As another flu season begins, you might be wondering what you can do to avoid getting sick. Whether or not you choose to get a flu shot, you may opt to take supplements that are promoted for both prevention and treatment of flu. Although there isn't enough scientific evidence to support the use of most supplements for influenza, many people rely on them for protection from infection or relief of symptoms.
There is insufficient evidence to justify the use of supplements for preventing or treating influenza. In fact, some supplements could...
Each year, approximately 20,000 children are hospitalized with complications from influenza, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control website. Although there is evidence that some essential oils may be effecti...
Leg spasms and muscle cramps can be symptoms of certain infections such as the flu. If your sickness is causing diarrhea or vomiting, you could also suffer from an electrolyte imbalance which can cause leg spasms. If your leg m...
The stomach flu which is called gastroenteritis, is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines caused by a virus, bacteria or from a condition such as lactose intolerance. The stomach flu can cause many symptoms including ab...
The flu is unpleasant, contagious and maybe life-threatening. There are three types of regular influenza viruses: A, B and C. Type A influenza is divided into subtypes, such as the H1N1 virus, erroneously called swine flu, and ...
Influenza affects millions of people per year in the United States according to the New York Times Health Guide, while 36,000 people die from the flu every year. Treatment for the flu usually is symptomatic; however there are p...
The flu is caused by the influenza virus, and a variety of strains can affect you. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, about 20 percent of the population will get the flu in any given year. The website also ...
There are three different types of influenza virus. Types A and B tend to spread rapidly and can occur either in regional outbreaks called epidemics, or worldwide outbreaks called pandemics. Type C influenza virus is the least ...
Influenza, or flu, is an upper respiratory virus sometimes accompanied by stomach and intestinal symptoms such as vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. Most bouts of influenza involve congestion in the sinuses, chest and head accompan...
An important component of the immune system, antibodies are protein molecules made by B cells. The antibodies circulate in the bloodstream, attaching themselves to pathogens in order to identify invaders. Immune cells responsib...
Seasonal viruses can be uncomfortable and annoying, but they’re rarely dangerous. Influenza, on the other hand, has the potential to become quite serious, particularly in the very young, the elderly and individuals with u...
Influenza is a seasonal virus, most common in the winter and early spring. While people often refer to seasonal colds as “the flu,” true influenza is a serious illness characterized by a high fever and other charact...
Influenza is a virus that causes respiratory infection, but the symptoms affect the whole body. FluFacts.com, an informational website sponsored by the biotechnology company Genentech, describes these symptoms as headache, high...
Treatment options for the stomach flu should be focused on providing supportive care such as keeping the body hydrated and eating bland food such as toast and rice while your immune system clears the virus.
Scientists divide the influenza virus into three types--A, B and C. The first two types, A and B, account for the flu epidemics which occur each winter in the United States. Unlike type B, type A undergoes abrupt, major changes...
Stomach flu, or viral gastroenteritis, is an infection of the intestines caused by several types of viruses, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. The stomach flu is not the same as influenza, ...
KidsHealth.org points out that the flu is often seasonal, occurring from November to April. Distinguishing the flu from the common cold in a child can be difficult because of the similarity in symptoms. Many colds are also caus...
Mammals and birds harbor flu viruses; avian strains typically are passed from aquatic birds or ducks to chickens or pigs, which are intermediate hosts. People then pass human influenza to these hosts, where the viruses combine ...
Influenza type B is one of the two virus types that cause seasonal influenza. It belongs to the virus family Orthomyxoviridae along with influenza type A, the other cause of seasonal flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Pre...
The flu is a contagious illness that can cause mild to severe symptoms and even lead to death. Despite the widespread use of vaccines, influenza viruses cause seasonal epidemics and affect up to 20% of the U.S. population every...
The flu is a virus that affects millions of Americans every year. It is important to catch the virus quickly in order to properly diagnose and treat symptoms. The most common method of testing for the flu virus is the Influenza...
Stomach flu, officially called viral gastroenteritis, is caused by several viruses, according to the website eMedTV.com. The symptoms of stomach flu are usually the same regardless of the virus, but some symptoms can be more se...
The H1N1 flu virus, which is often referred to as the swine flu, is a new strain of flu virus infecting humans. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the swine flu was initially detected in people...
The seasonal flu is caused by the influenza virus. While conventional medical treatments for the flu are limited, there are a number of natural herbal remedies that have anti-microbial and anti-viral properties. The following h...
Influenza is a respiratory infection caused by types A, B, and C flu virus, labeled by their protein makeup. The seasonal flu is a yearly infection with 36,000 fatalities in the United States, according to the National Institut...
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can occur, but are more common in children than in adults. Flu spreads when someone who is sick coughs or sneezes and droplets land on people nearby, or when people touch items contaminated with ...
Replication of the influenza virus requires multiple steps and processes. The first part is the the mechanism by which the virus is able to infect cells. Influenza viruses typically infect epithelial cells (which are thin flat ...
The flu virus is the causative agent of influenza. The virus is transmitted by airborne droplets expelled via cough or sneezing. There are several parts for the virus, which affects how the vaccines against the virus are made a...
The influenza virus, or the flu virus, is easily spread from person to person. The flu is highly contagious and passes from one person to the other through direct contact. One way it can spread is by inhalation. When an infecte...
Novel H1N1, also called the Swine Flu, is a virus that has been passed from pigs to humans. This virus has been seen in many countries, and has caused several deaths. In most people, it has been a mild and self-limiting illne...
The flu virus passes by droplets through the air from an infected person to another person or object. The flu virus can be passed through shaking hands, coughing, sneezing or touching a contaminated object. If you touch a conta...
The flu is a viral infection, not bacterial. It can be passed to others by coughing, sneezing, shaking hands or touching germs on a phone or door knob. Healthy adults are contagious for about 5 days after flu symptoms develop. ...
The University of Maryland Medical Center states that influenza, which is more commonly called the flu, is a virus that affects the lungs, throat, bronchial tubes and nose. It states that one of the best ways to minimize the ri...
There are several home remedies you can try to treat the flu virus. First, check with your doctor to confirm the presence of the virus. There are treatments you can take right away to shorten the duration of the flu. After that...
Flu treatments won't get rid of the virus, but they can relieve the symptoms. Some treatments can even shorten the length of time the flu virus spends in your body. Stay home from work, school or other public activities if you ...
People who have the flu virus often experience symptoms such as fever, chills, tiredness, and head and body aches. The flu affects the upper respiratory tract, and can also include symptoms such as a bad cough, sore throat and ...
Some headaches caused by a fever are an indication that your body is working to fight off the flu virus. Blood vessels become enlarged, which increases the pressure in your head. Fever is crucial to fighting influenza because ...
If it's between November and March, and you're achy, sneezing, and have a sore throat, odds are you either have a cold or the flu. At first, the two might seem alike, but they're very different. While colds develop slowly, the...
No one likes catching the flu, but at some point you are likely to come across the dreaded virus. So, if you've been near a friend with the flu, how long will it take until you get sick? This time period is called "incubation....
