Find out the six main differences between a cold and the flu! How to recognize flu symptoms? How to distinguish a virus from a cold, symptoms of a viral cold

What is the difference between the symptoms of influenza and ARVI? Let's figure out what these diseases are, how they are similar, and how they are completely different. And how to choose the right treatment plan.

Every year more than 40 million people in the world suffer from ARVI.

The peak of the disease occurs in the demi-season period, for some the disease occurs in a mild form and they do not even pay attention to it, and some people endure it hard, and then suffer from complications.

What is ARVI?

Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) include a group of microorganisms that affect a person with weak immunity and are accompanied by characteristic clinical signs: high temperature, weakness, body aches, headache, intoxication.

The source is mainly humans, but can also be animals and birds. Children are very susceptible to the disease, so it is necessary to vaccinate on time.

And in autumn and spring you need to take a course of vitamins, so vitamin Constant consumption of vitamin C improves immunity.

What is the flu?

The virus enters the respiratory tract and multiplies there, commonly called the flu. Most often it develops in the autumn-winter period, when the weather outside is bad, there are not enough vitamins and immunity is reduced.

Many people are interested in how to understand that you have the flu, because during this period of the year you can have both a cold and a bacterial infection.

A high temperature, fever, malaise immediately rises, and literally within a few hours of the onset of the disease you can no longer get out of bed.

While other colds develop gradually, over several days. We hope you don't have a cold or flu question?

What is ORZ?

Acute respiratory disease, in medical practice, is usually abbreviated to acute respiratory infections. It is infectious in nature. The respiratory tract is most often affected.

The signs of acute respiratory infections in adults and children do not differ, but due to weakened immunity, the latter are more susceptible to pathology.

Also at risk are older people and those who work in a large team (office employees, educators, teachers, etc.).

Damage to the body can be caused by cooling, lack of vitamins, overexertion, stress, and the presence of chronic diseases.

You should not send a sick child to school, kindergarten, or go to work yourself. It is recommended to take sick leave for a week and visit a doctor who will prescribe medications.

How to distinguish a virus from a bacterial infection?

Bacteria are single-celled organisms that live in the human body and are present in the environment.

The body contains beneficial microorganisms, for example, lactobacilli, which are responsible for the proper functioning of the female reproductive system, and harmful ones, but until the immunity is reduced, they do not manifest themselves in any way.
Source: website Viruses are represented by antibodies; under favorable conditions, they begin to multiply and feed on living cells. One of the most common is adenovirus infection.

Viruses are smaller in size than bacteria and antiviral agents are used to combat them. A bacterial infection can be treated with antibiotics.

How do diseases develop, what are their differences?

1. The disease develops within 2-12 days after infection;
2. Pain only in the affected area (eg, throat, behind the breastbone);
3. Temperature 37-38 C, not higher;
4. With a sore throat appears;
5. Purulent discharge may appear;
6. Frequent headaches;
7. Constant fatigue, lethargy, loss of interest in life.

Bacterial infection does not go away on its own and without treatment; the symptoms only worsen.

At the moment, more than a million bacteria have been identified that can infect humans, but most of them can be treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics.

1. The disease develops within 5 days after infection;
2. Aches all over the body;
3. Temperature 38-40 C;
4. Intoxication syndrome;
5. Fever;
6. , cough is added

In each specific case, certain symptoms may be present; a viral infection is not always accompanied by all the symptoms at once.

What is the difference between influenza and ARVI: table

Many people confuse illnesses by calling them colds, for example, acute respiratory infections, it is necessary to clearly understand these concepts, since they are treated differently and also have different symptoms.

If you do not know for sure that you have the flu or ARVI, we recommend checking the table, which shows the main symptoms of influenza and ARVI.

Many people are interested in the question, what is worse, the flu or ARVI? The first is more severe and longer, recovery occurs more slowly, it is especially dangerous in children, since it causes serious complications; if viruses enter the skull, meningitis may begin to develop. Therefore, it is considered more dangerous than a viral infection.

E.O. Komarovsky, a pediatrician with the highest category, hosts a television program dedicated to children's health. Here are the main rules of prevention he highlights in order not to get sick:

If possible- Get your child vaccinated, but on condition that you do not sit with your baby in a long line at the clinic, since there are not only healthy people in the hospital, but also many sick people, and you can quickly catch the virus.

The source of infection is the person himself. During the cold season, avoid places with large crowds of people, for example, walk a couple of stops from work. No need to travel on a crowded bus. The likelihood of getting sick will be significantly lower.

