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Influenza in the elderly
Last reviewed: 18.10.2021
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Influenza in elderly people causes the greatest number of complications, and it is rather difficult to treat it, since the immune system of people after 59 years is visibly weakened. What is the difference between influenza in elderly people from influenza in people of other age categories?
Features of influenza in the elderly
In elderly people, the cough reflex is already much weaker. Therefore, their respiratory organs are damaged more than in young people. In addition, due to the low resistance of the body to infections, it is much more difficult for older people to fight the flu and its consequences than young people and even young children.
People older than 60 years are more likely to develop pneumonia, bronchitis and tonsillitis than younger people. And those who are already 85 years old, the risk of influenza with complications significantly increases - they take first place in danger of complications after this disease, and in second place - people older than 75 years. The third place in the risk of complications after the flu is in children under four years old.
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How does the flu manifest in people of advanced age?
The flu is manifested in much the same way as in other people, but older people are more difficult to tolerate the flu - the body no longer serves them as faithfully as before, the work of many organs, including immune ones, is partially broken.
Symptoms of influenza in the elderly
- Heat
- General weakening of the whole organism
- Chills
- Headache and muscle pain
- Increased fatigue
- Bad sleep, often - insomnia, a man wakes up broken, with a headache
- Strong fatigue, which lasts up to three weeks
- Pressure in the chest, cough, runny nose
- Dryness in the throat and nose
- Difficulty breathing
- Vomiting and diarrhea may accompany these symptoms.
Complications after the flu in the elderly
These complications may not appear immediately, but it is no less difficult to bear from them. Sometimes in particularly difficult cases, several complications occur at once, for example, bronchitis and angina. Symptoms of long-standing chronic illnesses that previously bothered a person may also worsen and are now resumed after or after the onset of the flu.
- Dehydration of the whole body
- Angina of different types
- Pneumonia
- Bronchitis
- Tracheitis
- Laryngitis
- Rhinitis
- Deterioration of kidney, heart and blood vessels
If an elderly person exhibits signs of exacerbation or suffers from a flu, it is very difficult to consult a doctor immediately. This can save a person's life.
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How correctly to treat the flu in the elderly?
Treatment of influenza in elderly people is not limited to pharmacy products only. To eliminate dehydration and eliminate toxins, you need to drink a lot of warm liquid (but not carbonated). It can be compotes, decoctions, teas, mineral water without gas, fruit drinks.
In addition, you need to protect yourself from stress - for a weakened organism they are disastrous, besides, they undermine the work of the nervous and immune system.
In the elderly, almost all people take any medicine. Therefore, care should be taken to ensure that these drugs are normally combined with drugs for the prevention of influenza or for its treatment. Such advice will be given to you only by the attending physician.
The best drugs for the elderly, eliminating the symptoms of influenza at the initial stage - Relenza (zanamivir) or Tamiflu (oseltamivir). If you take these drugs (one of them) for two days after having detected the flu symptoms, the disease will significantly reduce its course and will be much more tolerated than without treatment.
Influenza in the elderly can be prevented if they take care of their health carefully. But if you are already sick, immediately consult a doctor, because in this case time decides everything.
How to prevent flu in the elderly?
If a young person, a week having had a pain, you can easily cope with the flu. That for the elderly person this disease can be fatal. Either it is difficult enough to cope with. Every day our family is very valuable to us, and we do not want them to suffer. Therefore it is very important to help the elderly to protect themselves from the flu.
The best way to protect against influenza - annual vaccination
As practice shows, vaccinations, which are correctly selected and made at the right time and properly, reduce the risk of the incidence of influenza by 80%. As studies show, vaccinations in the elderly can reduce the death rate due to influenza in almost 90% of cases, and the possibility of hospitalization - up to 70%. These are very large numbers. Behind them - a lot of human lives.
It is advisable to conduct pneumococcal vaccination, as well as to introduce a vaccine against seasonal influenza. They can be done at the same time, if a person at this time does not suffer from any diseases in acute form. The best time for vaccination is before the onset of the annual epidemics of influenza, October-November.
But if a person does not have time to do this, nothing is wrong. You can introduce him a flu vaccine and later. If it is not infected with a virus, the incubation period of which is from one to five days, the vaccine will do a good deed. Throughout the year, an elderly person does not get sick with the flu. The vaccine takes effect, as a rule, two weeks after its introduction.