu infection in mice by
increasing immune system molecules in the body.
Flavonoids, which are found in blueberries, red wine, and black tea, may help to
control immune response by working with gut microbes to protect against severe
flu infections.
Regular moderate exercise could cut respiratory infections by one third, while
strenuous exercise may cause a two- to sixfold increase in the risk of infection.
These findings show that physical activity can have either a positive or negative
effect on the function of the immune system.
Flu antiviral drugs are prescription medications that reduce flu severity and
complications and may prevent you from getting flu when taken before getting
sick.
Antiviral drugs work by fighting the flu virus and preventing it from multiplying
in your body.
Treatment is not required for most people with uncomplicated flu. Symptoms
start to improve with plenty of rest, fluids, and use of over-the-counter
medicines.
Your doctor might prescribe antiviral drugs as a treatment or preventative option
if you are at an increased risk of severe flu complications.
So far, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved three flu
antiviral drugs that are recommended by the CDC against the current circulating
flu viruses:
oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
zanamivir (Relenza)
peramivir (Rapivab)
When antivirals are used within 2 days of flu symptoms starting, they may
reduce symptoms and shorten the time that you are sick. Antivirals may also
prevent ear infections in children and hospitalizations and pneumonia in adults.
Antivirals can also reduce the risk of death in individuals with flu severe enough
to be admitted to the hospital.
While antivirals might be a potential treatment option, some doctors approach
them with caution in treating the flu. The Cochrane Collaboration and The BMJ
conducted research in 2014 that questioned the benefits and explored the harms
of Tamiflu and Relenza.
Antiviral drugs are not a substitute for the flu vaccine.
As well as getting vaccinated, good health habits also act as a line of defense
against the flu.
Flu is extremely contagious, able to spread from one person to another standing
within 6 feet via droplets produced when coughing, sneezing, or talking or by
touching contaminated surfaces.
A study that was conducted by the University of Maryland in Balitmore found
that those with flu contaminate the air around them simply by breathing.
Other research demonstrated that one single doorknob or tabletop could spread a
virus to 40–60 percent of workers and visitors within just 2–4 hours of
contamination.
The findings highlight the importance of good hygiene practices in the workplace
and public places plus the need to go home as soon as possible when symptoms
of flu begin.
Following a few simple steps can minimize the spread of flu viruses:
Avoid close contact with those who are sick or other people if you are sick.
If you have flu-like symptoms, stay home from school or work for at least 24
hours after your fever has disappeared.
Use a tissue to cover your nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing.
Dispose of the tissue immediately after use.
Regularly wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth without first washing your hands to
ensure they are germ-free.
Clean and disinfect surfaces that people come into contact with at work, school,
or home.
Research conducted by the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor indicated that
hand hygiene and wearing surgical masks reduced the spread of flu-like
symptoms by up to 75 percent in university residence halls.
Getting a flu shot is the single best thing that you can do each flu season to
protect yourself from severe illness.
Seasonal flu shots — created to protect against three or four flu viruses that are
believed to be the most common during a specific flu season — are vaccines that
are usually injected into the arm with a needle.
Flu vaccines trigger antibodies to develop in the body, usually within 2 weeks of
having the shot. The antibodies provide protection against the strains of flu
infection contained in the vaccine. Although the flu shot may have side effects in
some people, it cannot cause flu illness.
The flu vaccine saved 40,000 lives in the U.S. between 2005 and 2014 and can
even decrease the likelihood of complications and death — even when infection
fails to be prevented.
Who should get the flu shot?
Everybody over the age of 6 months is recommended to get an annual flu
vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). Several flu shots are available depending on age and whether you are
pregnant or have a chronic health condition.
Children under 6 months old are too young to receive a flu shot. People who
have life-threatening allergies to any ingredient in the vaccine or have ever had
Guillain-Barré syndrome should discuss the flu shot with their doctor before
getting vaccinated.
Between 151 million and 166 million doses of injectable flu vaccine are
estimated to be available for the 2017–2018 flu season. When the supply of the
vaccine is limited, priority will often be given to:
children aged between 6 months and 4 years
adults aged 50 years and over
those with chronic pulmonary disorders or who are immunosuppressed
pregnant women
children and adolescents on long-term aspirin therapy
people who work in chronic care facilities and healthcare personnel
individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more
In people at risk of heart disease, their risk of heart attack is six times higher in
the first 7 days of flu.
Does the flu shot work?
When the flu vaccine is "well matched" to the circulating flu viruses, the flu shot
can reduce the risk of flu by 40–60 percent.
A good match occurs when the viruses in the vaccine and the circulating flu
viruses in any given flu season are closely related. The antibodies generated as a
result of the vaccine will then effectively protect against infection from flu.
If the viruses contained in the vaccine and the circulating viruses differ, the flu
shot's effectiveness may be reduced. In mismatched seasons, the vaccine may
still provide some protection against flu illness and related flu viruses.
Recent research has found that the seasonal flu shot:
prevents severe flu in older adults and reduces admissions to the hospital
reduces hospitalization from serious flu complications by 60 percent in children
decreases flu cases by 70 percent in infants under 6 months whose mothers were
vaccinated during pregnancy
reduces hospital admissions in people with type 2 diabetes by 30 percent for
stroke, 22 percent for heart failure, and 15 percent for pneumonia and flu
does not heighten susceptibility to infection from flu during seasons of vaccine
mismatch
Scientists worldwide are currently working to develop a "universal" flu vaccine
that would make yearly vaccinations a thing of the past. A one-shot universal
flu vaccine would aim to protect against all — or almost all — seasonal and
pandemic flu strains.
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