Wash your hands as often as possible and don't touch your face. During epidemics, it is advisable to wear a simple gauze bandage, which can be purchased at a pharmacy. Remember that they need to be changed periodically.

Viruses can stay around for a long time in dry, stagnant and warm air. Therefore, do not be afraid to open the windows and ventilate the rooms, including the children's room. The main thing is not to create a draft.

Mucus forms in the respiratory tract, It is a protective immune factor; when it dries out, the body is vulnerable and more susceptible to damage from viruses. Therefore, do not allow dry air in the apartment, and it always appears during the heating season; if possible, install a humidifier.

Such simple rules will help you stay healthy and not get sick. Proper prevention can save you from poor health and long-term treatment.

How to treat?

It is necessary to observe bed rest for at least 3 days from the onset of the disease.

Many people neglect their health, are in no hurry to take sick leave and continue to go to work.

Remember that you can infect your colleagues, but you also put yourself at risk, because the flu and respiratory infections are dangerous due to their consequences.

Do not rush to bring down the temperature, especially if it is less than 38 degrees, this is how the body fights viruses and this is a normal reaction of the immune system; in the first days of illness you should not disturb it.

To alleviate the condition, you can wipe your body with vodka or apply a cloth soaked in cold water to your forehead and change it as it warms up.

Drink more fluids, especially vitamin fruit drinks and tea with honey, this will strengthen your immune system and enhance recovery.

Forget about antibiotics, they are only needed in the presence of bacterial infections, viruses are treated with antiviral drugs and only in the initial stages, at the height of illness, they are useless.

How to treat viruses? After all, the symptoms are completely unsettling. Use medications to suppress signs of illness. Sprays, lozenges and ointments for the throat, vasoconstrictor drops for the nose, etc.

How to distinguish the flu from a cold?

The flu is a disease that is caused by viruses, and a cold is hypothermia of the body with subsequent symptoms of the disease. So what are the signs of a cold or flu?

You can get a cold by getting your feet wet, by inhaling cold, frosty air through your mouth, or by being outside in the cold season without a hat, gloves, or inappropriate shoes. It develops slowly and can move from one organ to another.

How to tell if it's a cold:

• Runny nose;
• Frequent sneezing;
• Temperature 38-39 C (on days 2-3).

The initial stage of development of a cold is slow, symptoms increase gradually and also pass. After a week, the person returns to his normal schedule.

The flu is characterized by a sharp development and the first thing is a high temperature.

Initial flu symptoms:

• 39-40 C, temperature;
• Soreness in muscles and bones;
• Sore throat;
• Tearing.

It is necessary to be able to distinguish the symptoms of the flu from a cold in a child. If the temperature rises quickly, parents begin to worry and immediately call an ambulance.

But if a child has a cold, does not feel very well and is lethargic, then many ignore these signs. They force you to go to school or kindergarten.

But it is in this state that the child’s fragile immunity is weakened even more, and soon a cold can develop into severe pathologies from the acute respiratory infections group, and complications often appear.

If your child feels unwell, even if you don’t know the difference between a cold and a viral infection, you must either call an ambulance or visit a children’s clinic as soon as possible.

ARVI and acute respiratory infections differences

Incomprehensible words that doctors often write in a medical card, but it is difficult for a person far from medicine to understand what kind of disease this is and what the difference is between them.
ARI - acute respiratory infections, which are caused by microbes, bacteria or fungi.

ARVI - acute respiratory viral infections, those. it is clarified who exactly is the causative agent of the disease.

It is worth noting

In terms of symptoms, they are very similar and only a specialist can see the difference, and also after testing for the pathogen, but it is rarely prescribed, only if treatment is ineffective.

The main signs of a respiratory disease are high fever, cough, which subsequently develops into bronchitis.

Inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose with the secretion of clear mucus.

In case of an acute respiratory viral infection, the temperature rises on the 2-3rd day, at first it does not exceed 37 C, severe symptoms of intoxication, the virus can enter the mucous membrane of the eye and cause conjunctivitis, general weakness and sneezing.

In a child, the disease develops in the same way as in an adult, but due to weaker immunity it occurs in a more severe form and is often accompanied by complications (chronic tonsillitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, etc.)

The difference between a cold and ARVI

Popularly, any disease accompanied by cough, fever and runny nose is called a cold. What then is ARVI?

