It’s flu season again. Actually, it’s ’sick’ season, as this time of year brings outbreaks of a plethora of diseases, especially the flu, bronchitis, and pneumonia. This week, I’ll take a brief look at these three.

The most talked about of the three is, of course, the flu. Every year we the urgings to get a flu shot, as I’ve reported before. The flu is always viral. It spreads through inhalation of vaporized droplets put into the air by coughing and sneezing. It is fairly unpleasant for a couple days, bringing fever, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, diarrhea, and vomiting, then it’s just uncomfortable for another week or so until it fully clears. Because it incubates for up to four days before symptoms show, it is possible to spread the flu before you are aware you have it. Treatment involves mostly resting and drinking plenty of fluids. Because it is viral and well-understood, it can be prevented with a vaccine; since the strain changes every year, the vaccine must change, too, so vaccines are only good for one season.

Bronchitis is also unpleasant for several days. Like the flu, it is spread through inhalation of vaporized droplets put out by coughing and sneezing. The infection is localized to the bronchial tubes. It is usually viral, about 90% of the time, but sometimes it is bacterial. While there are fewer symptoms than the flu, it feels just as bad; it causes a dry, painful cough, thick mucus production, fever, and fatigue. Treatment consists of rest and drinking fluids, and in the case of a bacterial infection, antibiotics.

By far the worst of the three is pneumonia. Pneumonia is usually bacterial, sometimes viral, and occasionally fungal in origin. It, too, is inhaled, sometimes spread by vaporized droplets expunged by others, sometimes aspirating bacteria normally-present in the mouth or sinuses into the lungs, and sometimes it is a chemical in the atmosphere that is to blame. It is a lung infection. The lungs are especially fragile during and immediately after a bout with the flu or a cold, so pneumonia often follows these diseases. Because the lungs are so fragile, pneumonia takes longer to recover from, lasting anywhere from two to three weeks in most cases. The symptoms are cough, fever, chills (including body shakes), chest pain, fatigue, fast breathing and heartbeat, nausea, and diarrhea. Treatment is rest, drinking fluids, and (in most cases) taking antibiotics.

The first thing to notice is that the symptoms for all three are quite similar. They all share coughing, fatigue, and fever for several days. In fact, in the first day or two, it can be hard to tell which you have.

Notice also that the treatment for all three is basically the same. The body does its best work when it is left alone to heal. Resting and hydrating allows the immune system to fight these effectively. Drugs, for the most part, might make you feel better in the moment but they also slow the immune system’s efforts to restore health.

The final thing to notice is that all three spread roughly the same way: you simply inhale something in the air. Whether it is a virus, a bacteria, a fungus, or a chemical, the culprit makes it past your front-line defenses and into the throat or lungs, where it gets a foothold before the immune system can fight it off. This requires proximity to infected people. That’s why these are more common in the winter, as we spend more time indoors. They are also common in office buildings and schools, precisely because large numbers of people get together regularly there… if you work from home or are otherwise out of the loop, you are much less likely to develop any of these.

Oh, they do have one other shared trait: you are less likely to catch any of them if you eat well and stay fit. A strong immune system is, by far, the best preventative measure against these. And if you do catch one of them, being healthy to start with means the immune system can focus all efforts on the disease; you will get better faster. Children, the elderly, and those who are already sick are far more prone to have problems with these illnesses.

None of these are fun, but neither are they usually serious for healthy adults. Most of us can just live our lives normally, and if or when we do catch one of these, just tough it out.

Resources:

• Understanding Bronchitis - the Basics [www.webmd.com]
• Acute Bronchitis - Topic Overview [www.webmd.com]
• Pneumonia - Topic Overview [www.webmd.com]
• Understanding Pneumonia - the Basics [www.webmd.com]
• Influenza - Topic Overview [www.webmd.com]
• The Flu: Know the Basics [www.webmd.com]

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From the editor

As I write this, I am getting over the last of a hard-hitting bout of bronchitis or pneumonia, I’m not sure which. All I have left is the cough, which is uncomfortable but tolerable. I’ve had better weeks, that’s for sure.

The toughest part, though, was keeping busy while I was stuck in the house for nearly a week. It’s ridiculously cold outside, and with the dry air, I start coughing the minute I step outside. Thankfully, I have a large pile of books to read, or I would have gone insane with boredom.

That made me think: what do other people do to pass the time when they are stuck in bed for several days? So now I’m asking you. Go to the feedback tool on the website and let me know how you pass the time when it hurts to move. I look forward to hearing some good ideas!

Healthy thoughts,
Jeff