Influenza A: What are the symptoms? Can it heal on its own? Who is at risk and needs to be monitored for severe complications? We have gathered information to tell you.

 Many people have high fever, headache, body aches, and coughing and sneezing. You have to suspect that it might be the flu, especially during the rainy season. The flu tends to spread easily, and the most severe strain is influenza A. For those who still don’t know what the symptoms of this disease are, what causes it, and how to prevent it, today we have some good information to share. 

What strains of influenza virus are there?

• Influenza A: This is the most common strain, spreading worldwide and causing more severe symptoms than other strains, and is easily spread from person to person. 
• Influenza B: Less common, causing regional outbreaks, milder symptoms than influenza A, and less likely to cause pandemics.
• Influenza C: Very rare, usually affects young children and does not cause outbreaks.

What is influenza A?

          Influenza A is a สมัคร ufabet type of respiratory viral infection caused by the influenza A virus. It is common during the rainy season and can occur in people of all ages, from young children to the elderly.

          In this regard, type A viruses are divided into several subtypes based on differences in viral proteins called Hemagglutinin (H) and Neuraminidase (N), with the most common types being:

• Influenza A (H1N1) : In the past, there was a major outbreak in Spain, so it was called the Spanish flu. It returned again in 2009, which we know well as the 2009 flu, but has now become a seasonal flu.
• Influenza A (H1N2): A subtype of swine flu A that can be transmitted from pigs to humans.
• Influenza A (H3N2) virus: This is a virus that can be transmitted from pigs to humans, so it is called swine flu or Hong Kong flu because it was once a severe outbreak in Hong Kong.
• Influenza A (H5N1): This is an avian flu that has spread throughout Asia. It can be transmitted from person to person or directly from poultry.

          Other influenza strains are not divided into subtypes.

What causes influenza A and how is it transmitted?

 Influenza A can be easily transmitted through respiratory secretions such as nasal mucus, saliva, and phlegm from an infected person when coughing or sneezing. The virus is in small droplets floating in the air. If we breathe in these droplets, we will become infected. It can also be transmitted through close contact with an infected person or by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your own nose or mouth.

          The incubation period of the disease is approximately 1-3 days, and patients can be infectious from 1 day before symptoms appear to 3-5 days after symptoms appear. In children, the patient can be infectious for more than 7 days.

What are the symptoms of influenza A?

Influenza A usually causes symptoms about 1-3 days after infection and includes the following symptoms:

• Acute high fever
• Severe headache
• Muscle pain, especially in the back, upper arms and thighs
• tired
• Dry cough, sore throat
• Have a runny nose, stuffy nose, difficulty breathing
• Loss of appetite
• Some people may also experience nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• In young children, there will be a high fever, along with diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and convulsions due to high fever. 

          However, in some cases, serious complications can occur, such as otitis media, sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, myocarditis, neuritis, and encephalitis, which can lead to death.

Influenza A: Who is at risk of severe symptoms?

People at risk of severe illness from influenza A infection include:

• Young children aged 6 months to 5 years
• Elderly people aged 65 years and over
• Pregnant women
• Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma 
• Heart disease patients 
• Patients with kidney failure
• Diabetic patients 
• Thalassemia patients 
• Patients with stroke or epilepsy
• Patients with cirrhosis
• Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy 
• Mentally disabled people who cannot help themselves 
• People with compromised immune systems, people taking immunosuppressive drugs or steroids for autoimmune diseases
• HIV infected people
• People who are obese, weighing more than 100 kilograms or having a body mass index of 35 kilograms per square meter.

How to treat influenza A

          Treatment of influenza A is symptomatic, such as:

• If you have a fever, take a fever-reducing medication such as paracetamol and wipe your body with a wet cloth.
• If you have a runny nose or a stuffy nose, take a decongestant.
• If you have a cough with phlegm, take a cough suppressant to dissolve phlegm.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Get enough sleep
• Eat soft foods
• Avoid going to school or work until you recover to prevent the spread of infection.

          In some cases with severe symptoms, the doctor may consider prescribing an antiviral drug for influenza, such as oseltamivir, or if the patient has shortness of breath, the doctor may order the patient to stay in the hospital.

How many days does it take to recover from influenza A?

          In general, influenza A is a disease that can be cured within 5-7 days, but it depends on the amount of germs received and the patient’s own immunity. If it is a risk group, such as young children, the elderly, or patients, it may take longer than 7 days to be treated.

How can we prevent influenza A?

• Get vaccinated against influenza every year because the virus is constantly changing strains. 
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially after touching high-risk surfaces such as doorknobs, tables, telephones, elevator buttons, and escalators.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• Wear a mask when in public.
• Avoid touching your face with your hands unnecessarily.
• Eat clean, freshly cooked food.
• Get enough rest
• Exercise regularly