h1n1 virus symptoms. Swine flu (H1N1 virus) symptoms, how to treat

Swine flu is a dangerous disease that from time to time causes panic for entire countries. If the diagnosis is not detected in time and treatment is not started, this disease can be fatal or lead to serious complications.

How does the h1n1 flu spread? What are the signs of the disease? How is this type of flu treated? What should be done to avoid becoming a victim of another epidemic? These and other questions are covered in the article.

The virus that causes this disease was originally (more than 80 years ago) identified in pigs. But over time, he mutated and became dangerous to people.

Since it is transmitted by airborne droplets, the first victims were people who had direct contact with sick animals.

Some scientists put forward a hypothesis that the infection has changed as a result of the fact that pigs were also infected with human and avian influenza viruses.

The disease began to spread from person to person. Because swine flu is aggressive, persistent and spreading rapidly, it caused a pandemic in 2009. Entire continents of the northern hemisphere were affected, incl. and developed countries.

The virus quickly penetrates into human cells, but is unstable to environment: dies as a result of exposure to high temperature (from 75 degrees Celsius) and antiseptics.

From a sick person, the infection can be transmitted for a long time - up to several weeks.

Swine flu spreads very easily. The disease can be transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person even during a conversation. If the patient coughs or sneezes, the risk of infecting others increases significantly.

In addition, the virus can spread through household items that are in common use (for example, unwashed dishes or hand towels after the carrier of the virus, etc.).

Risk group

Who is most vulnerable to the disease? The swine flu virus most commonly affects:

  • small children under 5 years old;
  • elderly people over 60;
  • cancer patients;
  • people who suffer chronic diseases internal organs;
  • those who have had a severe infection;
  • diabetics;
  • pregnant women;
  • people who are overweight.

In addition, h1n1 flu affects people who, by the nature of their work, are forced to come into close contact with a large number of people every day - supermarket cashiers, teachers, bank employees, health workers, drivers in public transport, etc.

Signs of illness

How to identify in yourself and your loved ones in time dangerous disease? The first symptoms of swine flu in humans are in many ways reminiscent of the common flu. colds. The patient suffers from the following symptoms:

  • very heat body. Often the thermometer reaches the mark of 40 degrees;
  • rough, obsessive cough;
  • pain in the throat;
  • muscle aches;
  • nausea and vomiting;
  • lack of appetite;
  • unusual causeless fatigue;
  • nasal congestion;
  • headache.

As we have already mentioned, all these signs may indicate the presence of other acute respiratory diseases or regular flu.

Therefore, as medical practice shows, at the first stages, patients are in no hurry to be examined by a specialist, because they do not even suspect how serious the disease can be.

  • severe pain in the chest area;
  • vomiting, which is repeated several times a day, even if the patient has not eaten for a long time;
  • fainting;
  • stomach ache;
  • diarrhea;
  • breathing becomes very difficult, the patient lacks air;
  • the head is spinning, which even leads to falls;
  • the temperature does not decrease after taking the usual antipyretic drugs, or it decreases by a short time.

The condition of a sick child can be characterized as follows:

  • the baby gets tired quickly, does not show the usual activity in games or during classes;
  • it is difficult for the child to breathe, he complains of a constant lack of air;
  • high fever;
  • aggressive behavior for no apparent reason;
  • indigestion, frequent vomiting.

Please note that intoxication can begin unexpectedly. If it affects an immature children's body, you should immediately call an ambulance. The disease is extremely dangerous for children who are not yet 6 years old.

If you do not seek medical help in time, everything can end in failure, or, at best, complications that can develop into chronic diseases.

Possible Complications

What can this type of flu lead to if you do not recognize it in time and start treatment?

Complications are incurable:

  • from the side circulatory system. Blood in a severe form of the disease can thicken greatly. This is the most common cause of blood clots, which can lead to irreversible consequences for the body;
  • from the respiratory organs. Swine flu very quickly provokes inflammation in the lungs. This can lead to their swelling or severe pneumonia;
  • from the side nervous system: various pathologies, for example, meningoencephalitis;
  • from the side of the kidneys. The disease can cause inflammatory process in the kidneys (glomerulonephritis);
  • if the woman had this disease during pregnancy, she may have a child with various types congenital anomalies;
  • from the side of the heart. A dangerous viral illness can lead to the development of myocarditis or pericarditis.

