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What kind of Hong Kong flu is it and how many people get sick? Hong Kong flu - signs and symptoms in children and adults. Treatment of Hong Kong flu and possible complications

Russia is expecting a deadly Hong Kong flu this year. The influenza virus should not be underestimated, doctors are sure. After all, it is dangerous not only for its course, but even more for its complications. Flu is a systemic disease, i.e. affects all human organs. This means that both the nervous system and the kidneys can suffer as a result of its effects. And it’s better to prepare in advance for a seasonal epidemic to avoid unpleasant consequences. Aif.ru told about what the Hong Kong flu is, why it is dangerous and what means of prevention against it exist. medical specialist public health and healthcare Pavel Stotsko.

History of the virus

Hong Kong flu so called after the location of one of the massive outbreaks. It was observed in 1968-1969. Starting in Hong Kong, the pandemic began to spread to other countries. Despite Chinese name, most of the victims ended up in the USA - there in the 70s. The virus killed 33,800 people. Moreover, as doctors noted, the virus was mostly diagnosed in older people.

In general, we have 3 serotypes of the virus - A, B and C. The last one is the safest. It never causes epidemics, is practically asymptomatic, and a person often does not even notice that he has been ill. Influenza B is common only among humans, but serotype A occurs in both humans and animals. And this is where its special danger lies, because... here it is necessary to monitor the emergence and migration of the virus not only in people, but also in animals. And not only birds and pigs, but also whales, seals, etc. can get this flu.

The Hong Kong flu serotype is designated A H3N2. This is exactly what, according to representatives of the epidemiological surveillance authorities and Rospotrebnadzor, they are waiting for in Russia this year. It should be taken into account that in the late 60s - early 70s. he was defeated by vaccination. Today there is a vaccine, which means that the risk of developing such a serious pathology can be reduced. I still don’t really understand why, if there is a preventative option for such a virus, people still get sick from it and even die.

One thing to be afraid of is a situation where a person is simultaneously infected with two serotypes of the influenza virus. In this case, they undergo recombination, the DNA of the virus changes, i.e. it mutates and a new type is formed. It will be difficult to predict how he will behave and what will have an overwhelming effect on him.

Risk group

Particular attention to the prevention of disease with any seasonal flu, including Hong Kong flu, should be paid to risk groups. It includes:

  • Children under 5 years old
  • Elderly people over 65 years of age
  • Those who have various chronic diseases
  • Pregnant women

In addition, even completely healthy adults should also be concerned about proper prevention. After all, no one can predict how the infection will progress in a particular person. Science still cannot answer why some people get sick more seriously than others. From a clinical point of view, the Hong Kong flu is no different from other variants - it is just as deadly and can lead to disability and death if not properly treated.

How to recognize

In essence, the symptoms of Hong Kong flu are no different from other variants. The first signs can be felt almost instantly, within a few hours after infection, but it also happens that it appears after 1-2 days. Symptoms include:

  • High body temperature, reaching up to 40 degrees, which is practically not reduced by antipyretic drugs
  • Chills
  • Aches in the lower back, back, arms, legs, eyes
  • Nasal and throat congestion
  • Dry cough
  • Severe intoxication - weakness, headache, malaise, nausea

Such symptoms can be supplemented by digestive disorders - stool problems, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. On average, the duration of influenza illness ranges from 7 days, less often it lasts up to 14 days. In any case, the situation requires careful medical supervision. But if symptoms persist long time, and a person’s condition only gets worse, you should immediately consult a doctor, because this may well indicate the presence of severe complications. They can be very different - from heart problems to joint pathologies.

Vaccinations and hygiene

First of all, preventive measures To prevent an epidemic, surveillance authorities take action. Veterinary control should also work, which controls the migration and development of the virus in animals.

As for the prevention options available to every person, first of all, I can highlight vaccination. Moreover, specialists from the responsible services have already found out what kind of flu is approaching Russia, which means they have included special components in the vaccine. Vaccination is an excellent way to cope with severe pathology, preventing and preventing the development of an epidemic.

In addition, normal hygiene is required, which many often neglect. The influenza virus is transmitted by airborne droplets- and according to statistics, 70% of such infections ultimately enter the body through dirty hands. This means that after visiting the street or traveling in public transport, you should definitely wash your hands thoroughly. In addition, it is worth rinsing the nasal passages and mouth with antiseptics and salt water. This will ensure reliable protection body. In crowded places, you can additionally use gauze masks, carefully following the rules for their use, i.e. changing every half hour.