After all, such a disease has been around for a long time. Many people consider these words to be synonyms, but let's figure out what the difference is between a cold and a virus.

There are about 200 pathogens, and they can cause adenovirus, rhinovirus and enterovirus infections, parainfluenza and other infectious pathologies.

This happens against the background of decreased immunity. For example, yesterday you were outside for a long time, your feet were cold and wet, and in the morning you woke up with a sore throat, fever and runny nose.

In such cases, it is customary to say that you have a cold, but most likely due to unfavorable conditions, the immune system could not cope with the load and viruses entered the body and began to develop, thereby causing ARVI.

both the whole and some part, which leads to diseases. Thus, a cold may be a harbinger of the development of an acute viral disease.

Now you know the difference between a cold and a virus and you will not confuse these diseases.

Influenza and parainfluenza: differences

These two diseases are very similar. Both are caused by viruses, but there is a slight difference in symptoms. In addition, influenza is seasonal, while parainfluenza can occur at any time of the year. The table below shows the main differences between these pathologies.

Now you know the difference between a cold and a virus. If you know and understand the nature of the disease, then it will become much easier to treat it; not only further treatment, but also the health of the entire body depends on the correct diagnosis.

Diseases associated with hypothermia, which are popularly called “colds,” sometimes occur in a similar way to viral infections. But the symptoms and treatment of these pathologies, although similar, still have their own characteristics, and sometimes differ radically. In addition, you need to be able to distinguish a cold from a virus because, under the guise of a banal disease, the initial stage of the flu may be hiding, which must be treated under the guidance of a doctor in order to avoid unpleasant complications.

What is the difference between a common cold and a viral infection?

To know for sure what the similarities and differences between these diseases are, you need to determine what each of them is. Pediatricians of the “old school” often, out of habit, call any infectious disease of the respiratory tract ARI, which is essentially the correct definition, but does not make it clear at all which pathogen led to the development of the clinical picture. There are only two groups of causative agents of seasonal infections and colds - viruses and bacteria, but this is precisely the key difference between these two diseases.

A viral infection is more accurately called ARVI, and there are many such infections - rhinoviruses, parainfluenza, adenoviruses, RSV and their subtypes. The ARVI group also includes influenza, because it is also a virus that affects the respiratory tract, only provoking a more severe course and more often causing complications. All ARVIs differ to one degree or another in the following characteristics:

1. To get sick with ARVI, cool your feet or eat ice cream not ahead of schedule. This requires infection from a sick person, which most often occurs through airborne droplets. Infection through toys, food, and utensils is less common. As a rule, it is enough to communicate closely with a sick person, or to spend some time in a group where there are sick people, in order to get sick yourself.
2. The incubation period of respiratory tract viruses is short - 1-5 days, usually no more than 2 days. During this period, viruses multiply in the body and infect the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, which leads to characteristic symptoms.
3. The prodromal period, or the time when the body has not yet responded to the action of the virus, but its quantity is already large, with ARVI already causes a disturbance in a person’s well-being. The patient becomes lethargic, unwell, appetite decreases, the eyes begin to gleam and become as if wet. Children at this stage often experience mild nasal congestion without any discharge.
4. The first symptoms of the virus are usually bright - copious watery discharge from the nose, cough with a sore throat, and increased body temperature. The severity of symptoms will directly depend on the virulence of the infection. With the flu, the temperature can rise to 39-40 degrees from the first day of illness. However, “mild” infections may not lead to an increase in temperature, but more often they give a low-grade fever.
5. A feature of a viral infection is that it can be followed by a second wave of bacterial infection along a “paved path.” The fact is that viruses greatly weaken local immunity, and bacteria begin to activate on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. Therefore, after 3-5 days, a person with ARVI, having already begun to recover, may again feel worse. However, with adequate therapy this does not happen.
6. Viral infections in allergy sufferers often cause hypersensitivity reactions, and even ordinary food can lead to allergies.
7. ARVI leads to the development of various respiratory tract diseases, depending on which pathogen enters the body. The patient may develop rhinitis and pharyngitis (most often), tonsillitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, sinusitis, otitis media.