Diagnostics

Even with timely access to a medical institution, the diagnosis can initially be made incorrectly. In order to confirm it, doctors prescribe laboratory tests and other types of examinations:

  • take a swab (mucus sample) from the nasopharynx;
  • carry out general analysis blood;
  • clarify the possibility of contact of the patient with patients - specifying his location in the area where the epidemic is widespread;
  • listen to the lungs - characteristic sounds in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe lower lobes of the lungs with pneumonia can only be recognized by qualified doctors;
  • do a fluorographic examination of the respiratory system.

The characteristic differences between a disease caused by a dangerous virus and a common cold or SARS are as follows:

  • Body temperature. With a cold, it does not rise immediately and, as a rule, to subfebrile (37-38 degrees). If there is a fatal dangerous infection this figure is not lower than 38, but most often - 39-40 degrees.
  • A person with swine flu suffers from a severe headache, while with a cold this phenomenon is short-lived and quickly eliminated by mild analgesics.
  • Pain in the body with ARVI is insignificant, while with a viral disease it is strong and constant.
  • The lethargic state during a cold does not last long - less than a week, during swine flu - about 3 weeks.
  • One of the signs of ARVI is congestion of the nasal passages; with h1n1 influenza, this symptom is not always observed.
  • With a cold, the patient does not feel pain or discomfort in chest, while swine flu is a characteristic phenomenon.

Patient behavior with swine flu

If swine flu has been diagnosed, the patient is first of all recommended to take some measures in order not to aggravate the condition, alleviate the course of unpleasant symptoms and not infect others:

  • do not visit crowded places;
  • wear a mask so as not to infect relatives. It should be changed regularly - at least once every 4 hours;
  • call a local doctor or an ambulance. When examining, tell the specialist about visiting countries or areas where you could have contracted the flu;
  • constantly ventilate the room;
  • eat a sufficient amount of protein-rich and vitamin-rich foods;
    try to eat fractionally;
  • drink plenty of water and other liquids, such as tea with lemon, rose hips, currants, etc.;
  • body temperature elevated to 38 degrees should not be brought down too aggressively. The body tries to overcome the disease on its own;
  • give up bad habits.

These measures make it easier general state and promote recovery. But when the body is affected by swine flu without drug treatment can't get by.

Medical treatment


The doctor after the examination prescribes antiviral medications active action. Which drug should be taken by the patient is decided, taking into account the age of the patient, the symptoms of the disease and the general condition of the patient.

For example, some drugs are contraindicated in children and pregnant women, others may not be effective in fighting certain types of the virus, which can mutate.

Depending on the symptoms present, symptomatic treatment is prescribed: antipyretic, antihistamine, expectorant and other drugs.

In a serious condition of the patient, detoxification therapy is carried out.

If bacterial (secondary) pneumonia develops, antibiotics are used.

Preventive measures

No matter how effective the treatment is, swine flu is a disease that should be avoided in every possible way:

  • during the epidemic, do not visit or limit the time of your stay in places where a large number of of people. If possible, do not take children with you.
  • Going to the cinema or to a concert can be postponed. But you still have to go to the supermarket, to lectures at the university or to work. And not everyone has a private car. In this case, use a medical mask, which slows down the process of entry of dangerous microorganisms into Airways. But do not forget to change the mask at least once every 4 hours.
  • In order to protect the nasal mucosa from viruses, buy at the pharmacy Oxolinic ointment and lubricate the entrances to the nostrils.
  • If possible, avoid contact with anyone who is ill with any infectious disease. If you get sick, your immunity will weaken, and the risk of h1n1 virus entering the body will increase significantly.
  • Do a wet cleaning of your home every day. The same applies to the rooms where you spend your working time.
  • Do not forget about the full ventilation of the apartment or office. Ideally, cross-ventilation should be carried out several times a day.
  • Whenever possible, you should wash your hands thoroughly with soap or at least treat them with a special antiseptic.
  • Do not touch the mucous surfaces of the body - nose, mouth, eyes. Especially if you are not at home and your hands are not washed.
  • Get a flu shot if possible.