As for traditional drinks - tea with lemon, honey, compotes, there is no clear opinion. When infected with the influenza virus, any sour drink allows you to cope with general symptoms- aches, cough, nasal congestion. But it has no effect on the virus itself. As for sweets in any form, including in the form of drinks, I would not recommend it, since excess sweetness causes an increase in blood sugar levels. And this is a breeding ground for secondary infections.

When autumn and winter come, everyone is very afraid of getting sick, the flu. Panic and fears arise for a reason, because every year there are more and more deaths from the flu. One of the dangerous ones is H3N2, Hong Kong A virus. People first started talking about this flu in 1960, it was then that people began to get sick with it, but it was not considered a severe form of the disease. Then the Asian flu mutated and began to take people’s lives; pensioners suffered the most.

It is known that about 40 thousand people died from it in America. Now this virus is already present in Russia and Ukraine, where cases have been recorded fatal outcome. How can you protect yourself from this flu?

Symptoms

The first signs of the disease are the same as other types of influenza. The patient becomes suddenly ill and the following symptoms appear:

  • Severe weakness.
  • Unbearable headache.
  • General malaise.
  • Nausea with vomiting due to intoxication of the body.
  • A sharp rise in temperature to 40 degrees, which is not reduced by medications.
  • Chills.
  • Arms, legs and other parts of the body may hurt.
  • Worried about a hysterical dry cough.
  • It cuts and burns in the eyes.
  • Sore throat, stuffy nose.

Some patients develop other symptoms due to the flu: stomach problems, severe pain diarrhea and vomiting in the stomach.

After contracting the flu, the main symptoms bother you for about 4 days, then it becomes easier:

  • Body temperature normalizes.
  • The patient feels better.
  • The runny nose and sore throat disappear.
  • The cough goes away.

Attention! Quite often, the flu progresses rapidly and can become dangerous. It is necessary to respond urgently when the temperature does not drop and the condition only worsens. This indicates that the body cannot overcome the infection.

Flu danger Hong Kong

It is important to understand that any disease is dangerous, and the flu often leads to the following complications:

  • Development .
  • The occurrence of severe pneumonia.
  • Often everything can end in encephalitis, meningitis, or a state of shock.

In addition, tracheitis, bronchitis, and inflammation of the sinuses and ears may appear. In some patients, after suffering from H3N2, liver dysfunction was observed, the functioning of the pancreas, endocrine, and renal systems was disrupted.

Particularly dangerous for people with various chronic diseases affecting internal organs. The virus leads to severe complications. Children and adults who have:

  • Diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
  • Congenital heart defect.
  • Disrupted work nervous system.
  • Lung disease.
  • Bronchial asthma.

Treatment methods

When the first symptoms appear, you should not immediately panic. First of all, you need to stay at home, not go out, and take time off from work. Is your child sick? Do not send him to school or kindergarten, so as not to worsen his condition.

IN severe cases the patient may be hospitalized, it is prescribed for him complex treatment, including:

  • Bed rest.
  • Diet, eat less heavy food and drink as much as possible.
  • Antiviral therapy.
  • Symptomatic treatment.

When the flu is quite severe, doctors specifically prescribe drugs that suppress virus A: Oseltamivir, Rimantadine. Additionally, medications with interferon are used, for example, Viferon. In addition, they can take stimulant medications so that the body begins to produce interferon faster:

  • Cycloferon.
  • Mefenamic acid.

Of no small importance is symptomatic treatment. At high temperatures, you need to take antipyretic drugs - Ibuprofen, Paracetamol. Keep in mind that with the flu, the temperature does not drop immediately, despite this, you should not increase the dosage of the medicine.

Important! During the Hong Kong flu, it is strictly forbidden to reduce the temperature with acetylsalicylic acid.

To relieve swelling from respiratory tract, the patient should take antihistamines. A red throat should be constantly gargled, and the nose should be rinsed with saline solution.

Prevention and vaccinations

The best way to protect against this is dangerous disease is a vaccine. Now in medical institutions There are quite a lot of adult vaccinations - Sovigripp, Grippol and children's - Ultrix.

