influenzaInfluenza is an acute infectious viral disease characterized by fever, severe body-ache, coryza, sore throat, and severe prostration.
ETIOLOGY of Influenza
Distribution: Worldwide.
Season: Cold months.
Causative organism: Influenza virus.
Source: Human naso-pharyngeal secretions.
Transmission: By droplet infection.
Predisposing causes: Poor resistance, overwork, malnourishment, overcrowding and poor sanitation.
Incubation period: 1-3 days.
Profound prostration.
Coryza.
Sore throat.
Cough, with or without expectoration.
Lachrymation.
Anorexia.
Nausea.
Vomiting.
COMPLICATIONS
Tracheitis, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia.
Otitis media.
Post influenzal asthenia.
Post influential depression.
Rare: Post influential demyelinating encephalopathy.
Post influential peripheral neuropathy.
Toxic Cardiomyopathy leading to sudden death.
INVESTIGATIONS
Blood
TLC: Leucopenia.
PROGNOSIS
Good.
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
Complete bed rest during fever. In elderly patients convalescence may be prolonged. Plenty of flids should be given to the patient. Well balanced, nutritive and easily digestible diet should be given.
PROPHYLACTIC MEASURES
Immediate:
Isolation. Avoid crowded places during epidemics, like cinema hall, school, etc.
Hygienic disposal of infected secretions.
Long term:
• Immunisation
• Improve general health.
Aconite:
Precipitated by exposure to dry cold air, or chilling of body when warm and sweaty. Chilliness. Redness of the face. Pressing headache. Anxiety and restlessness. Skin dry, violent thirst, full bounding pulse. Sweating relieves (Allium cepa) Profuse catarrhal coryza. Sneezing, running nose and irritative cough. Face is swollen and looks inflamed.
Arsenicum album;
Copious flow, prostration and paroxysmal coryza. There iz burning copious watery and excoriating secretion. Thirst for a small quantity of water. Acrid coryza dropping from the tip of the nose. Headache; worse from heat, better from cold applications. Better in the warmth of the bed. Great restlessness, anxiety worse at night. Langour and excessive exhaustion.
Belladonna:
General dry heat with chills. Little or no thirst. Cold extremities and hot head. Throbbing headache. Eyes red and glistening. The skin is hot and burning, the heat seems to steam out from the body. Fever in worse at night and may follow by sweat, which bring no relief.
Bryonia alba –
Patient lies quietly as any movement makes him worse. Headache is intense, as if the head would burst at the temples. Sharp pains over the eyes faintness on rising up. Mouth is dry, and tongue coated white in the middle. Thirst for large quantities of water at long intervals. Dryness of mucous membranes, with constipation.
Camphora: Sufficient at the outset to cut short an attack or at least modify the severity.
Dulcamara: Precipitated by exposure to damp and cold weather. One of the best remedies for the acute cases. Eyes; suffused, throat is sore. Cough hurts and there muscular soreness.
Eupatorium perfoliatum:
The bone pains in the back, wrists and ankles. Eye balls with soreness and aching all over < on turning. Nausea and vomiting with great debility. Hoarseness and cough. Coryza with thirst. Drinking causes vomiting. Cough; shattering, hurts the head and chest, the patient holds the chest with the hands.
Gelsemium:
Dizzy drowsy and dull. Fever is mild. Cough is hard and painful. Paroxysms of sneezing. Exhaustion with muscle ache throughout the body. Chills up and down the spine. Wants to lie down and go to sleep. Pressing headache across forehead and back of head. Better by lying down and head held high.
MEDICAL TREATMENT
CLINICAL FEATURES
Symptoms
Duration: 7 days.
Onset: Sudden.
Fever: Moderate to high with chills.
Headache.
Body ache.
Bone pains.
Signs
Face: flushed.
Eyes: congested.
Throat: congested.
Temperature: 38 °C -41 °C.
Pulse: Relative bradycardia..
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