Flu sets in with the coming wet season

Flu sets in with the coming wet season

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

At this time of the year, with rain pouring almost every day,
influenza is a common disease.

Some people catch influenza several times a year. At the
workplace, it's ordinary to see that once a colleague suffers
from the disease, soon the others would catch it too. And since
it happens many times, even sufferers take this ailment lightly,
thinking that it will only lead to a runny nose, sneezing,
coughing and headaches.

Wrong.

According to Iskandar, an internist at Mitra Keluarga Kelapa
Gading hospital in North Jakarta, influenza or flu can pose a
serious health threat, especially among the elderly and babies.

He explained that influenza is caused by influenza virus and
in Indonesia, epidemic cases are caused by influenza virus type
A.

"Flu is a contagious disease that can spread when a person
with flu coughs, sneezes or just speaks. By coughing or sneezing,
he or she sprays the virus into the air, exposing others to it.
The spread is hard to control, especially in crowded rooms with
poor ventilation," Iskandar said.

The disease, he said, affects the respiratory tract, namely
the nose, throat and lungs, where the viruses replicate and
trigger symptoms like fever, fatigue, runny nose, headache,
cough, sore throat and muscle aches.

The symptoms will show within two to seven days, but since the
virus is self-limiting in nature, the sufferer will recover
afterward.

"People of different age groups can get infected but special
attention should be given to the elderly, 60 years old or older,
and immuno-compromised patients (those with an impaired immune
system) because their weakened immune system can expose them to
serious complications, like pneumonia," Iskandar said.

Apart from pneumonia, the U.S. National Center for Infectious
Disease said in its website (cdc.gov) that flu can cause
dehydration and worsening of chronic medical conditions like
congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes. It also can lead to
sinus problems and ear infections for children.

Actually, Iskandar said, the infection would trigger the human
body to develop a defense mechanism against contracting the same
virus but as the influenza virus constantly changed, the body
could not protect itself from the new influenza strains and this
was the reason why people could get infected more than once a
year.

To speed up recovery, sufferers are advised to drink plenty of
water, take a rest at home, eat a balanced diet and take
medication to relieve the symptoms.

For the treatment, getting a flu shot, made from inactivated
flu virus, is effective protection but it is not common in the
country.

The elderly, babies and people with an impaired immune system
need to consult with their physicians, while for others,
over-the-counter drugs can help ease the severity of the symptoms
and shorten the duration. "But if there is no sign of
improvements after several days, sufferers need to consult a
doctor as it can get worse or the symptoms may be triggered by
other causes," Iskandar said.

Consuming hot drinks and hot soups, which many believe will
help relieve the symptoms, helps clear out the respiratory tract
and this makes the sufferer feel better. The same explanation
goes for a hot-air bath (covering the face over a basin of hot
water with a towel to capture the steam).

"People can catch flu when they're stamina is low; the
symptoms get worse during the wet season," Iskandar said, adding
that taking vitamin C could also help.

And to prevent others, especially the elderly and babies from
catching the disease, flu sufferers need to cover their nose and
mouth with a mask and avoid sharing utensils.

Taking a good rest at home is important for recovery and at
the same time, spares others, like workplace colleagues, from
catching the illness.