So that you are not struck by swine flu, the symptoms of which can turn into serious complications, be attentive to your body and to the events around you.

Heed the advice of doctors that you can hear through the media and be on the lookout for the next outbreak of the epidemic.

Swine flu (California, Swine influenza)- a conditional disease of animals and humans caused by subtypes of the influenza A virus. First discovered in 1931. He became most famous in 2009, when his most famous subtype H1N1 caused mass panic in the world and led to the announcement by the World Health Organization. The first cases of infection with the new flu occurred in North America.

It should be noted that the cause for panic and the announcement of an influenza pandemic by WHO was the fact that a new hitherto unknown strain of the H1N1 influenza virus appeared, which was formed as a result of mixing (reassortment) of the swine flu virus, and. This caused panic, as it turned out to be unfounded, since the mortality rate from the new pandemic influenza was statistically the same as from regular seasonal influenza, which was eventually recognized by WHO later.

Source of infection

Now let's look at what the causative agent of swine flu is. This is an influenza virus that initially infected pigs, but then, under the influence of mutations in their bodies, acquired the ability to be transmitted to humans, that is, it is a mutated swine flu and such a definition would be more correct, since pure swine flu is unlikely to be transmitted to humans from - due to the heterogeneity of the antigenic structure of human and pig cells, that is, it can enter the human body, but this will be a dead end path of its evolution. According to WHO data for the entire last century!!! swine flu infection was registered in 50 people.

In the human body, this modified virus also mutated and gained the ability to be transmitted from person to person, which accelerated its spread and caused panic, since vaccines against the new virus simply did not exist at that time (and when were they? Every year the same rigmarole with the inoculation of vaccines that were ineffective this year, since a mutated virus comes in, for which vaccines developed on the basis of viruses of the previous year do not work) and there was no layer of people who recovered from the new virus, which further accelerated its spread in the population. The 2009 outbreak was caused by the H1N1 influenza virus. It should be noted that the influenza strains associated with the so-called swine flu are subtypes A/H1N1, A/H1N2, A/H3N1, A/H3N2 and A/H2N3.

Features of the H1N1 swine flu virus

It is worth noting several features that were characteristic of the H1N1 swine flu virus, which was widespread in 2009 (at the time the pandemic was declared). I collected a complete collection of all in a separate article, here are only the most characteristic:

  1. Pandemic swine flu has resulted in a significant number of deaths among the younger population (under 50). Of course, aged people, as well as weakened people, died from this infection in significant numbers, but the statistically significant death of the young population gave rise, among other things, to the notorious panic
  2. it was also a fact that people died quickly from primary viral pneumonia, and not like with ordinary seasonal influenza, when pneumonia is mostly of a secondary bacterial nature and as a complication of influenza
  3. the number of deaths did not exceed the number of deaths from ordinary seasonal influenza. It was the most popular rumor at the time that people were dying by the thousands from a new ailment, that there was no escape from swine flu. In fact, people die by the thousands even during the season of an ordinary flu epidemic, so it was not worth exaggerating the importance of this type of virus, just as it is not worth it now.
The human body is a well-organized structure to give in even to a newly emerging infection. A couple of circulation cycles of a bacterium or virus in society, an increase in the number of those who have been ill, but survived and voila, is being developed, which protects all people and the individual in particular from a new scourge, which eventually happened with swine flu, which has now passed into the category of traditional influenza viruses person.

Other antiviral drugs showed their complete ineffectiveness during the swine flu epidemic or they helped in cases where they were prescribed to patients who would have recovered anyway without resorting to chemistry.

