Many people think that the flu is just a bad cold. However, influenza is a very real illness that makes millions of people sick every year. While a common cold usually makes your nose run for a few days, influenza can quickly cause severe fever and painful muscle aches that knock you off your feet.
When the influenza virus enters your body, it quickly attacks the cells inside your throat and lungs. Your cell machinery gets hijacked, forcing your body to create millions of new viral particles instead of staying healthy. To fight back, your immune system sends millions of defender cells into action. This battle is why you feel terrible. You get a high fever, a sore throat, and deep body aches because your defense system is working so hard. In severe cases, the attack can damage healthy lung tissue and make it hard for oxygen to enter your bloodstream. When your lungs are weakened, dangerous bacteria can also enter and cause pneumonia. This secondary infection can destroy tissue and even kill vulnerable patients. Young children, elderly adults, and people with existing health problems face the highest risk of severe complications from this infection.
You can protect yourself and your family by visiting a doctor and getting an annual shot. A seasonal vaccine helps train your defenses before you ever meet the real virus, keeping your whole community safe.
