The incubation period of influenza

There is hardly a person who has never had a flu in his life. Even if you are one of those who never complains about health - knowledge about the disease will only help you stay healthy. About the disease it is important to know not only its symptoms or ways to cure, you need to understand its nature, and have an idea about the incubation period of the disease. With this kind of information are usually not familiar, and do not want to get acquainted because they do not see the point in it. In the article, we will describe in detail the incubation period of influenza.

First of all, let's see whatsuch an incubation period( PI) of the disease is a time interval that has elapsed since the virus enters the human body prior to the appearance of the primary symptoms of the disease. The duration of the incubation period is individual for each disease, as well as for each patient. Even for different types of influenza it can be different.

Know! In "regular" influenza( H3N2), the IP is on average 2-3 days.

The main difference between the flu and other viral diseases( which are diagnosed as ARVI) is its rapid development, that is, a short incubation period. With ARVI the first symptoms can appear quite quickly, will not be pronounced and will appear gradually.

Development of the disease during the incubation period

When a person enters the human body, the influenza virus remains on the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract: nose, nasopharynx, trachea. During PI, viruses practically do not enter the bronchi, but develop on the mucous membrane. If human immunity can not cope, the viruses begin to multiply in a favorable environment for themselves: moist and warm. And while there is a reproduction the person still does not feel any signs of the disease.

After about 24-48 hours after the virus enters the body, it spreads so much that it begins to separate from the body along with the mucus. The subsequent development of the disease is associated with the disruption of virus-infected cells, which causes a large number of toxins to enter the bloodstream. It is the intoxication of the body that causes the primary symptoms of the flu:

• elevated temperature;
• general malaise;
• is sometimes accompanied by pain in the abdomen, nausea, diarrhea.

The most dangerous is the third day of the incubation period, when there are no signs of the disease yet, but mucus with viruses is already allocated. At this time, when sneezing or coughing, particles of mucus contaminated with the virus enter the air. Therefore, it is difficult to determine whether a person is contagious in the first days, but on the third day he becomes a spreader of the virus.

Since the duration of the PI is individual for each person, then it is impossible to predict how many days the person is contagious. To infect other people the patient can in 1-2 days after the beginning of the PI( on average a day before the appearance of the first symptoms).The patient will cease to be dangerous to others at least a week after the onset of flu symptoms.

The incubation period in adults

The first feature of this period in adults is related to its duration. Since adults are more resistant to diseases than children, the incubation period of influenza can last for an average of five days. Naturally, these terms are individual and directly depend on a person's physical condition and the state of his immune system.

Important! The most debilitated and prone to illness are pregnant and lactating women, elderly people.

If an adult has strong immunity, it is difficult to predict how long the infectious period will last. After the manifestation of the primary symptoms of the disease, the body can independently cope with the virus. However, do not neglect your health. If you feel unwell and know about the flu epidemic, it's best to refrain from leaving the house. After the body cope with the virus, you will not have the risk of getting a complication.

Symptoms of influenza in adults

It is common to distinguish between two categories of symptoms."Preliminary", that is, appearing during the incubation period. Symptoms of the disease appear later. They say something about the cessation of the incubation period of the disease, that is, the flu passes from the latent stage into the active one.

Preliminary symptoms include:

• rapid fatigue;
• persistent drowsiness;
• weakness, lethargy, apathy.

Of course, the appearance of these symptoms can serve as a signal for the appearance of many diseases, as well as they can be caused by chronic fatigue, lack of sleep, stress. The appearance of these symptoms during the epidemic signals the onset of the incubation period of the disease.

Symptoms of the flu in most people are as follows:

• elevated body temperature( and above);
• severe headache;
• muscle pain;
• painful joint pain.

The incubation period of influenza in children

As mentioned above, children are less resistant to diseases. In childhood, IP rarely exceeds three days. The only significant difference in the childhood incubation period is its rapidity. Sometimes the primary symptoms can appear several hours after the virus enters the body. Then the child becomes sluggish, drowsy, his appetite disappears, and he begins to be a lot of capricious.

How the disease progresses during PI, we have already described above. In children, this process is no different from an adult person's IP.The child becomes infectious also about the third day after the virus enters the body.

Know! Whether the flu is infectious during the incubation period of a child for an adult is not exactly known. Usually the immunity of an adult man copes with the viruses of the child.

How to isolate the patient at home

At the first stage of recovery, the patient needs rest and bed rest. It should continue until the patient returns to normal appetite and temperature does not subside. At the same time, it is most contagious to others. If the patient continues to go to work, he not only increases the duration of treatment and the risk of complications, but also infects others.

It has already been said that the patient is contagious about a week after the discovery of the first signs of the disease. This period depends on the patient's immunity and can vary. The only exact criterion for the patient not to be infected is the disappearance of high temperature. Until then, it is necessary to limit contact with the patient as much as possible. As often as possible, ventilate the room where it is located. Contact with the patient is necessary in medical masks, which will detain the viruses and prevent them from reaching the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract.

Important! During epidemics of influenza, try to appear in public places only in medical masks, which need to be changed every 2-3 hours.

To summarize, we recall that the incubation period of the flu proceeds without any visible symptoms of the disease, but the infectious patient becomes approximately one or two days after the virus enters the body. Determine the origin of IP can be by indirect evidence: causeless fatigue and drowsiness, loss of appetite, weakness.