FLU
Flu - the short name for influenza - is a highly contagious infection that causes fever, chills, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, as well as headache, muscle aches, and often extreme fatigue. Flu usually is a mild disease in healthy children, young adults, and middle-aged people. However, it can be life threatening in older adults.
Flu viruses change all the time. For this reason, you need to get a flu shot every year. To give your body time to build the proper defense, it's important to get a flu shot between September and mid-November, before the flu season usually starts.
Although side effects from the flu shot are slight for most people, some soreness, redness, or swelling may occur on the arm where the shot was given. About 5 to 10 percent of people have mild side effects such as headache or low-grade fever, which last for about a day after vaccination.
The flu shot is the primary method of preventing and controlling the flu. However, four drugs have been approved to treat people who get the flu: amantadine (Symmetrel), rimantadine (Flumadine), zanamivir (Relenza), and oseltamivir (Tamiflu). When taken within 48 hours after the onset of illness, these drugs reduce the duration of fever and other symptoms. These drugs are available only by prescription.
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Sources:
National Institutes of Health
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