Prevention

Measures, as with seasonal flu:

  • regular hand washing
  • life attitudes aimed at limiting the contact of hands with the face and mucous membranes (do not touch the face with hands)
  • rinsing the nose with plain water or saline
  • regular cleaning of rooms and surfaces where a virus that is unstable in the external environment may be located
  • avoidance of crowded places
  • healthy lifestyle - rational nutrition, healthy and long sleep, restorative procedures (hardening, sports)
Vaccination against swine flu, as shown by the 2009 epidemic, proved to be ineffective, since the virus was new, mutated and there was no basis for the production of vaccines. So my negative opinion about flu shots remains the same now.

Complications

The most formidable complication of swine flu, from which a significant number of the population died in 2009, and many were with one foot in the next world. So far, our health care system has not thrown out ineffective drugs in the trash and began to use expensive drugs with a proven effect and reverse the negative trend in the treatment of this type of complication and the disease itself.

And the rest is typical for the usual seasonal flu and does not differ from it.

Two years have passed since the first epidemic of a new strain of the H1N1 swine flu virus in 2009. During this time, the virus is included in the vaccination plans for the new season and will remain so for a long time. But that epidemic should teach us the most important thing: new viruses and diseases can appear with a certain frequency. Our environment is aggressive both in relation to humans and to our smaller brothers, new agents (viruses and bacteria) as a result of mixing (or as they say in scientific reassortment) in the body of a person, animals or birds and their mutations acquire new properties, become more aggressive, meaner. But also progress human body follows the same paths, so that for each new infection, be it a swine, a bird or some other new type flu, we respond with new facets of our immunity. Therefore, we must take care of our own health ourselves and remember that it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it later.

Material edited doc- 3-10-2012, 16:00. Cause: up-to-date data for 2012

The mere mention of this disease makes many people shudder. Particularly worried are those who came close to the pathology earlier.

Do not panic and terrify people!

It is enough to know how the H1N1 flu manifests itself and is treated. Then you will be able to react in time without missing precious days or even hours.

Treatment of swine flu should be started in a timely manner so as not to bring the matter to complications.

Since the thirties of the last century, mankind for the first time started talking about a new "plague".

It was none other than the h1n1 flu.

The patient needs stronger antipyretics.

Digestive disorders

H1H1 flu necessarily has the following symptoms: diarrhea or frequent stools, nausea and vomiting .

They arise because the virus is spreading.

The disease suppresses the natural microflora and acquired immunity, disrupts the digestive function.

A large amount of carbohydrates and fats, not processed by the necessary enzymes, attracts water from all parts of the body.

It provokes liquid stool and frequent urge to defecate.

Vomiting and nausea are provoked by intoxication, which inevitably appears due to the toxic effect of the pathogen on the body.

Digestive disorders are one of the symptoms of swine flu.

Catarrhal phenomena

Signs of the H1n1 flu are not similar to the standard ARVI.

Catarrhal phenomena in the form of a runny nose, nasal congestion and sore throat are often absent.

But other symptoms take their place.

The swine flu virus is accompanied by shortness of breath, a strong dry cough. When it appears soreness in the sternum, shortness of breath.

Symptoms of h1n1 flu in a young child may be accompanied by convulsions, confusion. This is how high temperature affects the functioning of the nervous system.

Is the disease curable?

If you have h1n1 flu, symptoms and treatment should be determined and adjusted accordingly. appoint a doctor .

As practice shows, the uncomplicated course of the disease usually does not require the use of specific drugs.

In most cases the disease lasts 5-7 days , after which it goes down.

With the correct organization of the regime, the sick person is on the mend from the fifth day.

The final recovery occurs within another 2-3 weeks.

Treatment of h1n1 influenza is necessary when its course becomes severe form. The patient is assigned certain medicines which prevent the reproduction of microorganisms, contributing to a speedy recovery. Find out which drugs are effective for a declared viral infection.

Symptomatic remedies

Depending on what symptoms the H1n1 flu has, the appropriate treatment is prescribed.

Symptomatic therapy is carried out in almost all patients.

