Summer flu is understood to be an influenza-like infection during the summer season. However, the symptoms are not as pronounced as those of influenza.
What is summer flu?
A summer flu is basically a simple cold that occurs especially in the months of June, July and August. Despite the colloquial name summer flu, however, only the mild symptoms of a flu-like infection show up and not the pronounced symptoms of influenza (real flu). Summer flu is triggered by enteroviruses such as coxsackie viruses or echoviruses, while true flu is caused by influenza viruses. The symptoms of a summer cold are similar to those of a conventional flu-like infection.
Causes
Viruses, which primarily include enteroviruses, are responsible for the onset of summer flu. Enteroviruses are found throughout the world and can replicate in the intestines. From there, they are excreted from the organism in the stool. Unlike common cold viruses, enteroviruses spread through smear infections. In case of insufficient hygiene, it is possible that the affected person passes the enteroviruses by a handshake. Inhalation of droplets released by coughing or sneezing rarely allows the pathogens to enter the body. It can sometimes take two to four weeks for the disease to break out. For normal cold viruses, the incubation period is only three to four days. The germs find an ideal entry point when the body is already weakened. This can be dry or irritated mucous membranes of the mouth and nose. In addition, the large temperature differences that prevail in the summer months also play a significant role. They represent a great challenge for the body’s defense system. If the heated body cools down too much due to open car windows, air conditioning or the consumption of cold drinks, this results in increasing dehydration of the organism. This in turn increases the risk of summer flu. Other possible causes of summer flu are prolonged sunbathing or an insufficient intake of fluids. Thus, the defense system is also weakened as a result and reacts more susceptibly to viral attack.
Symptoms, complaints and signs
The typical symptoms of summer flu are the same as those of an influenza infection in autumn and winter. Thus, patients initially suffer from a cold, scratchy throat, fatigue and headache. In the further course, sore throat, cough, aching limbs, chills and fever may be added. In some cases, abdominal pain, diarrhea or vomiting are also within the realm of possibility because summer flu is associated with a gastrointestinal infection. Affected individuals feel listless and sick. As a rule, summer flu is not dangerous. However, there is a risk of complications in people who already have a weakened immune system in advance, or in babies. In the worst case, there is a risk of heart valve inflammation or meningitis with a fatal outcome. Children are particularly affected by summer flu, but in most cases the disease takes a harmless course. Not infrequently, the triggering viruses are transmitted in the nursery or kindergarten.
Diagnosis and course of the disease
If the patient suffers from severe symptoms or if the symptoms persist for a long time, it is advisable to visit a physician. The physician can usually already make the diagnosis based on the description of the complaints. He or she will also perform a physical examination, taking a closer look at the throat and pharynx to identify any redness or swelling. Swollen nasal mucous membranes and swelling of the lymph nodes are important indicators. If necessary, the physician has the option of having a stool sample or a blood sample taken. This is then analyzed in a laboratory. As a rule, the diagnosis of summer flu does not cause any difficulties. The duration of a summer flu is on average seven days. If you take it easy on yourself physically, drink plenty of fluids and air out your room at regular intervals, you can shorten the period of illness a little.
Complications
Elderly people, children, and people with immune deficiencies are particularly susceptible to complications of summer flu.These often suffer pneumonia or inflammation of the middle ear, sinuses and other internal and external organs in connection with influenza. Existing lung diseases such as bronchitis, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may be exacerbated. In addition to these bacterial superinfections, summer flu can also cause cardiovascular disease and chronic heart damage. As a result of brain or spinal cord inflammation, damage to muscle tissue and the central nervous system can occur. A typical secondary illness is also Reye’s syndrome, in which the liver and brain are damaged. In a severe course, summer flu can cause chronic illness or even be fatal. Various side effects and interactions are conceivable when treating summer flu with medication. Oseltamivir and similar drugs can cause gastrointestinal complaints, anaphylactic reactions and edema, among other things. In rare cases, secondary diseases such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrosis may occur. Serious damage to the kidneys, liver, heart, and lungs may occur as a result of prolonged use. In addition, addictive behavior and resulting addiction may develop.
When should you see a doctor?