This is done in advance because immunity must be formed. Doctors advise everyone to get vaccinated before the end of November, because flu outbreaks often occur at the end of December, beginning of January. Small children are given the vaccine twice: the drug is divided in half, then injected with a break of one month.

Anyone who decides to get vaccinated must first be examined by a therapist; some are prohibited from vaccination. First of all, you should get a flu shot:

  • Children after 6 months.
  • Schoolchildren, students.
  • Medical staff.
  • Teachers, kindergarten teachers, teachers.
  • Patients over 60 years of age.

Didn't get vaccinated? Follow these rules:

  • During an epidemic, avoid contact with sick people.
  • Wash your hands constantly.
  • Ventilate the room.
  • Disinfect your gadgets, wipe them with special wipes.
  • Make sure that the indoor air does not dry out.

Thus, the Hong Kong flu poses a danger to humans because it disrupts the functioning of the heart, nervous, endocrine, respiratory system. The disease makes everything worse chronic illnesses, can complicate pregnancy because expectant mother weak immunity who is unable to fight the disease. In addition, the virus affects the fetus and can lead to various developmental defects. Therefore, take care of prevention. The main thing is to strengthen in every way immune system, it depends on it how your body perceives the virus. Complications arise if the body is weakened and cannot resist the invading virus. Be extremely careful when the temperature is above 39 degrees and the condition worsens, immediately call an ambulance and do not refuse hospitalization. Very often, a person who self-medicates burns out from the flu in just a few days. Be careful about your health!

It is a dangerous infectious disease. The course of the disease is not as scary as its consequences. very dangerous. It affects small children under two years of age, as well as older people. It is this age category that is at risk, since the flu entails severe consequences. But other citizens do not need to lose their vigilance and be on the alert all the time. People have not developed immunity to this disease, so everyone else needs to be on alert.

The viral infection originated in Asia; a pandemic caused by the H3N2 strain first began in 1968. The main reason for the spread is migratory birds. A person began to become infected with this infection due to a mutation in the strain. An insidious infectious disease quickly spread beyond the Asian continent. The pandemic began to develop in Hong Kong and killed a large number of human lives. The word “pandemic” comes from a Greek word that means “all the people.” An epidemic of this type is characterized by the fact that the spread of the viral infectious disease covers several countries at once.

Over time, the human body acquired resistance to this type virus. Heavy shape diseases caused specifically became significantly smaller in subsequent years. Until 2014, outbreaks of Hong Kong flu occurred regularly, approximately once every five years. Mortality was always present, but fluctuated at insignificant values. During illness, a person’s immune system weakens significantly, and this is fertile ground for the development of dangerous complications. It is from them that death can occur.

Symptoms of Hong Kong flu

The first are similar to the symptoms of a common viral disease. The patient develops weakness, malaise, heat(up to 39 degrees), headaches, chills, pain and burning in the eyes, nasal congestion, dry cough. In some cases, there may be nausea, vomiting, and intoxication. In addition to these signs, those infected may exhibit other symptoms and disorders.

If it gets into your body, the signs of a complex condition, in most cases, do not go away within three to four days. Then the return to the previous state of health begins. The human body temperature returns to normal. There is an improvement general well-being sick. A runny nose, dry cough, pain and redness of the throat also disappear. The patient no longer feels body aches and there is no weakness that he previously experienced.

Complications of Hong Kong flu

Any represents serious danger for a person. During the period of illness, the performance of the immune system is significantly reduced, so the disease entails serious consequences. A person who has contracted the Hong Kong flu virus has a lot of questions about how dangerous this type of flu is and what its consequences are. often became a provoking factor for the manifestation of dangerous complications:

  • patients had cases of myocarditis;
  • severe pneumonia developed;
  • complications were the cause of the development of encephalitis;
  • meningitis appeared;
  • were observed states of shock at the patient.

The patient should be isolated in separate room, allocate dishes for individual use. But at the same time, do not forget to ventilate the room and do wet cleaning so that germs do not multiply in the room. These are not all the complications that a dangerous viral disease could entail. The patient may also experience tracheitis, bronchitis, and inflammation of the paranasal sinuses and ears. Influenza h3n2 can also have long-term complications in the form of liver dysfunction, disruption of the pancreas, and the kidneys and endocrine glands are often affected.

