“ไข้หวัดใหญ่” เมื่อเกิดกับ “ผู้สูงวัย” ทำไม? ยิ่งต้องระวัง

<img decoding="async" style="width: 100%;" src="https://pyt-storage.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/photo_from_old_pyt/forms/ec39b52d714cf85b8179c6ecc106ff6c.jpg" alt="Influenza" /> 
Influenza, just hearing the name conveys its severity. Normally, when it occurs in young people or working-age adults, it can still be bad for a week. Now, when it happens to &ldquo;elderly people&rdquo; who are known to have a weaker immune system, it is certainly concerning.
 
&ldquo;Common Cold&rdquo; VS &ldquo;Influenza&rdquo; – What’s the difference? In fact, symptoms such as fever, body aches, headache, or coughing and sneezing may look like just a common cold. But if we observe carefully, these symptoms differ because influenza symptoms tend to be more severe.
 
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-color: #000000;" border="1" width="100%" cellspacing="3" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="20%">
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Symptoms</h2>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="30%">
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Common Cold</h2>
</td>
<td valign="top" width="50%">
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Influenza</h2>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="92">
&nbsp; Fever 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="180">
&nbsp; Not high in adults; children may have fever
</td>
<td valign="top" width="331">
&nbsp; High fever 38-40°C lasting 3-4 days
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="92">
&nbsp; Headache 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="180">
&nbsp; Rare
</td>
<td valign="top" width="331">
&nbsp; Severe headache
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="92">
&nbsp; Body aches 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="180">
&nbsp; Mild
</td>
<td valign="top" width="331">
&nbsp; Common and severe
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="92">
&nbsp; Weakness
</td>
<td valign="top" width="180">
&nbsp; Mild
</td>
<td valign="top" width="331">
&nbsp; Can last 2-3 weeks
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="92">
&nbsp; Fatigue
</td>
<td valign="top" width="180">
&nbsp; Not present&nbsp;
</td>
<td valign="top" width="331">
&nbsp; Common
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="92">
&nbsp; Nasal congestion
</td>
<td valign="top" width="180">
&nbsp; Common
</td>
<td valign="top" width="331">
&nbsp; Occasional
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="92">
&nbsp; Sneezing
</td>
<td valign="top" width="180">
&nbsp; Common
</td>
<td valign="top" width="331">
&nbsp; Occasional
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="92">
&nbsp; Sore throat 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="180">
&nbsp; Common
</td>
<td valign="top" width="331">
&nbsp; Occasional
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="92">
&nbsp; Cough, chest tightness 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="180">
&nbsp; Mild dry cough
</td>
<td valign="top" width="331">
&nbsp; Common, sometimes severe
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="92">
&nbsp; Complications 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="180">
&nbsp; Sinusitis and middle ear infection
</td>
<td valign="top" width="331">
&nbsp; Bronchitis and pneumonia
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="92">
&nbsp; Prevention 
</td>
<td valign="top" width="180">
&nbsp; None
</td>
<td valign="top" width="331">
&nbsp; Influenza vaccination
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="92">
&nbsp; Treatment
</td>
<td valign="top" width="180">
&nbsp; Symptomatic treatment
</td>
<td valign="top" width="331">
&nbsp; Within 24-48 hours after symptom onset
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
 
How severe is it? When &ldquo;Influenza&rdquo; attacks the elderly This disease has an average incubation period of about 2 days, during which patients clearly show fatigue. When this disease occurs in the elderly, there is a chance of severe symptoms because aging lowers the immune system and increases the risk of complications. Some cases show inflammation of the pericardium with chest pain, shortness of breath, or even severe meningitis, which may start with headache, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, and respiratory symptoms of pneumonia. Severe shortness of breath can lead to heart failure. Therefore, prevention methods such as vaccination are a very interesting option.
Why should you get the &ldquo;Influenza vaccine&rdquo; every year? The influenza vaccine is made from chicken eggs by injecting the virus into chicken embryos inside the eggs, causing the chicken to get sick, then extracting the antibodies. The killed virus is used to make the vaccine. Normally, one vaccine contains 3-4 strains, such as A2B1 or A2B2. If you get vaccinated this year, the immunity will not disappear. By getting booster shots, your immunity will cover multiple strains. If an outbreak matches the strains you were vaccinated against, you will be protected. Even if it doesn’t match exactly, it may reduce the severity. The influenza vaccine should cover severe strains like H5N1, known as avian flu. When you have influenza virus in your body and get infected with avian flu virus simultaneously, the infection can reach the lungs within 2-3 days, and 30% may die. The World Health Organization therefore encourages everyone to get vaccinated in advance to prevent rapid spread during outbreaks of severe strains.
When is the best time to get the &ldquo;Influenza vaccine&rdquo;? There are two influenza seasons each year. The first is around April with the Southern Hemisphere strain vaccine, which is available for 6 months. After that, the Northern Hemisphere strain vaccine is used, covering Europe, America, and China. The World Health Organization selects 3-4 strains based on epidemiology for vaccine production each year. Dr. Thanarak Sathapornwasak says you can get either strain vaccine, but recommends choosing the Southern Hemisphere strain because statistics show it matches Thai people better. It is best to get vaccinated during Songkran (Thai New Year) every year because the vaccine is released around April. Normally, it takes about 2 weeks for immunity to develop, so getting vaccinated during Songkran before the rainy season is a good preventive measure. Both 3-strain and 4-strain vaccines are acceptable.
 
Vaccine Center, Internal Medicine Center Phyathai 2 Hospital Tel. 02-617-2444 ext. 4104, 4106&nbsp;

When elderly people are affected by the flu, it is often more severe than in younger individuals. This is because the elderly have a weaker immune system, which increases the risk of complications and severity.

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"Influenza" When It Occurs in "Elderly People," Why? Be Even More Careful

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