Flu and colds

Flu and colds - as it infect?

Viruses flu and colds are being carried on hands of infected persons.  Colds and flu are acute viral disease - a highly infectious and contagious. At this point it is worth to realize that the term "infectious" is not synonymous with the term "infectious", as the verb "catch" is not synonymous with the verb "to become infected".


Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, etc.), and infectious disease spread from person to person. Not every infectious disease is contagious, while talking about the transfer of disease from one person to another, it is clear that there has been contagion, not to infection. These two concepts are erroneously used interchangeably. They are therefore infectious diseases and contagious, the flu and the common cold are both infectious and contagious.

The symptoms of colds and flu

Flu is manifested by high fever - above 38 degrees C, and often above 39 degrees Celsius. Fever may be the only symptom. Muscle pain, eye, redness of the posterior pharyngeal wall without purulent raids, rhinitis, conjunctivitis eyes and mucous membranes of the nose, dry cough - may or may not need to be present. Accompanied by significant weakness.

Colds revealed severe hay - leakage mucous or runny nose, conjunctivitis, sometimes a sore throat. Nasal congestion occurs later when followed by migration of neutrophils and eosinophils. In chronic cold uncomplicated bacterial infection is changing the nature of infiltration in nasal secretions - are beginning to prevail in the mainly lymphocytes. When it comes to tighten or bacterial complications - secretions appear macrophages. Heat either does not occur or is small.

The virus infection or common cold or flu virus, are also loose stools - these viruses also have affinity for the intestinal epithelium. In people suffering from UC often comes to the exacerbation of the symptoms of this disease because of the increase in concentration in the blood and mucus pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Warning! It is worth remembering that tea with lemon, honey, vitamin C in large doses taken by mouth, they do not cure colds or flu, as well as not preventing these diseases and do not protect against complications. The only fairly effective way to protect against specific flu is vaccination against the cold no specific methods of protection.

As you can become infected with the flu or a cold?

Viruses flu and colds move through droplets when coughing and sneezing. However, the most common source of infection are dirty hands. Frequent washing of hands before eating, drinking, fumbling in the nose, eye, touching the area of ​​the face and mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, significantly reduces the risk of infection.

Routinely commit the following mistakes:

Improperly we sneeze and cough - during sneezing or coughing, do not cover the mouth palm hand, but should sneeze or cough in the forearm. When you sneeze in hand, we leave it on millions of virions (virus), which then move to the other person to welcome her, or leave on the door when open or close the door.

Viruses left on the handle easily penetrate to the hand of a new host when the handle for the catch. Please note that the blowing of the nose plug, first in one nostril, and after blowing clog the second hole and again blow your nose. Do not blow your nose at the same time with two holes.

Touch the facial area - around the mouth, nose, transferring viruses to the mucous membranes. Just that picks a finger in the nose, wiped his eye out, touch the finger or hand mouth and we're done.

We eat food or drink touching food or bottles of dirty hands - just unscrew the cap from the bottle to drink, leaving viruses at the outlet of the bottle. Before eating food or liquid, being on the road without access to running water and soap, coat the hands of anti-bacterial and antiseptic gel which disinfects without water. Such gels can be purchased at a pharmacy without a prescription. They contain extra moisturizer the skin, so the skin does not dry out your hands.

We do not wash your hands after handling money - on which there are various, numerous bacteria and viruses.

Not vaccinated - the vaccine is safe and protects against complications of flu.

Flu virus infect not only by the sneezing or coughing of an infected person. Most often the infection occurs by unknowingly committing the same mistakes and bad habits. Practising in a certain conditional reflexes to minimize the risk of infection and disease development.