Patients with chronic diseases need to be extremely careful. If you become infected with the H3N2 form of influenza, you should immediately begin treatment, since this virus provokes complex exacerbations of chronic diseases and complicates the situation. It poses a serious threat to children who have certain diseases:

  • Congenital heart defect,
  • cardiovascular pathologies;
  • disorders of the nervous system;
  • diabetes;
  • pulmonary diseases;
  • bronchial asthma.

To prevent complications after the insidious Hong Kong flu, comprehensive treatment and treatment should be carefully carried out. To strengthen the immune system, it is recommended to take. This effective remedy for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections, sepsis, sore throat, measles, hepatitis, bacterial and fungal infections, meningitis and many others various diseases. Vitaferon stimulates the immune system thanks to interferon, and ascorbic acid, which is part of the drug, enhances the effect of interferon.

Treatment of Hong Kong flu

Patients diagnosed with Hong Kong flu are treated on an outpatient basis. If the patient has dangerous complications or a difficult course of the disease, he may be hospitalized in a hospital. At the same time, special medical workers shown to small children who are sick, as well as old people and patients with chronic diseases. These are also pregnant women who need gentle treatment and will not pose a threat to pregnancy and the fetus. All of these categories can be placed in a hospital.

Go through it comprehensively. The attending physician prescribes correct treatment and puts accurate diagnosis. The patient must comply with all doctor's instructions. In addition to the main comprehensive therapeutic therapy, the infected person must comply following rules in order to get better quickly. The main elements include:

  1. Strict patient compliance bed rest;
  2. Don't forget about good nutrition. Nutrition should be light, including carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, and fats.
  3. Drink plenty of fluids. The patient should drink plenty of fluids. This could be a decoction of chamomile, rose hips, fruit drinks, tea with ginger and lemon.
  4. Mandatory antiviral therapy;
  5. A course of symptomatic treatment should be carried out.

For drug treatment use antiviral drugs, antipyretics, cough and sore throat medications, antihistamines, sorbents, vitamins and interferon to strengthen the immune system. Treatment folk remedies will not give good results. You will only waste precious time, and the condition will worsen. Today, the treatment of influenza should be treated very carefully, because dangerous illness can lead to irreversible consequences in a matter of hours.

How to protect yourself from Hong Kong flu?

The most effective way to protect against the terrible Hong Kong flu is vaccination. Most produced vaccinations contain a weakened strain of this virus. After its introduction into the human body, protective antibodies are formed. Even if a vaccinated patient gets sick, the infection will not be severe.

But a person is not always able to get vaccinated against the disease in a timely manner. After all, this can be absolutely different reasons– didn’t have time, didn’t want to, or ran out of vaccine. In such cases, you need to be especially vigilant and follow the steps to reduce the risk of infection to a minimum and avoid infection altogether. To do this, you must adhere to the most simple rules. First, minimize contact with other people. Since the H3N2 type is transmitted by airborne droplets. Secondly, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water as often as possible. And if you are in public place, wipe with a cloth using alcohol. Next, be sure to ventilate the premises, both at work and at home. A similar procedure do several times a day. Also, don’t forget about wet cleaning. Do not neglect this and wet cleaning can be done in the morning and evening. Don’t forget about disinfectants for periodic maintenance of your gadgets. Microbes remain on devices and devices and begin to multiply. To prevent this, you should constantly disinfect personal items.

How to support immunity?

Prescribed as therapeutic therapy special drugs which help restore. One of these drugs is. The product contains active substance interferon alpha-2b, which stimulates the immune system. And due to ascorbic acid the effect of interferon is enhanced. Interferons are specific proteins that normalize the dynamics inflammatory processes V human body. Interferon blocks the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, thereby enhancing the effect of protective bacteria. Interferons very quickly suppress infectious agents.

The drug Vitaferon is intended for the treatment of fungal, bacterial, infectious and viral diseases. The medicine helps cells produce their own interferon. Thanks to his chemical composition, it can be taken by adults, children and pregnant women. can be combined with other medications. The medication is available in suppositories and is administered rectally. Correct dosage prescribed and determined by the doctor, taking into account the diseases and personal characteristics of the patient.

The child has a high fever, runny nose, and sore throat. Is it a cold or flu? We will try to describe the most common symptoms of the Hong Kong flu, as well as tell parents about the most necessary measures on treating a child: how to bring down the temperature, when to give cough suppressants, how to quickly cure the flu and what to do to avoid complications from it.

