Swine Flu or H1N1 Flu: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, Precautions

Swine flu is a disease found in pigs but can be passed on to humans in a very rare case. This disease is caused by Influenza A1 virus and is a highly contagious respiratory disease. However, there can be some other subtypes that swine flu can form such as H1N2, H3N1, and H3N2. This disease is mostly spread through direct or indirect contact among pigs.

Swine flu is contagious but not as contagious as H1N1 and in most of the concepts swine flu and H1N1 virus are similar but swine flu is less severe. It spreads through sneezing, coughing, or direct contact through saliva or mucus.

The signs and symptoms which may be experienced by a person suffering from the condition of H1N1 are inclusive of

• Chills in the body
• Fever
• Coughing
• Sore throat
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Body ache
• Headache
• Runny nose

For a human to get infected from swine flu there are only a few causes. These causes are given below

The most common way through which a human can get infected with H1N1 is by coming in contact with a pig that has the infection. Any kind of contact with the infected pig is good enough to transmit the virus.

As it is a contagious disease so if a person suffering from this influenza comes in contact with the other person the chances of this disease increase by many folds. It usually happens to people of closed groups like family members.

If a person has traveled to the area which has a maximum number of infected people then it is highly likely that he/she might have been exposed to the virus. Veterinarians and swine farmers are at the highest risk of exposure of H1N1.

For diagnosing H1N1, a doctor would first conduct a physical examination of the patient to observe the signs and the symptoms. There are various tests at the disposal of the doctor for confirming the diagnosis of flu. But every flu is not require any test. A doctor might prescribe a diagnostic test if a person is admitted in the hospital, there are huge complications due to flu, and if you are living with a person who already as a flu. The doctor may also test for various other medical conditions.

For confirming the diagnosis of swine flu, a doctor may order a rapid influenza diagnostic test which looks for antigens. A swab sample is taken either from the back of the throat or from the nose. The results of the test are available within 15 minutes, but they are not accurate all the time.

The time duration for which the Swine Flu infection persists in an individual totally depends upon the severity of the infection and also the health status of the individual whether he/she has any underlying health issues or not. In normal cases of Swine Flu, a person can easily recover in a time interval of around one week, just by taking prescribed medications and self-care. However, in serious cases, when the symptoms such as barking cough and malaise are in severe form, the recovery period can extend up to two weeks or even more than that.

Summary: Swine Flu is an influenza virus infection that adversely affects our respiratory system. The recovery period of Swine Flu may be one week or two weeks or even more depending upon the types and severity of the symptoms.

The majority of people who are suffering from H1N1 only need relief from the symptoms. If a person is suffering from a chronic disease of the respiratory tract then some additional medications might be prescribed by the doctors. FDA has approved four antivirals for the treatment of swine flu. These medications are prescribed as soon as a person is diagnosed with the disease so that the symptoms do not get worse. The medications prescribed by FDA are

• Peramivir

• Baloxavior

• Zanamivir

• Oseltamivir

The doctor usually reserves some of the antivirals for the people who are at the highest risk of developing any complications.

The best way to prevent swine flu is to take vaccination for a full year and the other ways to prevent swine flu and spreading of the H1N1 virus are:

• Washing up of hands frequently
• do not touch your mouth
• eyes or nose after touching phones of tables

If you are ill then stay at home, if a person is infected with swine flu then large gathering must be avoided.

Yes the H1N1 vaccine is available in India in the form of tablets, injections and nasal sprays. Nasovac and Tamiflu are mostly prescribed in India for the treatment of swine flu.

These are some of the remedies of swine flu:

• Garlic: This works as an antioxidant in the body and improves the immunity and consuming two pods a day is good for health.
• Tulsi: Tulsi keeps lungs and throat healthy by clearing the infection this also helps in improving the immune system of the body.
• Water: consuming lots of water keeps you hydrated and drinking water also flushes out toxins from the body.
• Milk with turmeric powder: This helps in treating infections like common cold flu and also help in healing physical injuries.

Conclusion: Swine Flu is a disease related to our respiratory system, caused by an infection with the Influenza viruses. It is accompanied by the symptoms of severe coughing, loss of appetite, nasal secretions, fever, and fatigue. Being an easily mutable virus, it has the risks of easy transmission among humans.