Other complications of the flu may include ear and sinus infections (otitis and sinusitis), especially in children, dehydration, and worsening chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.
Is pneumonia a serious complication of the flu?
Yes, pneumonia is a common and very serious complication of the flu. Pneumonia can develop when the influenza virus enters the lungs directly or when a bacterial infection develops during the flu. If viral or bacterial pneumonia makes your condition very severe, you may need to be hospitalized immediately.
With pneumonia, you may have chills, fever, chest pain, sweating, cough with green or bloody mucus, increased heart rate, and bluish lips and nails due to lack of oxygen. Other symptoms of pneumonia include shortness of breath and sharp chest pain when you take a deep breath. Sometimes older people with pneumonia also experience a feeling of abdominal pain. When a bacterial infection occurs, pneumonia overlaps with the flu, and these symptoms may worsen, resulting in a higher fever, severe cough, and greenish sputum.
If you have a persistent cough or fever or difficulty breathing or chest pain - especially if these symptoms are accompanied by another illness such as the flu - you should definitely see a doctor. Good diagnostics, including x-rays chest and sputum analysis can help the doctor diagnose pneumonia. Know that antibiotics can help with bacterial pneumonia, but they cannot help with viral pneumonia.
How long does pneumonia last?
Pneumonia usually lasts about two weeks, and even longer in young children, older adults, and patients with weakened immune systems. Those who may have pneumonia also suffer from pneumonia. chronic diseases, such as asthma. Even the strongest people can feel tired and weak for a month or more after suffering from pneumonia.
Influenza can cause very severe damage to a person’s nervous system (encephalitis - inflammation of the brain, meningitis - inflammation of the pia mater, arachnoiditis - limited inflammation of the arachnoid membrane of the brain). Influenza viruses cause hemorrhages and blockages of small blood vessels, destroy the protection of the respiratory tract from microbes, and destroy cells of the immune system.
People who have had a traumatic brain injury or concussion become more vulnerable. However, not all people who have the flu will experience complications. The secret lies in the characteristics of the human body, in its reaction to the virus. However, many people still experience complications. So let's try to figure out why there are complications after the flu?
Causes of complications after influenza
Neurological complications after influenza are most common in people who abuse alcoholic beverages. This is understandable, because alcohol is a powerful poison for the nervous system. It sharply reduces the resistance of the nervous system to pathogenic factors. Even one dose of alcohol in large doses can cause irreparable harm to the nervous system. Unfortunately, many people believe that by drinking vodka (infused with pepper), they can stop a respiratory infection. This is a deep misconception. Under the influence of alcohol, blood pressure can drop sharply and suddenly and cause a collapsed state (and even death).
Complications after influenza can occur in people suffering from vascular and neurological diseases, even if they were asymptomatic and hidden before the influenza infection. In this case, the influenza infection seems to “hit” the weakest point in the body. Therefore, after the flu, a person may experience complications such as radiculitis, hypotensive or hypertensive crisis, nervous and mental disorders.
Other complications arise because during illness the protection of the respiratory tract is destroyed. When you inhale, the ciliated epithelium in the respiratory tract secretes mucus, which destroys bacteria. Particles from the air stick to this mucus, and then the mucus moves to the pharynx (due to the beating of the cilia) and is swallowed there. Next, everything goes into the stomach, where hydrochloric acid is already waiting for this mucus. The influenza virus attaches and penetrates the cells of the ciliary epithelium, multiplies there and leads to the weakening or death of ciliary epithelial cells. The damaged epithelium is no longer able to secrete good mucus and quickly promote it, so bacteria quite easily pass through the ciliary mucous barriers and then enter the lungs. In this case, the most a common complication After the flu, bacterial pneumonia can occur.
Complications after the flu also arise because after this disease a person’s blood vessels are affected. The border tissue (epithelium) has been destroyed, and therefore, now the virus can easily enter the blood and cause serious damage to the entire circulatory system. Influenza viruses have the ability to stick red blood cells together. They form lumps and can clog small blood vessels. Viruses can also infect the cells of the inner layer of blood vessels (endothelium), causing their death. All this can lead to hemorrhages and the formation of blood clots, and this in turn can seriously disrupt the blood supply to human organs.
Another cause of complications after the flu can be suppressed immunity. Influenza viruses can infect cells that are responsible for immunity. And not at all for reproduction in them, but for destruction. The number of immune cells decreases sharply and, accordingly, the body’s protective functions weaken.