Such drugs are designed to improve well-being rather than eliminate a viral infection.

  • Antipyretics and painkillers. Often drugs have these two actions at the same time. Drugs based on (Nurofen, Advil) and paracetamol (, Ferfeks,) are more preferable. Widely used, combining both active substances. Less commonly, patients resort to, and other stronger drugs.
  • From cough. All drugs for the treatment of this symptom are divided into: expectorants, sputum thinners and antitussives. The latter should not be taken on their own, as you will stop the removal of thick sputum from the lungs, which will provoke a complication. In this situation, the following medicines are recommended: ACC, Lazolvan, Erespal, Ascoril, and so on.
  • For diarrhea and vomiting. To prevent fluid loss, it is necessary to eliminate this symptom. Loperamide and Imodium tablets will help you stop diarrhea. Intestinal antiseptics (Stopdiar, Ecofuril) will cleanse the digestive tract of pathogenic flora. Vomiting will be stopped by Motilium and Cerucal. In order to replenish the lack of fluid, use saline solutions, for example, Regidron.

Loperamide helps with diarrhea

Neuraminidase inhibitors

If the symptoms of h1n1 influenza in a person are so pronounced that the use of antiviral drugs is required, then neuraminidase inhibitors are always preferred.

As the practice of past years has shown, running and accessible to all antiviral agents are powerless in such a disease.

There are two well-known drugs currently known to be neuraminidase inhibitors: Tamiflu and Relenza.

The first drug is available in tablets, and the second is administered by inhalation due to high toxicity.

Medicines effectively eliminate the enzyme neuraminidase.

It is part of the shell of the h1n1 influenza virus, treatment with these drugs prevents further distribution infections.

As a result of therapy, the virus loses its ability to contact healthy cells.

What to do on your own?

Almost every person at risk of infection asks the question: how to treat the h1n1 flu at home?

It should be said right away that it is not worth taking any drugs without a doctor's prescription.

Most often, the disease causes damage to the lower respiratory tract, transforming into bronchitis or pneumonia.

If the nature of the complication is bacterial, then it is not so difficult to treat it. When the question of viral pneumonia is raised - it's more dangerous.

It was this complication during the 2009 pandemic that claimed more than one thousand lives.

Pathology can result in problems with the urinary, cardiovascular and nervous systems.

Often it provokes myocarditis. If during an illness you notice that you feel worse and worse, then do not hesitate: urgently.

Complications of the flu develop very quickly. Death may occur within a few hours.

Summing up

The h1n1 swine flu virus initially seemed not as dangerous as it later became.

During a mass epidemic, he claimed one life after another. At the same time, people did not die from the virus itself, but from the complications that the disease causes.

Many paid with a dear coin due to the fact that they preferred self-medication.

Perhaps timely medical assistance could have saved her.

Do not try to diagnose yourself on your own based on all the symptoms you have.

Don't self-diagnose. Entrust this business to medical specialists!

Another outbreak of swine flu was predicted by doctors at the beginning of 2016.

In that period, indeed, many people fell ill. There are officially registered deaths.

Despite this, viral infection has not acquired such proportions as 7 years ago. Probably, people have already been taught by the bitter experience of inaction.

Many patients applied for medical care at the first symptoms of the disease. After receiving the correct treatment regimen, they recovered within a few days.

The h1n1 virus does not form a stable immunity, therefore it cannot be guaranteed that the ill person will not become infected again.

Modern man cures a cold in a few days. Viral diseases Influenza of the latest strains are treated much more slowly and more severely. They are extremely dangerous and often cause serious complications. This also applies to the H1N1 influenza virus in humans. Until now, doctors have not been able to create a universal medicine that effectively treats swine flu.

During the conversation, you will learn what swine flu is, symptoms in people, methods of treatment and prevention for adults and children.

The H1N1 virus infects the respiratory tract and is transmitted by airborne droplets. Incubation period infection is 4 days.

Humans and animals are susceptible to infection, most of all pigs. In the middle of the twentieth century, the virus was transmitted from animals to humans extremely rarely. At the end of the 20th century, the swine flu virus began interacting with human and avian influenza. The result was another strain, designated H1N1.