On average, summer flu lasts seven to ten days, with improvement noticeable by the third day. If the symptoms worsen, if the summer flu lasts longer or if a high fever is added, the family doctor should be consulted. If the cold cannot drain from the frontal and paranasal sinuses, it becomes trapped. This leads to inflammation. If there is a severe headache associated with the summer flu, especially when bending over, it should be assumed that there is an inflammation of the forehead or sinuses. It should be treated by the family doctor or the ear, nose and throat specialist. It is also advisable to consult one of the aforementioned physicians if the rhinitis looks yellow-green. This may be due to bacteria, which are treated with an antibiotic. If problems with breathing occur as a result of the summer flu, this is a possible indication of pneumonia. This suspicion must also be clarified by the family doctor or the pneumologist. The immune system is weak in young children, the elderly and chronically ill people. They should be immediately presented to the family doctor in case of summer flu with more severe symptoms.
Treatment and therapy
The therapy of summer flu focuses on alleviating the symptoms. It is important to consistently cure the infection and stay in bed for a few days, even if the summer weather is still so nice. During the recovery phase, the body needs above all a lot of rest. Rinsing the nasal mucosa with salt is also considered helpful. The high salt content disinfects and soothes the mucous membranes. To strengthen the immune system, the body can be given more vitamins and minerals. Zinc, vitamin C and magnesium are particularly recommended. The use of time-honored household remedies such as ginger is also considered helpful for summer flu. For this purpose, four to five ginger slices are boiled and taken as a tea. Other anti-inflammatory properties include sage tea and chamomile tea, which can be administered as a gargle solution. It is useful against fever to apply calf compresses or to carry out a sweating cure with lime blossom tea or elderflower tea. Other possible treatments include quark compresses around the neck, lozenges for sore throats from the pharmacy, and fennel and eucalyptus for coughs.
Prevention
To prevent summer flu from occurring in the first place, it is important to avoid cooling the body. In the car or in the office, the air conditioning should therefore not be set too high. It is also better to avoid drinking ice-cold drinks. After bathing, wet clothes must be changed quickly. A summer flu is expressed by cold-like symptoms such as cough, cold and general malaise. Occasionally, fever is added to the symptoms. Intensive follow-up care is not required if the course of the disease is mild. If the summer flu is more severe, a visit to the doctor is recommended. Treatment and follow-up care are the same as for a conventional flu-like infection.
Aftercare
In the case of summer flu, precaution rather than aftercare can be taken. To this end, the affected person can do his or her own part.A healthy diet rich in vitamins protects against recurrence of the disease. Drafts caused by air conditioning should be avoided or reduced despite the summer heat. It promotes the drying out of irritated mucous membranes. In addition, it is important to get enough rest and drink enough fluids. However, the drinks must not be too cold or enriched with ice cubes, but should first reach a slight room temperature. Lukewarm chamomile or peppermint tea is best for this. If there is no significant improvement in health after a week, a doctor should be consulted. The prescribed medication is adapted to the symptoms (anti-inflammatory, decongestant, expectorant…). An undiscovered pollen allergy may be hiding behind the rhinitis. An allergist can test the affected person for this.
This is what you can do yourself
The summer flu can also be managed by sufferers through self-help, if it is not a particularly severe course. Basically, the same measures as for the classic winter flu or cold also apply. In addition, special consideration must be given to the warm outside temperatures and the associated frequent loss of fluids in affected patients. In case of concomitant diseases, however, the doctor should be consulted as a precaution. Fluids are best balanced with water and herbal or fruit teas, which can also be drunk cool in the warm season. In case of fever, cooling calf compresses are a proven home remedy, while the upper respiratory tract can be cleared by inhalations. In principle, there is nothing wrong with fever-free patients spending time outdoors, such as in the garden, but here a place in the shade is advisable. It is also important that those affected do not dress too breezily because of the warm temperatures. Summer flu is often triggered by enteroviruses and is therefore not infrequently associated with abdominal pain and nausea. Here self-help also means to spare the gastrointestinal tract. Sweets and fatty foods should be avoided, as should alcohol and too much coffee. Anyone who smokes should significantly stop nicotine consumption, at least in the acute phase of the disease, so as not to put even more strain on the respiratory tract.