Source: depositphotos.com

In 2016-2017, according to virologists, the Hong Kong flu - A (H3N2) - prevails in Russia. This strain differs from last year's - pork A(H1N1) - in its more rapid spread. It is new for children. The peak incidence will be in January-February 2017.

Features: “new old flu” is more dangerous for children

Hong Kong flu is one of the most dangerous viruses influenza type A. These viruses have special proteins that are not found in type B viruses.

Initially, this strain of the virus was only dangerous for birds. In 1968, it mutated and began to infect people. Its outbreak was first identified in Hong Kong in the same year. That's why it was called the Hong Kong flu. The virus has killed half a million people around the globe.

In 2014, the strain mutated again. He covered Southern Hemisphere, never reaching Russia. Therefore, in general, Russians do not have immunity to this strain of the influenza virus.

In 2016-2017 virologists have identified it as predominant throughout the globe. 75% of people with influenza are diagnosed with this particular strain.

The older generation has already encountered the Hong Kong flu, which does not make it any less dangerous, given the mutations. For children, the strain is new, so they are the first to be attacked by the Hong Kong flu.

Any flu enters the body through the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx. There the virus settles, penetrates the cells, begins to multiply, then the affected cells “burst”, the multiplied virus attaches to other healthy cells, penetrating inside... The infection spreads deeper and deeper: into the lungs, bronchi.

Why do children get sick more often and suffer more severely from the flu than adults?

Unlike adults, children have morphofunctional immaturity of the respiratory tract, immaturity of its regulatory activity, imperfect microbiocenosis of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. This explains the danger of any type of virus, which can easily cause complications in the form of pneumonia - an extremely dangerous disease. Secondly, in terms of qualitative and quantitative characteristics, a child’s immunity is very different from the immunity of an adult. For example, children do not produce enough of the agent local immunity immunoglobulin A – sIgA. Thirdly, children have better developed humoral immunity, but the cellular one is not (the same one that provides protection against viruses, including the Hong Kong flu). Only by the age of 7 these two types immune defense are leveled out.

Due to such features children's immunity children are more susceptible to infection with acute respiratory viral infections, including influenza viruses. What does even light forms have to do with it? viral infection may cause bacterial complications. Children get sick from 4 to 12 times a year.

Almost all strains of the virus manifest themselves in the same way: headache, fever, fever, sweating, chills. But type A viruses are more pathogenic, that is, they can cause more serious manifestations: speed of development, duration of the disease, and the ability to cause complications.

Remember, without clinical trials It is difficult to determine the type of ARVI: influenza or something else. Therefore, doctors often simply diagnose acute respiratory infections without further specification. With the main differences between influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections. This will help establish a more accurate diagnosis.

Basic rules for treating Hong Kong flu in children

Treatment of Hong Kong flu in children is, in principle, little different from the treatment regimen for any other type of flu. Here are a few basic recommendations:

1. How to properly lower your fever during the flu.

The temperature should be brought down if it has exceeded the threshold of 38.5C and has lasted for more than 2 hours. For this, antipyretics are used, for example, paracetamol-based drugs (effective for 2-3 hours). To avoid overdose, antipyretics can be given no more than 2-3 times a day and no more than 1 time every 4 hours.

For older children, ibuprofen-based medications may be prescribed. They act for up to 6 hours, but are dangerous due to their side effects: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, abnormal bowel movements, bleeding.

It is strictly forbidden to give children analgin, which can cause damage. hematopoietic system. It is not recommended to use aspirin for treatment. Prohibited for children: amidopyrine, antipyrine and phenacetin, which affect circulatory system, cause allergic reactions and seizures.

It is important to remember that by lowering the temperature we do not affect the very cause of the disease. But it is at temperatures above 38C that agents that fight the virus itself begin to be produced. Therefore, it is not recommended to lower the temperature immediately.

The best way out is to help the body fight the virus. For this purpose it is used. CYTOVIR-3 suppresses the activity of viruses even with normal temperature bodies. And this is very important especially when You still brought down the child’s temperature.

The huge advantage of the powder form of CYTOVIR-3 is that it is easily compatible with other medicines, including antipyretics. If some medications cause allergic reactions, then CYTOVIR-3 powder is distinguished by its hypoallergenicity. It can be taken by children suffering allergic reactions.

2. What antitussive, expectorant, and sputum-thinning medications can be given to a child?

It is important to remember that if the cough is wet, then there is no need to give antitussives. Cough is defensive reaction the body, a way to get rid of microbes and the products of their activity.