Now it’s worth familiarizing yourself with what a cold is. This is a consequence of a person’s hypothermia in the wind, draft, frost without a hat and scarf, with frozen hands and feet, etc. As a result of exposure to a “large portion” of cold, a microbial inflammatory process begins in a person’s respiratory tract. A cold is not the name of a disease, but merely an indication of its cause. The main characteristics of the condition we call a cold are:

1. The causative agents of the disease are streptococci, staphylococci, Haemophilus influenzae and others, which the patient does not become infected with from another person: these microbes constantly live on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract of any person. Colds are almost not contagious, and only small children and severely weakened people can catch a bacterial respiratory tract infection. Read more about hemolytic staphylococcus in the nose
2. The immediate prerequisite is exposure to cold, after which the immune system is in a state of stress and cannot protect the body from the activation of opportunistic microflora. As a result of an increase in the number of bacteria, an infectious disease occurs, accompanied by an inflammatory reaction.
3. Colds - pharyngitis, rhinitis, tonsillitis, sinusitis and others - occur especially often and easily in those people who already have these diseases in a chronic form. But without the action of provoking factors and with a strong immune system, minor hypothermia cannot cause a malfunction in the body, so colds do not occur. Find out how to distinguish a sore throat from an acute respiratory viral infection
4. The incubation period of a bacterial infection can be longer - from 2 to 14 days, but with acute respiratory infections after hypothermia, it is usually 2-3 days. There is usually no prodromal period for colds. The infection can develop immediately from the first clinical manifestations some time after exposure to cold, or after an acute respiratory viral infection.
5. Occasionally, the first sign of pathology is a general deterioration in a person’s condition, without local manifestations. But still, in most cases, a cold manifests itself as a very clear sore throat (tonsillitis begins), severe sore throat (pharyngitis), nasal congestion and thick, but not copious, discharge from it (rhinitis). Body temperature is often normal or subfebrile, but with sore throat it can be high.
6. If a cold is not treated at the earliest stage, it can develop into a real bacterial disease, which can only be cured with antibiotics. Otherwise, hemolytic streptococcus, which causes most of these pathologies, gives serious complications to the kidneys, heart, and joints.

Thus, a viral infection differs from a cold in the following ways:

• infection: ARVI - from a patient, cold - autoinfection (the pathogen persists in the respiratory tract);
• prodromal period: ARVI - up to 24 hours, colds - no;
• onset of the disease: ARVI - bright, with an increase in temperature, cold - vague, but any symptom may be pronounced;
• nasal discharge: ARVI - watery, liquid, profuse, cold - absent with nasal congestion, or thick white, then yellow.

Watch a video about the differences between acute respiratory infections, ARVI and colds.

Features of treatment

When a person has an acute respiratory infection, the question of what exactly caused it is fundamentally important. If a patient is prescribed antibiotics for a viral infection, this will weaken the local immune defense, cause dysbacteriosis and develop the resistance of bacteria existing on the mucous membrane of the nose and throat. As a result, the body will not have enough strength to fight the virus, the disease will drag on and may result in complications. Therefore, you need to find an experienced specialist and entrust the treatment of acute respiratory infections, whatever it may be, to a doctor.

An approximate treatment regimen for viral infections of the respiratory tract would be as follows:

1. antiviral drugs - from the very first manifestations of the disease (Viferon, Interferon, Remantadine, Kagocel, Isoprinosine, Tsitovir 3);
2. antipyretics when the temperature rises to 38.5 degrees or higher and is poorly tolerated by the patient (Nurofen, Ibuprofen, Nise, Paracetamol, Cefekon);
3. antitussive drugs for dry cough in the absence of sputum in the early stages of a viral infection (Sinekod, Libexin);
4. mucolytics and expectorants to thin sputum and relieve cough (Mukaltin, Bromhexine, Ambrobene);
5. vitamin complexes, especially ascorbic acid, as well as general strengthening drugs to increase the body's resistance;
6. gargling preparations - Hexoral, Yox, Furacilin solution to relieve sore throat, as well as sucking tablets and lozenges (Lizobakt, Adjisept, Septolete) and irrigating the throat with sprays (Hexoral, Tantum Verde); Baking soda is also great for sore throats.
7. inhalations for the throat and upper respiratory tract with mineral water and saline to soften and moisturize the mucous membrane;
8. Irrigation of the nose with solutions of sea water to wash away the infection, remove mucus, and prevent the development of sinusitis (Aqualor, Aquamaris).

In case of ARVI, it is imperative to ensure bed rest, or at least exclude outdoor games if we are talking about a sick child.