The first symptoms of the disease in humans were reported in North America. In 2009, doctors discovered the virus in a 6-month-old Mexican baby. After that, similar cases began to appear in all parts of the continent. Now the swine flu virus is easily transmitted between people, since the human body does not have immunity to this strain, which greatly increases the likelihood of total spread and epidemics.

According to experts, the H1N1 strain is a descendant of the “Spanish flu”, which claimed the lives of 20 million people at the beginning of the past century.

Symptoms

  • Sudden and rapid rise in temperature up to 40 degrees. Often accompanied by severe chills, weakness and general weakness.
  • Pain in muscles and joints. Headache localized in the region of the eyes and forehead.
  • At the initial stage, a dry cough in the form of constant attacks, later replaced by a cough, with poorly separated sputum.
  • Often accompanied by a pronounced runny nose and strong painful sensations in the throat area.
  • Decreased appetite. Nausea with vomiting and diarrhoea.
  • shortness of breath and severe pain in the chest.

Complications

  • Pneumonia.
  • Cardiovascular and respiratory failure.
  • Damage to the nervous system.
  • development of comorbidities.
  • Treatment of swine flu is always under the supervision of doctors. It is possible that at the final stage you will be allowed to continue treatment at home. True, you will have to follow strict rules.
  • After a discharge approved by the doctor, it is necessary to adhere to bed rest, take medicines regularly and in accordance with the instructions of the doctor, and stop walking.
  • increased attention hygiene is recommended.

In general, if symptoms of this scourge appear, go to the clinic. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis and prescribe medicines. There is only one conclusion - hospitalization and no self-treatment.

Are there home remedies for swine flu?

As you already understood, it will not work to cope with the disease on your own.

Doctors warn that the H1N1 flu should only be fought in a hospital setting with the use of antiviral drugs and antibiotics.

  1. Tests conducted by scientists have shown that antioxidant-rich foods such as red wine, blueberries, cranberries, and pomegranates help treat swine flu.
  2. In order for the body to counteract the disease, it is necessary to eat a plant-based diet and take vitamins.
  3. Refusal of cigarettes, compliance with the regime of wakefulness and sleep, proper hygiene and the absence of stressful situations will help to treat the disease.

Real folk remedies, which are prepared from various oils, herbs and decoctions, have not yet been created. Surely, this is due to the fact that the disease itself is young and all efforts are directed to its study.

Prevention: how not to get swine flu

Vaccination is considered the most effective preventive method for swine flu. But, not every person can make a vaccination injection in a timely manner. In this case, generally accepted rules for protecting against viruses will help.

  • During an epidemic, it is necessary to wear a gauze bandage, especially if you are constantly in contact with people. It is recommended to wear a stretched and well-ironed bandage. Such a protective agent lasts for several hours, after which it needs to be changed.
  • Within the framework of an unfavorable period, if possible, refuse to visit crowded places. The list of dangerous places where the probability of infection is high is represented by public transport, shops, offices, shopping centers, museums, theaters.
  • From contact with a person with severe symptoms respiratory infection it is recommended to refuse.
  • highly efficient prophylactic- regular wet cleaning. Wash your hands with antibacterial soap as soon as possible.
  • Eat right, sleep well and exercise. Take vitamins.
  • Remember, the causative agent of swine flu is not friendly with high fever. High-quality heat treatment leads to death dangerous virus.
  • Do not come into contact with homeless animals, as the virus can be transmitted from them.

I hope you learned something new, interesting and informative in this article on swine flu. I want you to never experience this problem and always feel great!

The strain of influenza A / H1 N1, nicknamed "swine", has not yet been fully studied by mankind, since it appeared relatively recently.

We are in the process of searching for information about him, learning by trial and error, which often brings disastrous results.

H1 N1 is so strong and unpredictable that it has every chance of infecting half the world's population. Already now, its outbreaks have been detected in most countries of the globe.

