For the past couple of years, influenza has taken a backseat to COVID-19 as the virus on everyone’s mind. But that certainly doesn’t mean that influenza is no longer a threat. During the 2021-2022 flu season, the CDC estimates that 9 million people contracted influenza, leading to approximately 100,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths.
To help you and your family prepare, let’s explore all the important information that you need to know about influenza and flu season, including what influenza is, how you can protect yourself against it, and why there is such a thing as flu season in the first place.
What is Influenza?
Influenza, or “the flu” as it is more commonly known, is a viral infection of the respiratory system, which includes the nose, throat, and lungs. It is one of the most common illnesses in the world today, with somewhere between 5-20% of Americans contracting the flu each year. Common symptoms of the flu include:
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Chills and sweats
- Headache
- Dry, persistent cough
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Eye pain
When is the flu dangerous?
Flu symptoms are mild to moderate in the majority of cases, and most people will recover on their own within a week or two without needing any treatment. However, there are cases when the flu can become dangerous, and thousands of people will die from this illness each year.
The flu is most dangerous when it is contracted by someone who is especially young or especially old. Children under the age of 2 and adults over the age of 65 are especially vulnerable to severe flu symptoms and more likely to require hospitalization. Other demographics that are at higher risk of developing severe flu complications according to the Mayo Clinic include:
- Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
- People who are pregnant or plan to be pregnant during flu season
- People with weakened immune systems
- American Indians or Alaska Natives
- People with chronic illnesses such as asthma, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, and diabetes
- People with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher
If you are at increased risk of severe flu complications and are experiencing flu symptoms, be sure to meet with your physician right away. They may decide to prescribe you antiviral drugs to shorten the length of your illness and reduce the likelihood of serious complications.
Why Does the Flu Have a Season?
Like your favorite professional sport or that sitcom, flu season rolls around each year with a brand-new iteration. But why is that a virus follows such a predictable schedule?
To start, it’s important to note that even though flu season is a very real thing that medical professionals have to prepare for each year, you can contract the flu any time of year; you’re just much more likely to contract it during the fall and winter – and there are several reasons why.
The exact reason for influenza’s seasonal nature is thought to be a combination of factors:
- Colder temperatures lead to dryer air, dehydrating mucus membranes and reducing the body’s ability to defend against respiratory viruses
- People spend more time indoors during the winter, making it easier for the virus to spread from person to person
- Viruses decompose slower in colder temperatures, meaning that the influenza virus may linger longer on surfaces such as doorknobs when it’s colder
- Less exposure to sunshine in the winter months reduces vitamin D production, leading to weakened immune systems
- Reduced ultraviolet radiation from the sun means that viruses are less likely to die due to ultraviolet radiation exposure
For these reasons (or perhaps some other reasons that we have yet to discover), the fall and winter months are known as flu season, and the odds of contracting influenza during this time period are much higher than the rest of the year.
How to Protect Yourself This Flu Season
The biggest key to staying safe from influenza is to receive a flu vaccine each year. According to the CDC, getting the flu vaccine reduces your chances of contracting the flu by 40-60%. Along with getting your yearly flu vaccine, frequent handwashing and avoiding close contact with people who are sick will help you to prevent contracting the flu this upcoming season.