The room where the patient is located must be regularly ventilated and maintain a normal level of humidity (about 50%). A person should drink more water, herbal teas, and, if necessary, tea with raspberries or linden to bring down the elevated temperature. You can supplement drug therapy with useful folk remedies - aloe, honey, Kalanchoe, juices and herbal infusions. It is also advisable to eat more vitamin-rich foods and onions and garlic, which contain many natural antiviral substances - phytoncides.

Treatment for a cold, that is, a bacterial infection, will differ from the regimen described above. In addition, antibacterial agents will have to be taken if a person does not experience relief from symptoms within 6-8 days from the onset of a viral infection, which means that bacteria have become involved. For a mild cold, it is usually enough to irrigate the nose after first rinsing it with drops of antibiotics (Isofra, Polydex) or the antiseptic drug Miramistin. A runny nose when severe, as well as swelling of the nasal mucosa, can be reduced by instilling vasoconstrictors (for viral infections, such medications are undesirable due to drying of the nasal mucosa).

For the throat, you can dissolve Grammidin tablets or spray Bioparox into it, but only as prescribed by a doctor. Sprays Hexoral, Stopangin, TeraFlu Lar can also cope with colds. Drinking plenty of warm drinks and applying dry heat to the throat are mandatory for colds. The lack of effect from local drugs often necessitates the prescription of systemic antibiotics - Flemoxin, Amoxiclav, Azithromycin, Erythromycin, which is necessary when the disease develops into cough - tracheitis, bronchitis.

How to organize prevention

Prevention measures for colds and acute respiratory viral infections will also differ, but they also have a lot in common. So, in order not to become infected with the virus, you need to avoid crowded places during the epidemic season, wear a mask, use special medications to provide a film inside the nose (Nazoval), and also avoid contact with sick people. You can also get preventive vaccinations against the most unpleasant of viral diseases - influenza.

To prevent colds, it is important to start strengthening your immunity in advance - harden yourself, swim, eat well, visit a salt cave, do exercises, and walk a lot in the air. This will increase immune defense so much that exposure to hypothermia will decrease. Such preventive measures will also be relevant to prevent ARVI, because strong immunity is the key to the fact that a small amount of the virus in the body will simply and simply not be able to provoke the development of the disease.

The symptoms of influenza and colds (ARVI) have some similarities, so patients often confuse these diseases with each other, calling a severe cold “flu” and vice versa. In reality, according to doctors, there are many more differences between the flu and a cold.

It is very important to learn to distinguish them by symptoms, because each disease requires a special approach when choosing treatment methods. Many medications and medications that can help cure a cold will be ineffective against influenza viruses. However, therapies often used to treat influenza may not be effective against colds.

Characteristic features of influenza in the table

Flu- an acute viral infectious disease characterized by severe symptoms caused by a virus that affects the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract. During the winter season, when mass epidemics begin, influenza spreads very quickly, often infecting up to 30-70 percent of the population in just one month.

Currently found several main types of virus - A, B, C. They differ in the nature of the manifestation of symptoms, as well as the ability to change. Influenza A is considered the most dangerous type of the disease, as it changes more often than other types of virus. It is very difficult for specialists to “keep up” with identifying new features of its mutation in order to create a new remedy against it.

Flu B also tends to periodically change, but it is characterized by a slower “rate” of mutation, so in most cases scientists are able to monitor these processes. Flu C practically does not change over a long period of time, its changes are insignificant.

The table shows the key features of the development of this disease, which will help to distinguish the flu from a cold and find similarities between them:

The danger of influenza is that it is practically invulnerable, because every year scientists discover new strains of the virus that periodically mutate, adapting to new living conditions and medications that immediately become ineffective.

We have already written in the news about what the flu will be like in the new year and what to expect from it. There you can also get information about vaccinations and precautions.

Characteristic features of colds in the table

"Cold" popularly called acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI), which are localized on the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract. A distinctive feature of ARVI is the slow development of symptoms.

The patient may have a sore throat for several days, then a runny nose will begin, the intensity of which will change over the course of 1-2 days. There may be other development options, but in almost all cases, colds go through several stages of progression at a slow pace.

Scientists believe that There are more than 200 varieties of acute respiratory viruses. Today, the most common, according to statistics, are rhinoviruses, adenoviruses and parainfluenza.

Acute respiratory viral infections are not as dangerous as the influenza virus and, as a rule, their symptoms are easily overcome with the help of modern treatment methods. However, scientists still have not been able to find a vaccination drug that would help become the main means of preventing ARVI. This is due to a large number of respiratory viruses.

