Even though their symptoms are sometimes alike, the flu is much more serious than a common cold. But what makes it such a dangerous illness?
There are multiple reasons why the flu can lead to severe health problems or even death, but to understand its risks, you first have to know what the flu is and is not.
What some people call the stomach flu is actually another virus or bacteria that causes gastrointestinal illness. Influenza is a respiratory illness that should be taken seriously because its dangers can multiply quickly.
What makes the flu more dangerous than a cold?
Your body recognizes a cold, and your immune system kicks in to fight the germ. In time, you'll recover.
But flu viruses are much wilier: They mutate and shift, and strains can evolve so completely that the human body no longer recognizes them. At that point, the body can’t effectively fight off the virus.
There are several types of flu, but the most dangerous one for humans is usually type A. These viruses cause pandemics, including the 1918 pandemic that killed millions of people around the world.
While the 1918 pandemic was the first known example of an H1N1 virus, the 2009 pandemic, commonly known as swine flu, was also caused by an H1N1 virus.
What does the flu do to your body?
So what happens if you come down with the flu? It’s a little different for everyone.
In a typical case, the complications of the flu—not the flu itself—can be the most dangerous. Young children, older people and people with preexisting respiratory issues (like asthma) are at especially high risk for problems like bacterial pneumonia.
A compromised immune system can also mean trouble. People who are undergoing chemotherapy or have diabetes, for example, should take special care to avoid becoming ill.
But before any of that begins, the flu itself must take hold. Once you’ve contracted a virus, you won’t show symptoms for the first 24 to 48 hours. Meanwhile, the virus is replicating in your cells, and you’re still contagious, so the illness may spread to friends, family and coworkers.
When symptoms do appear, they tend to hit you very suddenly. Those symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Body aches
- Fatigue
Though these signs may not seem too worrisome, you shouldn’t ride out the flu alone, as its severity can quickly escalate.
Doctors recommend that flu sufferers come into the office to be checked out and seek help at their closest emergency department if they experience shortness of breath.
Although people with flu can die from secondary infections, they can also die from the flu itself. If the illness grows severe enough, your body’s inflammatory response can kill you.
How to protect yourself from flu
Follow these strategies for staying healthy:
Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands frequently (or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer in a pinch). Wipe down the surfaces of common areas, and pay special attention to high-touch locations like computer keyboards and phone screens.
Get a flu shot. Flu season lasts through fall and winter (and sometimes into the spring). A flu shot is one of the best ways to protect yourself; you need a new one every year.
Concerned about flu shots? Don’t be – you can’t catch the flu from your shot, and while the vaccine doesn’t offer full immunity from every flu strain, it greatly reduces your chances of serious illness.
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