Things to remember
To avoid unpleasant complications, try to regularly prevent influenza. If you do manage to get the flu, then never suffer from this disease “on your feet”, try to stay in bed, provide yourself with plenty of fluids and quality nutrition, and ventilate the room more often. Do not self-medicate. Take only those medications prescribed by your doctor. And do not forget that the consequences of the flu are very insidious and can result in serious complications.
Influenza is an acute viral disease that can cause extremely dangerous complications, including death. According to research, every year from of this disease millions of people suffer. Let's take a closer look, what consequences of the flu can develop, and how to avoid them.
The effects of the flu can be quite unpleasant
Most often, the effects of influenza develop in the following groups of people:
- Young children aged six months to four years who do not yet have strong immunity to fight the influenza virus.
- Children and adults who have chronic heart, respiratory or kidney diseases.
- Women during pregnancy.
- People with diseases that suppress immune system(HIV infection, tuberculosis, syphilis, hepatitis, etc.).
- Elderly people whose bodies can no longer resist the virus as well as before.
It should be noted that consequences after the flu can also develop in the following cases:
- With incorrectly selected drug therapy.
- Due to having the flu “on your feet”.
- In case of incorrect treatment and errors in therapy.
- In case of advanced disease, when a person did not consult a doctor in time, did not carry out diagnosis and treatment.
In the latter case, the risk of developing dangerous complications from the flu is very high.
The risk of flu complications in children is high
Signs of the flu
The flu, the symptoms and consequences of which can be very different, can cause the following symptoms in humans:
- Chills and fever.
- Increased body temperature.
- Headache (sometimes very severe, similar to a migraine).
- Sore throat.
- Cough (first dry, and then with sputum).
- Weakness and pallor.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Body aches.
- Runny nose.
In young children, a sign of this disease may also be a bowel disorder (diarrhea, flatulence, colic).
Fever is a dangerous manifestation of infection
Particularly dangerous manifestations of this viral disease are coughing up blood, shortness of breath and high fever.. These are serious indications to call ambulance or consult a doctor immediately.
Consequences of the flu
The following possible complications that may occur after influenza and ARVI are identified:
- Pneumonia or pneumonia is one of the most common consequences. It usually occurs due to the progression of a secondary infection caused by staphylococcus. Somewhat less commonly, pneumonia is caused by viruses and bacteria.
It is important to note that pneumonia contributes to disruption of vascular function and blood supply to the lungs, which can lead to intrapulmonary hemorrhage and death of the sick person. This disease should be treated exclusively in a hospital setting.
- Consequences expressed in deterioration of the cardiovascular system (See also:). In this condition, the patient may experience an increase in heart rate, or, conversely, a sharp slowdown. Most often, this phenomenon is observed in elderly people who, for purely physiological reasons, have weak myocardium.
In addition, against the background of a malfunction of the heart, a person may develop myocarditis, pericarditis and general heart failure.
- Inflammation of the brain. This can be caused by a consequence of the flu such as otitis media, which was not detected and treated in time.
- Damage to the organs of the ENT system. This includes a high risk of developing sinusitis, rhinitis, sinusitis and other inflammatory diseases of the nose. Purulent forms of such conditions are considered especially dangerous. They require long-term treatment with antibiotics and a series of nasal rinsing procedures.
- Damage to the nervous system can be expressed in the appearance of a hypertensive crisis, exacerbation of existing mental illnesses, as well as sleep disturbances. In more severe cases, the patient may experience encephalitis and meningitis, which are considered extremely dangerous diseases.
- Reye's syndrome usually occurs in children who have suffered from influenza with the B genotype. In this condition, the patient may develop cerebral edema and liver dysfunction.
- Complications in the musculoskeletal system can affect joints and muscles. This will lead to severe pain.
- Impaired kidney function can lead to severe inflammation and pyelonephritis. In this condition, the patient may experience severe intoxication of the body, high fever and pain in the kidneys. Pyelonephritis requires immediate medical treatment.
Flu can cause joint pain
In addition, it is worth mentioning separately risks of this disease during pregnancy. The influence of such a pathology is especially dangerous in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, when the foundations of the organs and systems of the fetus are laid.
In this condition, the unborn child can easily develop pathologies of the heart or liver. May also be harmed nervous system and the overall development of the fetus will deteriorate.
Mistakes leading to complications
The following are the most common mistakes made by patients that lead to the development of dangerous consequences from the flu:
- Incorrect treatment, namely taking antibiotics for initial stages course of the disease. It is worth knowing that this group of drugs is completely ineffective against the virus, because it has a completely different medicinal purpose. You can take antibiotics only when the virus is active and there is a risk of developing a bacterial infection.