Flu and cold symptoms: similarities and differences

Temperature with influenza it can rise to 40°, and this can happen already on the first day of the development of the disease. With a cold, the temperature most often does not exceed 37-38°, and sometimes does not rise above 36.6°, remaining stable. In addition, with ARVI, the increase in temperature occurs gradually: usually within 1-2 days. With the flu, the temperature usually rises immediately.

Intoxication of the body colds do not show pronounced symptoms, since they are not the main ones in the clinical picture, so usually, if there is no high temperature, the patient feels normal. Influenza, on the contrary, causes severe intoxication, so the patient may feel severe weakness, dizziness, chills, muscle and joint pain, and may sometimes suffer from insomnia and hallucinations.

Patient's appearance A patient with the flu is noticeably puffy and puffy in the face. The area around the eyes and sinuses becomes swollen and red, and sores or mucus may appear on the lips. The eyes become watery and the patient feels uncomfortable looking towards light sources. With a cold, all these signs are either completely absent (often a person with a cold looks healthy) or have a less pronounced manifestation.

Flu and ARVI are diseases familiar to us since childhood. A sore throat, fever, headache, chills - these signs of a cold can cause a lot of trouble. Despite the similar symptoms of influenza and ARVI, a doctor can easily distinguish one disease from another. Let's try to figure out what is the difference between the clinical symptoms of ARVI and influenza.

Flu and ARVI: how to distinguish?

At flu the onset of the disease is always acute. Often a person can pinpoint the exact hour when he suddenly became ill. In this case, signs of intoxication of the body develop quickly and sharply. The spread of influenza in a short time is due to:
Short incubation period;
Airborne transmission;
High susceptibility of people to the pathogen;
Lack of immunity in the population to new antigenic variants of the virus.

The most significant role in this process is played by numerous influenza patients with mild and erased clinical forms. In adults and adolescents, influenza manifests itself as fever and chills, accompanied by headache, sore throat, muscle pain, dry cough, lack of appetite, and malaise.

Unlike the flu, ARVI or a common cold develops smoothly - the person gets worse gradually, over 1-2 days.

With the flu, the temperature most often jumps sharply (usually within 2-3 hours and lasts 3-4 days) to 39 degrees and above (although there are cases when the temperature does not rise at all).

Fever is 38-40C, lasting from 1 to 5 days, with a peak during the first 24 hours, and with ARVI, the body temperature rarely rises above 38 degrees.

An important feature of the difference between influenza and ARVI is degree of general intoxication of the body.
With ARVI, the sick person feels more or less normal.
With the flu, symptoms of severe intoxication appear:
chills, headache, dizziness, feeling of exhaustion, muscle pain, pain in the abdomen and eyeballs, vomiting, sleep disturbance, hallucinations.

For ARVI, symptoms from the respiratory tract come to the fore; signs of intoxication are not leading in the clinical picture. The patient is worried about: sore throat, redness and pain in the throat, cough (usually dry, intermittent, “barking” and can turn into a wet cough with sputum), runny nose (a common symptom). With ARVI, redness of the eyes appears only if a bacterial infection is associated with the disease.

The characteristic appearance of a patient with influenza is hyperemia and puffiness of the face, the vessels of the sclera are injected, hyperemia of the conjunctiva, cyanotic mucous membranes and lips. When examining the pharynx, granularity of the mucous membrane of the soft palate and uvula is revealed. Symptoms of damage to the upper respiratory tract in the first hours are usually not pronounced and are characterized by difficulty in nasal breathing, scanty mucous-serous rhinitis, dry mucous membranes, sore throat, rawness or pain behind the sternum, and an infrequent dry cough.

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From the 2-3rd day of influenza, the development of tracheobronchitis is characteristic, the main symptom of which is a dry, obsessive, often painful, raw cough, accompanied by pain behind the sternum along the trachea. Acute bronchitis with damage to large and medium-sized bronchi is observed in 20% of cases.

There are different types of flu

With a mild form of influenza, the body temperature does not exceed 38C and returns to normal after 2-3 days. Symptoms of general intoxication and catarrhal syndrome are mild, which is practically no different from acute respiratory infections of other etiologies.

The moderate form of influenza is characterized by an increase in body temperature to 39C, severe intoxication and damage to the respiratory system. The fever lasts up to 4-5 days. This form of influenza is the most frequently reported.

Severe forms of the disease are observed mainly during influenza epidemic periods, caused by a new or modified version of the influenza A virus.

