Stomach Flu and the Flu Virus

Is the ‘stomach flu’ actually caused by influenza? This is a common misconception that many fall victim to. Stomach flus, which are normally associated with symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea, are often caused by illnesses other than the flu, with different viruses or bacteria, or even parasites, causing them.

While those who suffer from influenza may have symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, most often, these symptoms are more telling of a different illness.

Flu season occurs when the temperatures are lowest. You may be familiar with the idea that temperatures fluctuate between areas in different times of the year, and there are actually two winter periods present in the world. For that reason, the normal flu season within the United States tends to occur between the months of December and March.

While scientists aren’t completely sure why the flu season strikes when temperatures are coldest, they tend to believe that the close quarters that people face in the winter time tends to lead to the illness. Also, colder temperatures prove to be a more suitable environment for the influenza virus, so they may persist longer when present on common places such as doorknobs.

The main way that the flu can spread from victim to victim is via coughs and sneezes. When someone afflicted with influenza coughs or sneezes, small respiratory droplets of the virus are released into the air.

Sneezes and coughs can cause the virus to spread as far as three feet, and when the droplets land on someone’s mouth or nose, they may catch the flu. When someone covers their face and sneezes before placing their hand on a doorknob, conditions are ripe for another to become afflicted.

Our bodies can build up immunity to influenza to a certain degree. That is why many take vaccines in order to keep the flu at bay. However, the strains of influenza that spread throughout the world tend to mutate from year to year, and strains that aren’t closely related can still be a significant risk to one who has recently come down with the flu.

However, if the strain that you encounter tends to be very similar to the strain that you’ve been previously affected by, your body may have knowledge sufficient enough to block the virus from invading your body. Learn more about flu immunization and avian flu symptoms at Medopedia.com.