At the beginning of his appearance, many compared him with the "Spaniard", and believed that the human immunity in front of him was powerless. This caused a real panic among the people, because without any medicines and total absence body resistance, the h1 n1 influenza virus became fatal, and those who fell ill with it became doomed.

After some time, when the study of this type of influenza reached certain results, the opposite became clear. Studies have shown that older people who have ever had the common flu were much less likely to catch the h1 n1 virus than younger people.

This made a real breakthrough in the study of influenza, it became clear that the h1 n1 virus would not become a new generation of plague. The immune system is able to cope with such a problem. If weaker viruses of seasonal flu have visited the body, immunity becomes resistant to swine.

Of course, this does not give absolute protection against swine flu, anyone can easily become infected with it, no matter how many seasonal diseases they endure. But partial immunity significantly weakens the symptoms, the h1 n1 flu does not proceed at full strength, its symptoms become more like a common cold. It is treated, respectively, faster and causes less harm.

The swine flu virus is type A and is incredibly contagious. It is twice as strong as usual and hits the body with all its might. It is impossible to completely defend against it. In a short time, the h1 n1 virus is able to infect more people than any other, causing a real epidemic.

So far, only two routes of infection have been identified:

  1. Airborne;
  2. Contact household.

But other options are not excluded. Medicine has not yet fully studied the disease, besides, the h1 n1 virus, like any other, quickly mutates, adapting to the conditions and getting used to the medicines that humanity is trying to fight it with. And it mutates faster than these drugs are invented.

The symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of the common flu, except that they are much more severe. In the first months of its appearance in the world, the h1 n1 virus could take the life of a person already on the second day of the disease. People just burned out. Not surprisingly, they began to compare it with the plague.

The h1 n1 virus can infect healthy person, being sick a day before the first symptoms begin to appear. That is, one patient could infect dozens of people without even suspecting that he had some kind of disease. The virus progresses a week from the moment its first signs became visible and is contagious throughout this period.

In the days before swine flu was known, it was mistaken for the common cold, mistreated, and contagious. Transmitted by the fastest routes of infection: through the air, and through household items, the h1 n1 virus is able to “mow down” dozens of people in just one day.

H1 n1 remains in the air and on the surfaces of objects for two to three hours, and before people thought of isolating the sick and treating the room where they are located with antiviral agents, swine flu claimed more than one life.

Many years have passed since the first outbreaks of the h1 n1 virus, and medicine has made significant progress in its study. Now humanity knows much more about the disease, and is able to protect itself. The types of people most susceptible to the disease, and the risk groups that should increase the degree of protection, have become known. The first ones include:

  • Elderly people over sixty;
  • Children under five years of age;
  • Patients with severe chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart and respiratory diseases;

That is, weakened immunity makes people more susceptible to the h1 n1 virus. The course of the disease, the speed of recovery also depends on it.

Persons at risk are directly related to patients or carriers of swine flu. Because of their profession or lifestyle, they are more likely to come into contact with the virus, which is why they are more likely to become infected than others. These include:

  • People of public professions associated with communication with a large number of people. For example, teachers, drivers, vendors;
  • Medical workers: doctors, orderlies, nurses, etc. they encounter patients every day and the risk of infection is very high.

The name of this disease owes itself to a medical error. When the flu was just beginning to manifest itself, and scientists already realized that this was not a common cold, but something new, the symptoms of the disease began to be recognized among animals. It turned out that pigs suffer from something similar. The contagious pig hypothesis emerged, and the flu was named after the culprits.

Later it was found that animals cannot infect humans, and the h1 n1 virus is much more complicated than the one from which the pigs died, but the name has already become firmly established in everyday life.

The period from the moment of infection until the first symptoms appear is about three days. As it was said, at this time the sick person is already able to infect others.

Moreover, the symptoms at the first stage are practically indistinguishable from the signs of a regular flu, and this illusion just strikes the main blow. After all, the treatment of swine flu is most effective in the early stages. Missing the moment, the patient risks his life.

