All About Flu

The symptoms of flu are rather variable and have something in common with the cold. One of the most often symptoms of the flu are changes in temperature. As usual the illness starts with the high temperature and shiver. According to the seriousness of the illness the temperature may differentiate, more often the temperature is high (39-40 centigrade degrees) but if the form of flu is light it may be 37 to 38 centigrade degrees.

The virus of flu type A can infect not only people but also some kinds of animals and even birds. Virus of flu which can infect birds is called “the bird flu”. All the kinds of birds can suffer from the bird flu. But some birds are less susceptible to it. As usual as for the wild birds it can last without any symptoms and it doesn’t cause epidemics. As for the domestic birds the bird flu is extremely dangerous for them and the ill birds can even die.

Some people believe in a so called “stomach flu”. Actually the stomach flu has much in common with usual kind of flu. As for the doctors they say that stomach flu doesn’t exist, it is not some different kind of flu but common flu with the expressed symptoms of digestive disorder.

The flu treatment should be done very properly. Illness as usual looks like a common cold but it is dangerous for its complications. They are especially bad for children and old men who have weak immunity.

As to the origin of the word flu or influenza there’re several versions. According to one version it appeared after the epidemic of flu in Italy in the 15 century. Italians thought that it happened because of influence of the stars (influence – influenza).