Its that time of year again. The Flu is coming around. Every year around this time students start to get sick and miss school. Do you know the symptoms of the flu? Do you know what the flu is? The flu 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 sometimes even death. Some include fever, cough, sore throat, headaches, and muscle cramps. Some people vomit but mostly in children.

The early signs of flu are often sudden fever, aches and pains, and weakness or loss of appetite. Believe it or not stress can be a factor in getting the flu. Stress weakens the immune system and allows disease to take over, because the immune system can not suppress the virus. The beginning of the flu usually starts off with a headache, a mild sore throat or irritated throat, and some congestion or other cold symptoms. In your body mucus is designed to trap offending viruses which are expelled through coughing and sneezing. 

 your fever fights the flu because the virus can not stand temperature change thus can not survive quick temperature changes within your body. Some things you could eat while having the flu are broth, chicken soup, garlic, yogurt, vitamin c, leafy greens, broccoli, and oatmeal. The virus primarily affects your respiratory tract, your nose, throat, and the tubes that lead to your lungs. Some complications of the flu include Pneumonia, ear or sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening chronic medical conditions such as congestive heart failure, asthma, and diabetes.

The flu makes you shudder when you even think about getting out of the bed. Body aches from the flu can last for days even a couple of weeks. Some medicines that help with the flu are Dayquil, Tamiflu, Relenza, and any antiviral medications that help with the severity of the flu, and its symptoms. If you are not a doctor person some ways to help get rid of the flu are stay home and get plenty of rest, sit in a steamy room, drink plenty of fluids, run a humidifier, take care of your cough, and treat aches and fever.