  1. A sudden rise in temperature. The degree can rise sharply from 38 to 41 degrees. This symptom is typical in the very first stages, it is on these days that a fatal outcome is possible. The body may simply not withstand and burn out;
  2. General weakness, lethargy;
  3. Muscle pain and joint pain;
  4. Headache;
  5. causeless fatigue;
  6. Nausea and vomiting;
  7. Diarrhea.

The last two signs do not appear in everyone and not often. They often accompany high fever and headache.

These symptoms are typical at the beginning of the disease. In the future, they will be joined by:

  1. Dry throat, itching and redness;
  2. Rough cough. Often it has a paroxysmal character and causes pain in the chest;
  3. Heaviness of breathing, shortness of breath.

The course of the disease varies. For some, the most difficult are the first days from the moment the first symptoms appear, for others, the entire treatment is not easy. Swine flu does not tolerate disregard and ignorance, it must be treated at the first symptoms and not at home.

It is important to urgently consult a doctor, only he is able to timely and correctly diagnose the disease.

If treatment is not started on time, death can be the worst outcome. The best are complications of the disease. In addition, untimely abandoned treatment can lead to complications. When the first signs of improvement appear, many relax the pressure and leave the hospital. In the case of swine flu, this should never be done.

Complications of the flu may include:

  1. Pneumonia;
  2. hemorrhagic syndrome;
  3. Infectious myocarditis.

The most common of these three complications is pneumonia. This is an incredibly serious disease that is not easy to treat. It can be viral and bacterial, and both types are equally bad.

Signs of viral pneumonia:

  • It appears as a complication on the third day of influenza;
  • Dyspnea;
  • Dry cough that pierces the throat;
  • Blue nasolabial triangle and nails on the extremities;
  • When listening to breathing, moist rales are guessed.

If the treatment is not carried out qualitatively, or for some reason the disease does not recede, on the seventh day symptoms of bacterial pneumonia appear:

  • increased cough;
  • A spasmodic change in the patient's condition: it either improves, then worsens again;
  • The temperature brought down a few days ago rises;
  • A greenish sputum is secreted;
  • X-ray shows darkening of the lungs.

Swine flu itself is scary and dangerous. When complications appear, everything worsens several times, the patient's condition becomes even more severe, and the treatment is enhanced. However, this can be avoided by diagnosing it on time and correctly, and by doing everything in a timely manner.

It is possible to identify the h1 n1 virus from the first hours of infection by taking a swab of the mucous membrane of the mouth and nose or by doing a blood test.

Treatment

It is rare that a disease can be dealt with without consulting a doctor. Swine flu completely eliminates this option. You should go to the hospital as soon as the first symptoms appear, and in times of viral epidemics, it is best to get tested before signs of the disease appear.

If the disease is diagnosed, based on its severity, treatment is prescribed. At the initial stage, it is carried out on an outpatient basis, in any other cases the patient is hospitalized. Although, there are groups of people who are hospitalized immediately after the discovery of the virus:

  • Children under seven years of age;
  • Elderly people after sixty;
  • Persons with chronic severe diseases;
  • Pregnant and lactating women.

Influenza is treated with antiviral drugs such as oseltamivir or zanamivir. At the same time, active restoration is underway. immune system so that the body can cope with the disease.

Any other medicines, especially antibiotics, are strictly contraindicated during the treatment of influenza, as they have a devastating effect on the immune system, while viruses are absolutely harmless. That is, they are used exclusively.

During treatment, it is advisable to drink a lot of warm liquids: tea with lemon, berry and fruit fruit drinks, compotes, milk, etc.

If side diseases and complications occur, it is important to treat them separately. For example, a cough, runny nose or high fever will not be relieved by antiviral drugs. From a cough, you need to take ACC, Ambrohexal, Paracetamol, Ibuprofen or Ibuklin will help relieve the temperature, and vasoconstrictor drops for a runny nose.

Treatment for swine flu lasts from one to four weeks. After recovery, prevention is very important, since the body is not restored and is not resistant to infectious agents.

The video in this article reveals the consequences of swine flu.