How to overcome a viral infection? What are the viral infections?

What kinds of viral infections exist? What diseases can they cause? How to cope with the virus?

What is a viral infection? Features of the manifestation of viral infections

The cause of our diseases is not necessarily viruses. It can be bacteria( as, for example, with angina), fungi( thrush), or even the simplest( lamblia).

• Still, the absolute majority of the diseases that we "pick up" are viral infections. The peculiarity of the virus is that it's not even a cell, it's just a piece of information.
• It gets to us in the DNA, it's built in and makes our own organism reproduce the same viruses. This cunning mechanism forces our body to multiply its own enemies
• Fortunately, this most often ends quickly. The body comes to, throws on the fight against the virus of the antibody and the disease passes for 5-7 days. The difficulty is that there are so many
• "pests" in nature and new ones are constantly appearing. Each time our body must develop unique antibodies that can overcome this particular virus. This takes so much time
• . Not every case is so simple. There is, for example, a virus such as HIV, which the body can not cope with at all. But most seasonal sores work just like that.

Types of viral infections. What modern viral infections exist?

• It's hard to talk about viruses because there are so many of them. In different organs they cause different diseases. The most common manifestation is the seasonal flu
• . Every year this virus mutates, and last year's medication stops working. Therefore, the epidemic of
• is inevitable. But the most common cause of conjunctivitis is also a virus. He also causes most otitis. And gepres, or a cold on the lip. It can cause various diseases such as rabies and warts
• AIDS and rubella, rotavirus and chickenpox, tetanus and intestinal disorders - the cause of all these unlike conditions can become the viruses

Methods for diagnosing viral infections

• Because ARVI is the most common phenomenon with which peoplego to hospitals, most doctors can recognize it and without testing
• If you have a couple of days of fever, you suffer from a runny nose, sneezes and coughs, this is most likely a viral infection of
• The doctor judges not only on your condition, but also on the epidemiological situation in general. If every second patient appeals to him with a complaint about a severe cough and a low temperature, the doctor does not need additional tests to diagnose ASVI

. It is possible to accurately determine the presence of the virus in the body with the help of a general blood test. Some viruses can be found in urine, so sometimes this analysis is also given.

What should be the blood test for a viral infection?

• The most important question that the doctor wants to answer, setting you up for a blood test for a cold is the question of the nature of your disease. Viral or bacterial
• It turns out that this can be done by counting the ratio of different blood cells. As you can on the general analysis to recognize the nature of the disease, says the famous pediatrician Dr. Eugene Komarovsky
• "Imagine that you took a blood test and applied it to a glass - made a smear. After that, the lab technician takes a microscope, puts the glass there and looks. Here he saw there leukocyte
• In appearance, he determines what is the leukocyte: neutrophil, monocyte, again neutrophil, eosinophil. All this is recorded. He does this until he counts one hundred of these leukocytes. Now the lab assistant will write all this in a percentage of
• This result is called the leukocyte formula. If there are a lot of lymphocytes in it, then this, one hundred percent, is a viral infection. If a lot of neutrophils are bacterial »

Video: how to determine a virus or bacterial infection in a child from a blood test?

How are virus infections transmitted?

Different viruses are transmitted in different ways. But almost all of them are very contagious. Most often we have to defend ourselves against seasonal influenza.

What does not work:

1. Disposable medical mask. If a person with a respiratory virus is talking to you, then the infection along with his breathing can penetrate through any mucous membrane. Including, through the shell of the eyes, which remains unprotected when using a medical mask. The mask can stop the virus if it is worn by the sick person, but not his interlocutor
2. Oxolin ointment. Despite the fact that this is a widespread remedy, its effectiveness has not been proven. It is not spread almost anywhere in the world, except for the post-Soviet space
3. Immunostimulating drugs. In most other countries they are also banned. Those that are sold to us, at best, are ineffective, at worst - are harmful. About this tells the biologist and physiologist, scientist Maxim Skulachev: "I would be very careful with immunomodulators. Maybe, and it's worth using them, because the immune system is so important. But now it's terra incognita. Scientists do not understand how this works. To crawl into immunity with unwashed hands is to stimulate something that works the way you do not understand. We do not know how this affects oncology, the cardiovascular system. In our country immunomodulators like and are often prescribed. But authoritative international organizations did not encourage any of them »

How it is really possible to be protected:

• To put inoculation. Of course, there are so many viruses that you can not be insured from everyone. But the most common can be protected. Give your children all the vaccinations that our calendar requires. Check to see if you have any. If you are ill, you are planning a pregnancy, you have asthma or another risky condition, be sure to turn on the seasonal flu

• Limit contact with people. If there is an opportunity to walk on foot, rather than go in a crowded bus, then opt for a walk. If you can buy food in a small shop, then do not go to a crowded supermarket
• Drink abundantly. In our body, there must be enough fluid to prevent our mucous membranes from drying out. Then they will naturally fight the virus that has fallen on them. If the infection still can get inside, it will be excreted in the urine
• Stimulation of immunity. But not with the help of chemist's drugs. Immunity can be maintained in many ways. This is tempering, and moderate physical activity, and healthy diet, and the proper sleep regimen

What complications can occur after a viral infection?

Complications after viruses depend on what disease you caught. But if it's a seasonal flu, it's important to be treated properly. If you do not cope with the disease, you may have the following problems:

• bronchitis
• pneumonia
• sinusitis and sinusitis
• ear inflammations

These are the most common complications that doctors fix.

What should I do if I get viral infection?

• If to you all the same has not carried, and you have picked up ORVI, it is necessary to prepare for that from 3 to 7 days you will feel uncomfortably
• It is desirable to consult a doctor. He will prescribe you a cure. But something you can do yourself, at home
• First of all, you need a moderate diet( for appetite) and a plentiful drink. It is best for these purposes to use compote from dried fruits. In it there are exactly those trace elements that are washed away with a lot of perspiration

Do not force yourself to bed rest. The body itself will tell you whether you need to lie in bed, or you can go for a walk. Walking is not recommended only during a period of exacerbation.

Pay attention to the atmosphere in your room. The patient does not need heat at all. The optimal air that does not overdry your mucous membranes and helps fight the virus should be cool and moist.

Prevention and treatment of viral infections

• In the treatment of viral infections, there is one most important rule: one can not be treated with antibiotics. They do not help with ARVI.The only effective medicine is the inoculation of
• There are good drugs for some infections. For example, so you can cure herpes. But in most cases, it remains to rely only on their own strengths
• Treatment of acute respiratory infections is symptomatic. All we can do is take off the symptoms, but do not treat the cause. For example, you can bring down the temperature with the help of an antipyretic. Or restore nasal breathing with the help of vasoconstrictive drops

How to recognize a viral infection: advice and feedback

"Do not you get a cold. This weakening of immunity, the body itself can not fight the infection, which is always present in it. From the virus, only the mask, onions and garlic help. "

"I'm pregnant, and I'm afraid of getting sick. Even a watermelon in a microwave warmed up. Nothing cold, and from the medications - only tea with lemon and cranberries with sugar. But there are no edema. "

"My husband fell ill. Now he wears a mask. I'm afraid that the children will also be sick. That nobody has caught, everyone in the house of a hand wipes alcohol. The virus and through the hands are also transmitted. "

Video: Elena Malysheva. Symptoms and treatment of acute respiratory infections