People often get confused about the difference between trangkaso and colds, so here is a very informative article on what you need to know about them. Trangkaso symptoms are very similar to cold symptoms, that is why it important to know the difference.
What can you read in this article?
- What is trangkaso?
- What is a cold?
- What can you do to prevent both of them?
Picture from Freepik.
What is trangkaso?
Flu or trangkaso is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.
Trangkaso or Flu symptoms
Influenza (flu) or trangkaso can cause mild symptoms to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Flu is different from a cold. Flu usually comes on suddenly. People who have flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:
- fever* or feeling feverish/chills
- cough
- sore throat
- runny or stuffy nose
- muscle or body aches
- headaches
- fatigue (tiredness)
- some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
Trangkaso symptoms. | Image from Pexels
5 Flu Truths
We held a Facebook live session on our Facebook page on May 18, 2021, where we had doctors, Geraldine (Ging) Zamora, and Cecilia Alinea (Pedia ambulatory) talk about the differences between influenza (flu) and the command cold. Here are some of the things that they discussed.
1. Influenza is not just a cold
Dr. Alinea stated that,
“Your influenza virus is a respiratory virus. They may share things such as sipon and cough but what differentiates influenza from the common cold is that people experience body pain, joint pain, get tired easily, others may have diarrhea and experience vomiting.
She also said that what people don’t understand is that influenza can give you complications especially if you have chronic diseases.
“Lalo po itong delikado if you get the flu when you have a chronic disease such as diabetes.”
They saw that kapag hindi controlled ang inyong blood sugar levels, compromised daw po ang ating immune system.
And we can have more complications such as serious infections. The brain can also be affected so you can also have neurological complications. “
Influenza worsens 5 things
- Uncontrolled blood sugar
- Neurological complications
- Inflammation/coagulation
- Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance
- Susceptibility to infection
2. Everyone is at risk
Trangkaso symptoms. | Image from Pexels
Every one of us is at risk of having influenza. We can can get it via droplets, especially if we are interacting with people who are infected by it. Dr. Alinea explained,
“How do we get the flu? Its also from droplets, similar to covid. Siyempre dahil nasa laway natin po ‘yan mahahawa din po tayo if we share things like spoons, forks, and cups. So thats why even those who are healthy and not the old or the young can get it also.”
She also stated that the worst conditions will affect 65 years old people and young ones.
“But usually po you can see the worst conditions in those that are more than 65 years old and you less the 5-year-olds actually specifically the less than 2-year-olds kaya ito po usually yung mga binibombard natin ng protection usually.
That’s why we highly recommend vaccines for those who are considered high risk and as well as those we call comorbid.”
3. Influenza can be a burden to our family
It’s really hard to get sick because it affects your daily living. Besides that, you can not have a bonding time with your family because they might get sick too.
As per the kids, they cannot go to school or attend their online class, Dr. Alinea said,
“Number one of course if the kids are sick, they will be absent. This is also the case for the parents, if they are sick they will also be absent. So theres loss of productivity, you miss out on learning in school, you miss out on things to be done in work. Aside from loss of productivity it is also an economic burden kasi you have to buy your medicines pa. Meron din ‘yong societal effect since people will you’re infectious.”
That’s why doctors and experts recommend having a flu vaccine and boost our immune system to avoid being sick.
4. Influenza is still present even within the pandemic
Image from iStock
We also have to remember, that it doesn’t mean that we are experiencing pandemics that having the flu will be prevented. Dr. Alinea explained,
“It doesn’t mean that since COVID has become the start, influenza has taken the backseat. The threat of influenza is even heightened because they both share very similar symptoms.
She also reminded, that having an RT PCR test is necessary if you’re having symptoms of flu because it’s very similar to COVID-19 symptoms. It is very important to know the true cause of someone’s sickness to provide the proper treatment.
“So it is very important that you get your RT PCR test so that you can differentiate if you have covid or the flu. Actually, there is also a test for the flu called the RIDT so it is very important that you get both if you get sick.” she added.
5. Influenza is a vaccine-preventable disease?
The answer to that is YES. But we also have to remember that having a vaccine is not enough to make our immune system strong. Dr. Alinea stated that having our immune system strong and having strong immune system will protect us more from viruses.
“It’s very important that we do sleep hygiene, it is important that we get enough sleep. They did a study and they found out that our killer cells are part the part of our immune system when we are asleep, they protect us from viruses.
Including Sars-Covid2. So it is very important that we get vaccinated and that includes our children as well.”
What is a cold?
Image from iStock
The common cold is a viral infection of your nose and throat (upper respiratory tract). It’s usually harmless, although it might not feel that way. Many types of viruses can cause a common cold.
Healthy adults can expect to have two or three colds each year. Infants and young children may have even more frequent colds.
Most people recover from a common cold in a week or 10 days. Symptoms might last longer in people who smoke. Generally, you don’t need medical attention for a common cold. However, if symptoms don’t improve or if they get worse, see your doctor.
Symptoms
Trangkaso symptoms. | Image from Pexels
Symptoms of a common cold usually appear one to three days after exposure to a cold-causing virus. Signs and symptoms, which can vary from person to person, might include:
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Congestion
- Slight body aches or a mild headache
- Sneezing
- Low-grade fever
- Generally feeling unwell
The discharge from your nose may start out clear and become thicker and yellow or green as a common cold runs its course. This doesn’t usually mean you have a bacterial infection.
Prevention of the common cold and the flu
There’s no vaccine for the common cold, but you can take commonsense precautions to slow the spread of cold viruses:
Image from iStock
- Wash your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly and often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Teach your children the importance of hand-washing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Disinfect your stuff. Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs, light switches, electronics, and kitchen and bathroom countertops daily. This is especially important when someone in your family has a cold. Wash children’s toys periodically.
- Cover your cough. Sneeze and cough into tissues. Throw away used tissues right away, then wash your hands thoroughly. If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into the bend of your elbow and then wash your hands.
- Don’t share. Don’t share drinking glasses or eating utensils with other family members. Use your own glass or disposable cups when you or someone else is sick. Label the cup or glass with the name of the person using it.
- Stay away from people with colds. Avoid close contact with anyone who has a cold. Stay out of crowds, when possible. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Review your child care center’s policies. Look for a child care setting with good hygiene practices and clear policies about keeping sick children at home.
- Take care of yourself. Eating well and getting exercise and enough sleep is good for your overall health.
Preventing Seasonal Flu
The first and most important step in preventing flu is to get a flu vaccine each year. The flu vaccine has been shown to reduce flu-related illnesses and the risk of serious flu complications that can result in hospitalization or even death.
CDC also recommends everyday preventive actions (like staying away from people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and frequent handwashing) to help slow the spread of germs that cause respiratory (nose, throat, and lungs) illnesses, like flu.
Sources
Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. theAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.