How does the flu affect the body?

Flu is a common and not so terrible disease. But we do not even imagine all the consequences that occur in the body after the flu. For example, how does the flu affect the functioning of the brain and nervous system? Why do the kidneys and liver work worse after the flu? What and how changes in the body after the flu?

This terrible beast is flu

Flu and colds are the most common diseases among all infectious diseases. But few people know that flu viruses differ from each other, and the most common of them, which "work" in cooperation with each other, are flu viruses A and B. It is because of them that there is a risk of epidemics every year.

The nature of these diseases is unpredictable precisely because viruses constantly change their structure - this is called antigenic changes. Therefore, the body's immune system does not immediately recognize the changed viruses; it needs time to learn to fight them.

Sources of influenza in nature

The most common source of viruses in nature are birds, so today the whole world is scared by the possibility of bird flu epidemics. When the flu virus is transmitted from birds to humans, it mutates again and takes on new forms, which is why it is so difficult for doctors to invent a vaccine against these types of flu.

Of course, the virus is also transmitted from person to person. Flu is transmitted so quickly from a sick person to a healthy one because its incubation period is very short - from one day to six days. In addition, the human body is very susceptible to the flu virus, and the immune system adapts to its different types very slowly. Therefore, new variants of the viral antigen constantly make doctors worry and look for new and new drugs for the flu.

What happens in the body when you have the flu?

The respiratory tract is the first to be affected by viruses, and then the gastrointestinal tract. The flu virus first settles in the epithelium - the cells of the mucous membrane. Thus, the cells of the bronchi and trachea are exposed to danger, due to which their structure is disrupted and the cellular layer gradually dies. The affected cells are rejected by the body, due to which the entire body is intoxicated.

This process occurs very quickly in the body. The body reacts to these destructive processes by disrupting the functioning of all vital systems, allergies, weakness and high temperature (not always). The nervous system, respiratory system, blood vessels and brain are the first to suffer. The state of capture of the body by hostile pathogenic viruses is called viremia. Its duration is from one to two weeks, after which the viruses affect the internal organs of a person. The blood, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes and brain are affected. A person feels tired, broken and incapable of anything. New studies, moreover, show the ability of viruses to influence even leukocytes and lymphocytes (human blood cells), infecting them.

How does flu affect the respiratory system?

Naturally, the respiratory organs are among the first to be affected by flu viruses. This is not surprising, since viruses enter the body through the mouth and nose. In this case, we observe a cough, runny nose, and shortness of breath in humans, which do not occur constantly, but in the first two or three days after the virus has affected the body's cells.

How do blood vessels suffer from flu?

The vascular system suffers greatly from flu viruses, being destroyed, affected by toxins and changing its properties. Not for the better, of course. Flu viruses have a toxic effect on blood vessels and increase their fragility, vulnerability and permeability to foreign microorganisms. This disrupts blood circulation in the vessels. As a result, a person experiences nosebleeds, hemorrhagic skin rashes, small pimples on the mucous membranes and venous hyperemia. Internal organs are oversaturated with blood, resulting in stagnation and hemorrhage. Flu viruses also reward a person with such problems as thrombosis of small and deep veins and small capillaries.

Small vessels are no longer so elastic, their tone is disrupted, therefore undesirable changes occur in the lungs. The lung tissue swells, blood flows into the alveoli. Destructive changes in the lungs lead to disruption of the central nervous system. A neurological syndrome develops.

How does flu affect brain function?

Since the permeability of the vessels is impaired, the virus infects the receptors in the plexus of the brain vessels with toxins. And then the spinal fluid is produced in increased quantities. This provokes neurocirculation disorders in a person. He may suffer from increased intracranial pressure, and as a result - cerebral edema.

The flu virus also affects the autonomic nervous system through a complex of nervous system disorders. Even the diencephalon is affected – such important areas as the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. As a result, the main processes of the nervous system are disrupted. Brain cells are intensively affected by flu viruses, which is why the entire body is under the influence of toxins, responding to such an attack with increased allergenicity.

How does flu affect the heart?

The flu virus also infects the heart muscle, which is manifested at a visible level by decreased blood pressure, weakness, decreased, as if muffled, heart rhythm with an upper systolic murmur and vomiting.

The human body temperature drops, and after that the heart starts to work more clearly and loudly, and the upper systole noise disappears. In 40% of people affected by the flu, doctors state bradycardia - a type of heart rhythm disorder in which their frequency is reduced. However, it should be noted that myocardial infarction in patients with the flu develops extremely rarely, only if the flu is accompanied by mycoplasma and adenovirus infections, as well as with an increased attack of bacteria with complications.

How does flu manifest itself externally?

After the incubation period, during which viruses penetrate the structure of living cells of the body (1-6 days), the person suddenly falls ill. Flu symptoms manifest as an immediate increase in temperature (with a good functioning immune system that tries to fight viruses and bacteria), chills, cough, headache. The temperature in moderate and severe forms of flu can rise to 40 degrees Celsius. In addition, a person affected by flu has all the signs of toxicosis - poisoning by the products of the vital activity of viruses - myalgia (all muscles hurt), aching joints, weakness, vomiting. In severe forms of flu, in 3% of cases, clouding of consciousness is also observed.

If the fever from the day of illness continues for more than five days, it means that the flu has caused complications due to an incorrect treatment regimen or a weak body. With a normal course of this disease, the temperature should drop on the fourth to sixth day.

The most common complication of flu is pneumonia (pneumonia), which can be quite difficult to treat. If the virus is particularly active and the body is weakened, pneumonia can join the flu as early as the third day after the classic symptoms appear - fever, cough and headache.

In order not to aggravate your situation, you need to see a doctor already on the first day of the disease. Do not wait for the flu to "go away on its own." Now you know how the flu affects the body, so your main job is to detect and neutralize the enemy in time with the help of doctors.