To reduce a dry, debilitating cough, glaucine, libexin, butamirate, etc. are used. When the cough becomes wet, then you need to stop giving antitussives. This is done because it is very important to get rid of phlegm, because with phlegm the body gets rid of the products of the fight against the Hong Kong flu.

Expectorants can be given if the cough is chronic. The danger of expectorants is that they stimulate the vomiting and cough centers in the medulla oblongata. The child may simply choke on vomit.

Sputum thinners, for example, bromhexine, ambroxol, acetylcysteine, are used in the presence of thick, viscous, difficult to separate sputum. They can only be prescribed by a doctor.

Research shows that the use of CYTOVIR-3 helps mitigate symptomatic manifestations flu, including cough.

3. How to overcome a runny nose?

Popular vasoconstrictor drugs, for example, Nazivin, Naphthyzin, Otrivin, Galazolin, have a short-term effect. They can be given to help the child fall asleep, but no more. These medications do not destroy the cause of the disease. And if you abuse them, you can only harm the child: the runny nose will get worse and be complicated by bleeding. Therefore, these funds should not be abused.

Remember children's body another: it quickly absorbs all medications. And vasoconstrictors affect cardiac activity, cause headache and increase blood pressure.

The best means for restoring the nasal mucosa are rinses, which are prescribed by a doctor. In most cases in vasoconstrictor drugs no need if you use the powder form at the first signs of the disease CITOVIR-3. As studies have shown, CYTOVIR-3 in powder form allows the body to quickly and independently cope with the virus and its consequences.

4. When are antibiotics needed?

Antibiotics are controversial drugs, they cause serious consequences and side effects. Many of them are simply prohibited for children. All antibiotics affect the immune system; they destroy bacteria: both “bad” and “good”. Therefore, only a doctor can prescribe antibiotics. Antibiotics are usually prescribed for bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, asthma, and otitis media. More often this happens when, when the immune system is weakened by the virus, bacteria (in addition to viruses) are also activated. The disease itself becomes aggravated and prolongs.

To prevent bacteria from becoming active during the flu, you need to prevent your immune system from relaxing. This is especially important at the stage of exhaustion. Only this will help. It not only reduces the likelihood of joining bacterial infection, but also suppresses their activity. This is due to the fact that the components of the powder form of the drug CYTOVIR-3 (bendazole, Thymogen and Vitamin C) affect not only the cellular mechanism of immunity, but also the humoral one, which protects against bacteria. Long-term practice of using Cytovir-3 shows a significant (5-6 times) reduction in the incidence of bacterial complications of influenza. That is, Tsitovir-3 eliminates the need for antibiotics.

Prevention of influenza and ARVI in children with CYTOVIR-3

Due to the fact that the powder form of CITOVIR-3 does not contain sugar, artificial additives, dyes, thickeners, or components that increase the shelf life of the drug, it is the safest of its kind. medicines. This is very important for children over 1 year old, as well as for children with allergic reactions. , which allows parents to give Cytovir-3 powder to their child not only for the treatment of influenza and ARVI, but also as a preventive measure.

With the onset of winter in Russian Federation and other neighboring countries, the epidemiological threshold for influenza incidence is exceeded. In 2017, the arrival of a completely new strain of the group A virus (H3N2) is predicted, which medical workers expect with great caution. It can cause the emergence of not just an epidemic, but a serious pandemic that will cover the entire territory of the state without exception and some neighboring countries!

Below you will find the following information about the Hong Kong flu: symptoms, treatment, methods of preventing the disease.

The H3N2 virus was formed well before 2017. It was first discovered back in the 20th century! During 1968-1969, the pathogen caused a pandemic in Hong Kong, increasing mortality. At that time, most of the victims were among the elderly.

The emergence of a new disease was provoked by a mutation of the Asian flu, which claimed many lives. Then it seemed difficult to diagnose characteristic symptoms and treatment started too late.

Diagnostics

The main symptoms of Hong Kong flu are exactly the same as those of other types of this disease. The main difference is only in the strain of the causative virus.

The first signs of Hong Kong flu are felt a couple of days after infection.

The disease can begin suddenly, which is its distinctive feature.