- Installation of compresses, carrying out hot baths and other thermal procedures at high temperatures. In fact, other than worsening the condition, these measures will not bring any benefit to the patient. Doctors warn that at high temperatures the body needs to be cooled, and not vice versa, warmed by all known methods.
- Drinking alcoholic beverages for the purpose of warming the body will not actually have the expected effect. On the contrary, alcohol will further weaken the immune system, worsening the patient’s condition.
- Taking herbal tinctures Without a doctor's prescription, it can cause extremely negative consequences in the functioning of the heart and kidneys. In general, treatment without a doctor’s prescription folk remedies Absolutely forbidden. This is especially true for therapy in children and pregnant women.
- Refusal to accept medicines prescribed by a doctor can easily lead to otitis media, sinusitis, pneumonia and other complications. Moreover, unmodern therapy can aggravate the course of existing chronic pathologies (kidney diseases, asthma, etc.).
Compresses at high temperatures are prohibited
Prevention of complications
To protect yourself from negative consequences flu, you should adhere to the following doctor's recommendations:
- Don't underestimate the flu- the consequences of his illness can be very sad. For this reason, at the first manifestations of this viral infection, you should consult a therapist.
- You should not self-medicate without medical supervision.
- It is important to eat properly during treatment and enrich the body useful substances. Additionally, you are also allowed to take vitamin complexes.
- In the presence of chronic pathologies, therapy should be carried out especially carefully. Serious illnesses must be reported to your doctor.
- Bed rest should be observed throughout the course of the disease.
- To maintain immunity (only as prescribed by a doctor), it is recommended to use immunomodulatory drugs.
Proper prevention allows you to avoid complications.
Doctors in all countries believe that influenza outbreaks that occur every year are a real disaster. However, most people do not treat the flu as a serious illness and, having suppressed the first symptoms, are absolutely not worried about the possible occurrence of serious complications. But the flu can even lead to death.
Features of influenza as an infectious disease
It is important to understand that influenza is the most serious infectious disease of our time. And, despite the fact that this disease itself is difficult, it can also provoke the most serious complications.
The prerequisites for the occurrence of a secondary bacterial infection arise due to the fact that the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx are subject to an inflammatory process, which damages the ciliated epithelium and has a very negative effect on the state of local immunity.
Symptoms of secondary infection, as complications in those who have had the flu, can be very different and differ depending on the type of bacteria that caused the disease, the condition of the body and many other reasons. However, there is also a symptom characteristic of a secondary infection, which usually manifests itself in the form of a second wave of fever in the period from 3 to 6 days of illness. By the way, it is this state of affairs that signals the doctor that antibacterial therapy should be used.
Experts divide complications caused by influenza into pulmonary and non-pulmonary, associated with the underlying disease (influenza) or associated with an additional bacterial infection.
Variety of bacterial complications of influenza
Bacterial complications that appear after influenza cannot be considered without the accompanying symptoms, to which we often do not pay any attention.
Symptoms of sinusitis
This disease is always accompanied by headaches, a nasal voice, and pus discharged from the sinuses, but redness of the skin may also occur.
Symptoms of otitis media
Otitis media manifests itself as characteristic pain in the ears, which can often intensify while chewing food or when pressing on the ear itself.
Symptoms of pneumonia
Often, even an experienced doctor cannot easily distinguish pneumonia from bronchitis, in cases where pneumonia affects only a small part of the lung. An incessant cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue and general weakness should alert you. Also, a less common symptom of pneumonia may be blue skin in the area of the nasolabial triangle and widening of the wings of the nose during breathing.
The above bacterial complications in those who have had the flu if the patient receives it in a timely manner medical care, are usually eliminated quite quickly thanks to a wide range of antibiotics that should be prescribed by a doctor. Much greater danger lies in complications that are associated with the underlying disease, that is, caused by the flu itself.
Complications of influenza as a viral infection
Experts often consider the hypertoxic form of influenza not a complication, but a type of the disease itself. However, it is very important to know the symptoms, as this flu can be quickly fatal, especially for children in early age.
Thus, with a hypertoxic complication of influenza, body temperature often rises to more than 40˚C and is accompanied by neurotoxicosis, which is characterized by outbreaks of excitement followed by deep apathy, convulsive states and even the occurrence of hallucinations. Nosebleeds also often occur, the skin and mucous membranes suffer from rashes, and blood streaks appear when coughing. It happens that the course of the disease is complicated by meningism, that is, symptoms of damage to the membranes of the brain appear, which are manifested by severe headaches, vomiting, and a characteristic posture with the head thrown back.
