Practically every winter, the incidence of influenza in the population increases significantly. This is due, on the one hand, to a decrease in people's immunity in winter and with frequent hypothermia, on the other hand, to an increase in the activity of the influenza virus. The influenza epidemic is very frightening for patients when they have the first symptoms of SARS. The symptoms of the flu and other acute respiratory viral infections are different. Consider the main clinical signs of influenza.
How to distinguish the flu from other acute respiratory viral infections? Clinical signs of influenza
Influenza is one of the varieties of acute respiratory viral diseases and is characterized by an acute course, high probability of complications. The doctor faces a difficult task - at the initial appointment, to distinguish other acute respiratory viral infections from the influenza virus.
So, outwardly, a person with the flu looks like a tearful child. That is, there is an injection of vessels of the sclera and hyperemia of the face. A runny nose, as a rule, is not present with the flu. The main symptom and clinical sign of influenza is a dry cough. The influenza virus is tropic to the mucous membrane of not the entire respiratory tract, but only to the mucous membrane of the trachea and bronchi. Therefore, the main diagnostic sign of influenza is tracheobronchitis. It is manifested by a hacking dry cough and is accompanied by a burning pain behind the sternum.
The body temperature rises to 39-400C, there is a severe headache and body aches. Naturally, people with signs of flu have symptoms of intoxication, which is manifested by severe weakness, sometimes dizziness, increased sweating, decreased appetite.
The main symptoms of influenza in a patient:
- no runny nose;
- injection of sclera vessels ("eyes of a tearful child");
- dry cough;
- severe weakness, headache and body aches.
Aspects of specific treatment of patients with signs of influenza
If a patient shows signs of influenza, antiviral therapy should be started as soon as possible. But laboratory diagnosis of influenza can be confirmed only with the help of immunofluorescent analysis. Therefore, the prescription of specific drugs against the influenza virus is documented unjustified.
Antiviral therapy must be started within the first two days of the onset of the first symptoms, otherwise its effectiveness is doubtful. Also, along with this, the patient is recommended strict bed rest, plentiful warm drink. Drinking is an important aspect of treating influenza, as it helps to quickly eliminate the virus from the body and reduce body temperature.
Peculiarities of the course of the disease in patients with signs of influenza
In addition to the above, ascorbic acid is additionally prescribed to stimulate the immune system and speed up recovery, as well as to protect the vascular wall. It is worth explaining to the patient that the treatment of influenza, like other acute respiratory viral infections, requires several days, sometimes a week to recover. Therefore, if flu symptoms persist for several days, do not panic and take antibacterial drugs for no reason.
However, when signs of influenza are detected in a category of people with a weakened body (the elderly, patients with chronic diseases of the respiratory, excretory and endocrine systems), such patients require regular visits to the doctor and monitoring of their condition in order to avoid complications.
Thus, when identifying signs of influenza in a patient, the main task is to help the body fight the virus and control the condition to prevent the development of complications. If the condition only worsens, and the temperature does not decrease during treatment – this is a reason to go to the hospital for specialized medical care.
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