What is influenza? (swine flu, bird flu and cough and cold)

Influenza, which is more commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses. The usual symptoms of this infection are chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, fatigue and general discomfort, which can be transmitted between individuals who share a close proximity. Although flu is a common seasonal illness that hundreds of thousands of humans suffer from each year, it is also known to occur as an epidemic, such as swine flu and avian flu, which affects certain mammals and birds.

Vaccinations against influenza can be obtained by visiting your GP and completing a face to face consultation process. Typically, this vaccine includes traces from 2 influenza A virus subtypes and 1 influenza B virus strain. For peace of mind and immediate action against influenza, you can receive an online prescription for Tamiful, an effective preventative drug that also provides fast relief from the influenza virus. 121doc.net offers patients a fast-track route to receiving treatment by offering a free consultation process as part of our discreet, secure service. By overcoming influenza you can resume your daily routine as per usual, which enables you to be more productive and feel more healthy.

What are the causes of influenza?

There are 3 strains of the influenza virus, A, B and C. Influenza type C is a gentle strain of the virus and is scarcely known to cause any major concern in terms of the severity of its associated symptoms. Type C is also very unlikely to cause an epidemic. Type A and B are strains which cause influenza outbreaks and are the primary cause behind seasonal flu.

If you think that you are infected with the influenza virus, you should seek medical advice from a doctor to assess whether you need treatment. Your medication should be administered within 48 hours of you noticing any symptoms. In this case you are likely to suffer from influenza for approximately 1 week. If you do not seek treatment within this short timeframe, the virus is likely to affect you for longer.

You may become more susceptible to suffer from flu as a direct result of seasonal changes, as the weather becomes colder. The influenza virus is airborne, which increases the chances of the virus spreading.

Swine flu

The most dangerous form of the flu virus currently is swine flu. This strain was first witnessed in pigs in Mexico in 2009. This H1N1 strain of the flu virus quickly spread to humans and caused a number of deaths, before rapidly spreading. The World Health Organisation already considers the swine flu infection to be at pandemic levels.

People with underlying health issues are most at risk from swine flu. The World Health Organisation has agreed to the worldwide use of Tamiflu for the prevention of swine flu and to effectively treat outbreaks of the virus.

Influenza treatment

You should consult your doctor if you think you may have influenza. They will diagnose and prescribe the most suitable treatment for you. If you are prescribed Tamiflu for the treatment of your influenza, you must follow the recommended dosage. There is also a fruit flavoured medicine version of Tamiflu available which is suitable for children over 1 year old.

Tamiflu: Further Information

Tamiflu is a prescription only drug which can be used for the effective treatment and prevention of the influenza virus. This drug is a neuraminidase inhibitor that successfully prevents the virus from engulfing your cells before multiplying. It is important to remember to consult your doctor before beginning this drug for the treatment of the influenza virus.