Hemorrhagic pneumonia is considered the main cause of death from influenza, and this disease is characterized primarily by the admixture of blood in the discharge when coughing. This disease progresses quickly and may be accompanied by heart failure caused by intoxication, which usually occurs in adult patients. In general, the flu is most severe in children under 3 years of age.
But Reye's syndrome, on the contrary, is a complication characteristic of children under twelve years of age. It is triggered by taking aspirin during the treatment of influenza. With this syndrome, the liver and central nervous system are seriously affected, and this is what causes the death of the disease in almost half of the cases. The first symptoms in the form of nausea, vomiting, instability of consciousness (alternating states of excitement and apathy), even coma appear after 5-6 days from the onset of the disease. Children at an early age are characterized by convulsions, drowsiness, and impaired breathing. With this complication, a jump in intracranial pressure occurs, disrupting brain activity. The only way to prevent this complication is to strictly prohibit the use of aspirin in children during the treatment of viral infections.
Another syndrome, Guillain-Barré, also occurs more often in childhood and appears several weeks after the onset of influenza. Symptoms include muscle pain and weakness, jumping blood pressure, irregular heart rhythm, manifestations of darkening in the eyes during a sharp rise. Kidney activity is impaired. And the reason for the problem lies in the fact that the body begins to produce antibodies to its own nerve cells that were affected by the virus. The acute period lasts from 2 to 5 weeks, and recovery can take two years. Delayed treatment can cause serious consequences and even cause paralysis. It is paralysis that can cause death if it paralyzes the respiratory or bulbar center in the brain, and death can also be caused by cardiac arrest and congestive pneumonia. This complication should be treated in a hospital, where it is possible artificial ventilation lungs.
Brain damage as a complication of influenza
At risk are primarily children, as well as people who are weakened and prone, for various reasons, to disruption of the activity of the brain, as well as its membranes. As complications after influenza, brain lesions such as meningitis (damage to the soft meninges), encephalitis (damage to the brain matter) and arachnoiditis (damage to the arachnoid membrane of the brain) can occur.
Symptoms of meningitis
Symptoms of meningitis include severe headaches associated with the gag reflex, increased tone neck muscles and muscles of the back of the head. Severe cases are characterized by a certain position in which the patient throws his head back and bends his legs at the knees. According to modern research, it is usually not meningitis that is diagnosed with such symptoms, but meningeal syndrome, the course of which is not so severe, and the prognosis is much more favorable.
Symptoms of encephalitis
Influenza encephalitis is called damage to the cerebral cortex, accompanied by a rise in temperature, convulsive states, even loss of consciousness, and in rare cases, impaired speech function. The root cause of such severe disorders is considered to be the condition of the affected brain vessels. Consequences can manifest themselves in the form of paralysis, paresis (for example, of the facial nerve). Timely competent treatment can give a favorable outcome after just a few weeks.
The development of influenza meningoencephalitis usually occurs at the acute stage of influenza (in the first couple of days) at elevated body temperature.
Symptoms of arachnoiditis
The manifestation of influenza arachnoiditis can occur after quite a long time: from three months to one year. The slow course of the disease is accompanied by an increase in symptoms, such as increased headaches, increased fatigue, spots before the eyes, nausea, tinnitus and dizziness. Headaches often occur in the morning and become stronger when moving the eyeballs. Migraine-like pain in this disease is felt in the area of the bridge of the nose and the frontal lobes of the brain. As the disease progresses, it is aggravated by epileptic seizures, motor impairments, decreased vision and impaired hearing function. Arachnoiditis is very difficult to diagnose, and in complex cases it is similar to the process of tumor formation. It is quite difficult to identify and cure this disease.
Knowing about possible complications It is very important to catch the flu on time - to identify all the symptoms at an early stage and in no case self-medicate. Therefore, when the first signs of the disease appear, you should consult a doctor, because only a specialist can assess the true condition of the patient and determine the reality of the threat of complications.
Unexpectedly occurring symptoms uncharacteristic of a viral infection should also cause alarm, and you should immediately contact an ambulance doctor. This way, you will not miss out on very valuable time.
Today, you can see a wide variety of antiviral drugs in the pharmacy. But it is very important to understand that their benefits will be maximum only for initial stage diseases or as a preventive measure. Therefore, only a strong immune system will help overcome such a complex disease as the flu. This means you need to make your choice in favor of immunostimulating drugs and constantly take care of strengthening your own health.
Romanchukevich Tatyana
website for women's magazine
When using or reprinting material, an active link to the women's online magazine is required