There is only one worse feeling than catching the flu, and that is catching the flu in the middle of summer. Despite the fact that the flu is often considered to be a seasonal affliction that batters your body during the colder months of the year, the influenza virus is not controlled by the weather.
As you know, the flu virus is highly contagious and it infects the upper respiratory system. It leaves you feeling drained and pretty run down, and the worst of all is the boomerang effect that some strains have. Just as you think you have finally rid yourself of the virus, it comes back for round two. Building up a strong immune system and having the right vaccinations (when you are healthy) are pretty much the only ways to stay flu-free.
Flu. It’s a seasonal thing
When influenza activity in the community reaches its peak, the season is aptly named flu season. We generally have our flu season from about May to August, when the months are colder. Some of the reasons why flu is more common during certain times of the year relate to the drops in temperature, the climate being drier, low humidity, increased exposure due to being in closed spaces, and lower levels of vitamin D due to lack of sun exposure.
But at the end of the day, flu is a virus. And it can infect you at any time of the year.
Symptoms often come on rather suddenly. Without even realising you have been near someone with the flu, you might start developing a fever and the chills, before the coughing and sneezing starts. You’ll wonder where on earth you could have caught the flu from but all that wondering won’t matter when the headaches, body aches and stuffy nose start leaving you feeling tired and drained.
Sometimes, during the summer, in particular, you might think you’re about to come down with the worst flu, but the symptoms are actually pointing to something else altogether.
Flu Symptoms Don’t Always Mean You Have the Flu
The early signs of flu are the same as:
- The Common Cold
As this is also a respiratory illness, it is easy to confuse it with the flu. Unlike the flu virus, the common cold comes on slowly and the symptoms are often less severe even though you’ll still get the congestion, a sore throat and the sneezing.
- Bronchitis
An inflammation of the bronchial tubes in the lungs is not an illness to take lightly. While it can sometimes be caused by the flu virus, the environment can also play a role (think smoke and air pollution). The overlapping symptoms include coughing, chills, fever, and fatigue. The dead giveaway that it is not the flu is that with bronchitis you’ll be short of breath, have a mucus cough, and you’ll experience discomfort in your chest.
- Hay fever
For some, the summer and all of its soft, flowery smells is a blessing. For others, it means hay fever. Some of the symptoms that are similar to flu include congestion or a runny nose and continuous sneezing. Luckily, if you are susceptible to hay fever you probably know the signs and know that self-treatment can clear it up.
Although summer is on its way, never forget that you can still catch the flu, or something similar, when your immune system is compromised. Our bodies are generally a bit run down around this time of the year, after all of the stress, so now might be a good time to listen to your body and start taking a supplement.
