Everything you need to know about winter diseases/system Walla!
NEWS
It seems that this winter is more difficult than the previous ones when it comes to diseases.
As in Israel, many countries in Europe and the United States report particularly high rates of viruses in the respiratory tract, in diseases such as influenza, corona or RSV.
And that's without taking into account colds, sore throats and a variety of other viruses that circulate here.
In addition, a particularly large number report symptoms that last much longer than usual.
If you also got sick recently and the symptoms lasted much longer than usual, it is very possible that you contracted two diseases at the same time.
Get four signs that the virus you caught is actually two (if not more):
1. You experience multiple symptoms that do not seem to be related to one disease
"In most cases, even if you have multiple symptoms, you likely have only one infection,"
says Dr. Stuart Ray
, a professor of infectious disease medicine at Johns Hopkins.
However, you may very well have more than one infection in the Temporarily. "Often we don't know if we have two infections because there is an overlap in symptoms," says
Dr. Larissa Pisney
, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado Medical Campus.
For example, cough, fever and sore throat can all be symptoms of respiratory diseases, such as RSV, corona and flu.
The only way to really know if you have one or more of these diseases is to simply get tested.
It is easier to tell if you have co-infections if they are specific to a particular type of tissue or part of the body.
Like for example if you suffer from a sore throat, and in addition you have white spots on your tonsils and your eyes are red and itchy.
"If a patient comes in with what looks like a sore throat and also with red eyes," explains Dr. Ray, "there is a reasonable chance that he is suffering from two diseases at the same time, for the reason that the symptoms he has define more than one disease."
However, the same disease can have different effects, and patients may experience symptoms differently.
And it doesn't pass!
Maybe it's two diseases?/ShutterStock, Jelena Zelen
2. You suffer from a high fever and with new symptoms or those that have worsened after you already started to feel better
If you seem to be feeling better, and suddenly the fever rises, the nose doesn't stop running, the cough becomes more severe and you are tired most of the day - all these can be an indication that you experienced a bacterial infection during or immediately after a viral illness.
After your body fights significant viruses such as corona, flu, RSV or even a severe cold, it is much weaker and vulnerable and you are more susceptible to secondary bacterial infections.
3. You have recently spent a lot of time in closed and crowded places
"The likelihood that someone will get two diseases at the same time is not very high, because in order to get a disease, you have to be exposed to it, and this happens when you spend a lot of time among many people," says Dr. Pisni.
But if for one reason or another you spend a lot of time in crowded spaces - Such as children's clinics, airports or large gatherings in closed places - you have a higher chance of suffering from two diseases at the same time.
"The likelihood that you have contracted more than one infection is more related to the behaviors that lead to exposure to the diseases, and less to the infections themselves," adds Dr. Pisni.
Co-morbidity mainly occurs when several viruses or bacterial infections are spreading in the community at high rates, and in colder weather (when people spend more time indoors).
4. You experience recurring symptoms from previous infections
Quite a few diseases and viruses that you already had, can be dormant in the body for a long time, and then reappear later, such as the herpes viruses, the viruses that cause chicken pox or shingles.
"When you are sick and the immune system is exhausted, viruses in the body that were dormant, manage to raise their heads and cause problems. So it is true that the immune system will overcome them, but getting rid of them completely is not easy," says Dr. Pisni
. Cold around the mouth, they may suddenly return when you are fighting a cold. In this case, it is not two infections at the same time, but catching a new disease causes the disease you already have in your body to flare up.
How to avoid double diseases?
To prevent a serious illness - get vaccinated.
Even if you got sick after vaccination, the disease will be much milder.
Ventilate rooms and wash hands frequently to prevent the spread of disease, especially now that transmission rates are high.
Eat a healthy and balanced diet, which will provide the body with all the vitamins that will strengthen it.
Have you had the flu or corona and are at a higher risk of a serious illness?
Ask the doctor for antiviral medicine.
Eating healthy food, getting enough rest and staying hydrated are key to recovery when you are sick.
"People who eat healthy and exercise regularly, get sick less because they have less inflammation in the body, and are better prepared to deal with any type of infection," concludes Dr. Pisni.
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the flu
Corona
winter diseases