Say namaste to beat the flu?

Come monsoon and you will hear the background noise of sneezing and coughing; all thanks to the germs that spread through contact.u00a0A good start is to avoid shaking hands. Active! tells you other ways to stay healthy during the monsoon

The next time you can't stop blowing your nose or continue feeling under the weather for more than three days, take it as a sign to stop using those over-the-counter medicines and visit your doctor.

Common cold vs flu
"Influenza or flu is caused by two types of virusesu00a0-- type A and B. Though common cold is also virulent and causes similar symptoms, it is different from the flu. Common cold is self-limiting and can be cured in three to four days. Unlike the common cold, the flu virus is a very smart virus as it changes its structure everytime and hence there is a new strain of virus around every year," says Dr Vijay Yewale, Consultant Pediatrician and Convener of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (2009-11).


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Dr Hemangi Patkar, Consultant Chest Physician, elaborates, "The evolving nature of the flu virus sometimes results in the formation of pandemic strains like the H1N1 or the swine flu."

Though bird flu or H5N1 was present only in birds and spread to humans who were handling them, H1N1 affected young children, obese people, adolescents, pregnant women and unlike normal cases a higher percentage of healthy adults. "Around 25% to 35% of people affected were perfectly healthy adults, which was a change noticed in the behaviour of the H1N1 strain. Normally the 'at-risk' group of people for flu are those with low immunity or pregnant women, or people suffering from severe respiratory disorders like asthma," added Dr Yewale.

Flu begins like common cold and hence the symptoms including watery eyes, fever, weakness, vomiting in some cases, running nose, sore throat and bodyache are the same. But if these symptoms continue for more than three days you should visit your doctor, Dr Yewale advises.

A vaccine in time....
Flu infects people in the colder areas of the northern hemisphere during winter and tropical areas like India during monsoon, except the cold northern regions. "This is due to the drop in temperature," said Dr Yewale.

Hence the vaccination for flu is also of two types, that of northern and southern hemisphere. "Other than these two types, the vaccination for flu changes every year as the virus is evolving. Hence, even if you have taken the vaccination the previous year, it might be useless for the next year," said Dr Yewale.

"Doctors advise that people with respiratory problems and low immunity take the vaccination every year as a precaution," stated Dr Patkar. Dr Yewale observes that it's a good idea to get vaccinated prior to the monsoon and anyone above the age of six months can opt for it.

Families with infants need also need to maintain proper hygiene for the sake of the baby. "Isolation is an important precaution for flu but in an overtly populated country like ours, we can't help it sometimes," concludes Dr Patkar.

5 tips to beat the flu

1. Take rest. Do not be in a rush to resume work or to send flu-infected kids back to school. Your negligence might affect others too.

2. Maintain hygiene. Wash your hands regularly and use hand sanitizers.

3. Spread the love, not the germs. Cover your nose and mouth while sneezing and if you don't have a handkerchief sneeze in your arm so that your hands don't carry the virus and spread it around.

4. Ensure a good diet. People with low immunity due to an imbalanced diet are the easiest prey to flu.

5. Avoid crowded places. Though difficult to avoid in our city, remember these are the places with the maximum germs.