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How to quickly recover from illness?

After suffering from an acute respiratory viral infection, a patient recovers in just a couple of days (of course, if there were no complications), and after the flu it is necessary to take care of yourself, since a person who has recovered from the disease is accompanied by weakness, weakness, and loss of appetite.

After the flu, a person should rest more, walk in moderation and only calmly, and not play sports. Therefore, after the flu, doctors exempt children from physical education for 2 weeks.

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Flu and ARVI are easier to prevent!

Currently, the most effective anti-influenza drugs recommended by the World Health Organization are blockers of viral proteins: oseltamivir and zanamivir, which suppress the activity of neuraminidase, as well as amantadine and rimantadine, which block the M2 protein, thanks to which the virus attaches to epithelial cells of the respiratory tract in order to penetrate them .

However, the processes of antigenic drift and antigenic shift lead to the emergence of influenza virus strains whose proteins are not affected by these drugs. Against such strains, some or all viral protein blockers become ineffective.

This deficiency is eliminated by drugs whose action is aimed at increasing the body’s own defenses, that is, immunomodulators. Their effect does not depend on the specific strain of the virus.

The effect of these medications is best seen if you start taking them immediately after the first flu symptoms appear - they alleviate the course of the disease at any stage.

In addition, immunomodulators have a pronounced preventive effect: if you mobilize the body’s defenses immediately when the epidemiological situation worsens, without waiting for infection, then if the virus enters, the disease will be mild or will not develop at all. This will allow you to maintain your ability to work and save money on treatment.

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One of the immunomodulators that has demonstrated its anti-influenza activity over the years of use is the original domestic drug Cycloferon. Its active ingredient meglumine acridone acetate stimulates the production of special molecules in the body - interferons.

These molecules are released by the body's cells in response to the invasion of viruses and change the vital processes of the cell in such a way that it becomes immune to the virus and does not participate in its reproduction. In addition, interferons cause activation of immune cells - lymphocytes and macrophages.

Studies of Cycloferon have confirmed its effectiveness against influenza caused by various strains of the virus - the drug produces a pronounced preventive effect, and also significantly reduces the severity and duration of an existing disease.

Do not be ill!

Influenza is a respiratory infection, and it is separated from other acute respiratory viral infections due to its exceptional danger to humans. How to distinguish influenza virus infection from ARVI in children and adults based on symptoms, and how it differs from a cold, is described in the article.

When making a diagnosis, the doctor has to find signs that differentiate influenza from ARVI, and in adults also take into account chronic respiratory diseases, which manifest themselves with symptoms similar to the common cold.

When infected with the influenza virus, symptoms similar to the following occur:

• Acute respiratory infections are acute respiratory diseases that are caused, in addition to viruses, as in acute respiratory viral infections, also by bacterial flora, protozoa, and fungi;
• measles;
• paratyphoid A, typhoid fever;
• meningococcal infection;
• serous meningitis;
• influenza-like diseases - psittacosis, salmonellosis.

Influenza is characterized by:

• catarrhal phenomena - inflammation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, which manifests itself as lacrimation, conjunctivitis;
• intoxication – characterized by headache, nausea, muscle pain.

The leading symptoms of influenza virus infection from the first hours of illness are intoxication, which is how influenza differs primarily from a cold. Signs of intoxication are clearly expressed during the first 3-5 days of illness, then catarrhal phenomena come to the fore.

Flu or ARVI

Diseases from the ARVI group are caused only by viral infections, which is the difference between ARVI and acute respiratory infections (colds) - acute respiratory diseases that are provoked by both viruses and bacteria. In everyday life, both groups are called a cold, without specifying what caused the malaise, a viral or bacterial infection.

At the beginning of the epidemic, the disease is more severe, the symptoms appear more clearly than in the final period. By the time the outbreak begins to subside, mild forms of influenza are more common.

It becomes more difficult to detect the difference between the symptoms of influenza and ARVI towards the end of the epidemic.

Influenza and ARVI/ARI have the most typical differences, which are listed in the table; based on them, one can assume the type of virus that caused the disease.

In addition to the main differences, there are less typical symptoms of ARVI and flu that will help determine the difference between a common cold and the flu.

Read more about the symptoms of ARVI in children and adults in the articles:

Features of influenza

This disease is characterized by muscle pain, which the patient describes as “pain throughout the whole body.” Muscle pain is accompanied by chills and high fever, reaching 40 0 ​​C.