The main symptoms of Hong Kong flu are:

  • malaise;
  • feeling of weakness;
  • chills;
  • dry hacking cough;
  • burning sensation in the eyes;
  • runny nose;
  • headache;
  • pain in the area different parts body (legs, arms, back);
  • sore throat;
  • the appearance of fever, which is difficult to eliminate with antipyretics.

The disease is characterized by the development of noticeable intoxication, which manifests itself in the form of nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.

With Hong Kong flu, symptoms are often accompanied by diarrhea, stomach pain and other digestive disorders.

Duration of the disease

How long it takes to fully recover depends on many factors. First of all, these include the state of the patient’s immunity and the presence of timely adequate treatment.

How quickly does the difficult stage end? This usually occurs 3-4 days after the first signs of the disease appear. At this time, the temperature begins to return to normal limits, and overall health improves.

Complications

If on the fifth day the patient does not begin to recover, this indicates the appearance of serious complications. The 2017 Hong Kong flu can trigger the development of:

  • bronchitis;
  • sinus inflammation;
  • otitis;
  • pneumonia;
  • inflammation of the tracheal mucosa;
  • state of shock;
  • myocarditis;
  • brain inflammation;
  • meningitis.

Hong Kong flu may increase severity chronic diseases. Their exacerbations and decompensation are often observed.

Sometimes the consequences affect other organ systems, causing dysfunction of the kidneys, pancreas, liver, and endocrine glands.

The influenza virus is most dangerous for children with diseases of the nervous system, congenital defect hearts, bronchial asthma, diabetes mellitus, as well as children under two years of age. All of them are at risk. Adults with pulmonary or cardiovascular problems and the elderly should be careful.

Treatment

Can Hong Kong flu in adults be treated at home? The answer to this question is yes. Typically, treatment begins on an outpatient basis; only when the patient’s condition worsens does the need for hospitalization arise. At the same time, it is very important to follow all the doctor’s instructions and take the medications prescribed by him!

Self-diagnosis and self-medication are strictly prohibited! This is dangerous not only for health, but also for life!

Treatment of Hong Kong flu is carried out according to a regimen developed by specialists. All its components have the same great importance in the process of getting rid of the virus. There are four main points of therapy:

  1. Maintaining bed rest.
  2. Providing for the patient drinking plenty of fluids, light nutrition.
  3. Reception antiviral agents.
  4. Symptomatic therapy.

How to treat Hong Kong flu? When should you go to the clinic or call a specialist at home?

For Hong Kong flu, treatment should begin on the first day of symptoms of the disease. Compliance with bed rest will allow the body to direct all its forces to destroy the pathogen and save the energy necessary for this. Light food is easily digested by the stomach and quickly absorbed. A large number of Liquid will prevent dehydration of the body, will help eliminate toxins and eliminate fever. But unfortunately, it is impossible to cure the flu only by following these rules. Therefore, “heavy artillery” is used in the form of medications.

To reduce fever, it is best to buy several products based on different active ingredients. This will ensure that you do not exceed the maximum permissible daily dose remedies to get rid of fever. For the treatment of adults, drugs are usually used in the form of tablets (Paracetamol, Panadol, Ibuprofen, Panadol) or injections (Analgin), while for children it is preferable to give syrups (Nurofen, Calpol, Ibufen) or use rectal suppositories(Efferalgan, Tsefekon D).

Worth remembering important rule! Reduce fever with Aspirin ( Acetylsalicylic acid) with the flu is strictly prohibited!

To get rid of a sore throat, various lozenges, lozenges, rinses, and sprays are used. Your doctor will tell you how to treat your cough. Depending on the type of symptom, the specialist will prescribe one of the possible suppressive or expectorant drugs.

To reduce signs of intoxication, sorbents are used.

Antihistamines will help relieve swelling of the mucous membranes and make breathing easier.

As for special antiviral agents, many use them completely without reason. Often the body does not need help and can defeat the pathogen on its own. However, in severe cases of the disease, the use of antiviral drugs is simply necessary. A specialist can tell you which drugs are effective for type A influenza. The most popular are Ozeltavimir and Rimantadine. But interferons (Ingaron, Grippferon, Viferon, Nazoferon, Roferon, Genferon) or stimulators of their production in the body (Amiksin, Arbidol, Cycloferon, Amizon, Kagocel) can be prescribed.

Prevention

How to avoid getting infected with the Hong Kong flu yourself and protect your loved ones? This question worries many people.