The frosty season might be aesthetically pleasing, but it comes with a bunch of illnesses that might cause severe damage if you have a weak immune system. People often spend time indoors in the winter season, which allows the viruses to pass more freely to one another. That is why you should get a full body checkup this winter to stay aware of your overall health and to prevent further health complications.
The winter season is known as the season of holidays as well as the season of colds, flues, and other viral infections. The dry air weakens the immune system and makes it more susceptible to getting infected with viruses. In this blog, we cover a few common winter illnesses and a quick guide to diagnosing them.
The most common winter illnesses include:
Common cold: Common cold is the most common viral infection that affects the throat, nose, and ears. Although, there are more than a hundred types of viruses that cause colds, and rhinoviruses is the most common cause. One can pass the virus to others for up to two to three weeks of getting infected. An infected person can pass the virus by sneezing and coughing. The common symptoms are low-grade fever, chills, fatigue, body ache, dry throat, and runny nose.
Flu: Influenza or flu affects the respiratory tract, such as your mouth, nose, throat, and lungs. This virus spreads through the droplets of an infected person's sneezes and coughs. Influenza causes symptoms like high-fever, headache, body ache, sore throat, sneezing, coughing, vomiting, and diarrhea. The fever and muscle pain usually improves in three or five days, but fatigue and coughing may continue for two weeks or more.
Respiratory syncytial virus: Respiratory syncytial virus causes inflammation to the respiratory tract and lungs. Infants, older people, and people with lung or heart conditions, and those who have compromised immune systems are more likely to get infected with this virus. This virus causes symptoms like low fever, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, and low appetite.
Pneumonia: Pneumonia badly infects the lungs, as a result air sacs fill with pus. Although viruses can cause pneumonia, aging and smoking also contribute to developing pneumonia. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and can include high fever, chills, lack of appetite, rapid breathing, shortness of breath and cough that produces mucus. Most people respond well with treatment; however, late treatment can be life-threatening. See your doctor immediately if you have a heart or lung condition, and also have pneumonia symptoms.
Acute bronchitis: Acute bronchitis is a viral respiratory infection that inflames the lining of the bronchial tubes which carry air to the lungs. This contagious infection can spread through airborne respiratory droplets, coming in contact with an infected person's saliva, touching contaminated surfaces, and skin-to-skin contact. Doctors generally suggest taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cough medications to treat this viral infection.
The best preventive measure to avoid all these viral infections is to get tested with a full body checkup. Thyrocare test packages will help give a proper knowledge regarding your overall health, and encourage you to lead a healthy life.