Unlike acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections, a high temperature during influenza, in the absence of complications, does not last longer than 5 days, but reaches the highest values ​​in the first days. The disease begins with a fever exceeding 39 0 C.

Influenza can be distinguished from other types of acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections in order to be treated correctly from the first day by such signs of intoxication as headache and pain in the eye sockets. The disease is typically characterized by pain in the eyeballs when light pressure is applied to closed eyelids.

Features of infection include increased sweating of the patient. The virus has tropism (the ability to come into contact) with the epithelial cells of the trachea, which is why the patient always has symptoms.

Signs of tracheitis at the initial stage of the disease do not appear clearly. In the first days, when the temperature persists, accompanied by chills, aches in the joints and muscles, the intense sensation fades into the background.

But after the temperature drops, which usually happens 3-4 days after the onset of the illness, a sore throat and dry cough appear. Coughing attacks are painful, intrusive, and accompanied by...

Catarrhal phenomena are also manifested by a runny nose, which joins the symptoms of infection on the 2nd or 3rd day. On the first day of illness, there is no runny nose with influenza, although the nose is stuffy and breathing is difficult.

Due to the tropism of the virus to the endothelium of blood vessels, characteristic signs of the disease are nosebleeds, hemorrhages in the gum mucosa, and redness of the blood vessels in the sclera of the eyes.

Differences from ARVI

Each respiratory infection manifests itself with a special set of characteristic symptoms. One of the main signs by which these infections can be distinguished, and how influenza differs greatly from acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections, is the duration of the incubation period.

As can be seen from the table in the article “”, the differences in the duration of incubation of viruses are sufficient to practically see the difference between an influenza virus and a cold, and to figure out whether it is the flu or an acute respiratory infection.

To determine whether children have the flu or ARVI, you also need to focus on such a factor as the child’s age. Thus, parainfluenza, an adenovirus, affects children more often at the age of 6 months – 5 years. Children get sick with the flu equally often at any age.

Influenza or adenoviral ARVI

The main difference between adenovirus infection and influenza is inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eyes, which with adenovirus is initially unilateral.

The adenovirus typically affects the tonsils, pharynx, and lymphoid tissue. With this type of ARVI, the lymph nodes become enlarged, which is not observed with influenza.

MS infection

Respiratory syncytial virus most often affects children aged 1-2 years. Unlike influenza, with MS infection:

• the temperature rises slightly;
• the onset of the disease is gradual;
• the leading symptom is respiratory failure.

MS infection is accompanied by a dry, spasmodic cough. In adults, the disease practically does not occur, and when infected, the disease is mild. The course of the disease in adults is characterized by a gradual increase in temperature to 38 0 C, accompanied by mild signs of intoxication.

Flu or parainfluenza

In children, the symptoms of laryngitis with parainfluenza are so pronounced that they create a danger, which is what distinguishes this type of acute respiratory viral infection from influenza. Adults get sick less often than children. The disease develops gradually over 3-4 days, and the temperature in children and adults usually does not exceed 38 0 C.

Rhinovirus

It is not difficult to distinguish influenza from a type of acute respiratory viral infection such as rhinovirus or reovirus infection. These types of ARVI are characterized by the appearance of a runny nose from the first hours of illness, and most importantly, there is no sharp rise in temperature from the first hours of illness, as happens when infected with the influenza virus.

To determine what caused the deterioration of the condition, whether the flu virus or a cold caused a runny nose, you need to resort to a procedure such as measuring temperature. With rhinovirus infection, it rarely rises to subfebrile values ​​of 37 - 37.2 0 C.

Coronaviruses

ARVI also includes coronavirus infection. It is rare and usually proceeds easily, with the exception of its variety SARS, which can cause atypical.

Unlike influenza, coronavirus ARVI does not affect the trachea, but the throat, causing pharyngitis. The temperature during coronavirus infection does not rise above 39 0 C, and there is a severe runny nose throughout the entire illness.

Enteroviral infections

Some enterovirus (intestinal) infections are accompanied by symptoms of damage to the respiratory system. And, although they do not relate to acute respiratory viral infections, sometimes the manifestations of infection with enteroviruses are very similar to the symptoms of influenza.

This similarity lies in the symptoms of intoxication, which are characteristic of both influenza and enteroviruses. There is a headache and chills, but the temperature when infected with intestinal viruses does not rise above 38 0 C, and there are no signs of damage to the tracheal mucosa, which is necessary with the flu.