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What Is Flu?

Before heading to pen down about the flu shot reactions it is necessary to throw sufficient light on flu. Flu is a contagious disease being known as influenza as well as grippe. Getting caused by a virus the flu affects the respiratory and nonfunctional system of human body. It gets transmitted from one person to another by few minutest invisible viruses in a form of droplets of cough and sneeze.

Keeping in view the emergence of flu viruses, the WHO recommend the flu shots to be administered to the people of Northern and Southern Hemisphere, before the onset of winter season, during which flu viruses are found to become too active to affect the people. The Flu emerges mostly during the late month of December and early March.

Flu causes cold-like symptoms such as fever, headaches, muscle aches and fatigue. Though some victims recover out of flu with in a week, many of them succumb to its contrary effect for long and develop new health complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia.

Children being susceptible to flu get victimized of asthma very easily, while the adults of heart or lung disease taking some time. If not controlled on time it can claim the lives of the patient.

Though, the human beings are the easy target of flu, it generally originates from the body of domestic animals like hogs and horses, who reside near over their excreta and interact with people.

People To Be Affected From Flu At Large

• Children below six years of age.
• Old people, above 65 by their age.
• People living at nursing homes.
• People of chronic medical conditions.
• People with chronic heart disease.
• Those suffering from lung or kidney disease.
• Diabetic patients.
• People with impaired immune system.
• People suffering from severe anemia.
• Children and adolescents.
• Women being in second or third trimester of pregnancy.

Flu Shots

Such shots enhance the immunity of the patient to tame, attack and overpower the flu viruses. In other words the flu shots produce antibodies in the patient to fight with the flu viruses efficiently.

Flu Shot Reactions

Those who are given the flu shots may pass through a variety of newly developed problems such as swelling, soreness and redness of the injected part, body aches and low grade fever. Such symptoms are called the flu shot reactions or side effects. The common flu shot reactions include soreness at the injection site. Young children not to have ever been administered the flu shots earlier, are more susceptible to flu shot reactions. Following are the factors substantiating the flu shot reactions.

• The common flu shot reactions can be confirmed by swelling, soreness and redness at the point of injection, body aches and low grade fever. The flu shot reactions often cause a fear amongst the people that it will put them into a grave complication, but it is not so, as the flu shot reactions are rare to occur following the administration of flu shots. Flu shots are given only to outweigh the risks of influenza.
• The flu shot reactions occur due to an ingredient called thimerosal which damages the crucial nerve cells of the brain causing quaint sort of behavioral changes specially amongst the children. Such emotional and behavioral changes happen to be abnormal and are called autism. Thimerosal being a mercury-based preservative is also as known neurotoxin, a substance toxic to nerves.
• Following the flu shot reactions, there occurs a brain disorder as well which is called Alzheimer’s disease.  Instead of causing its quick reaction to the patient, the Alzheimer’s is supposed to come into its existence at the latter stage only. But it is not an authentic prediction as oftentimes its re-emergence remains doubtful even after ten years of time.
• Though the flu shot reactions cant be prevented from re-emerging, it can be minimized to a great extent with some vaccines, which are administered to the patients, anxious of Flu shot reactions. 
• Those being allergic of chicken eggs are, more prone to developing a grave flu shot reactions. The fact behind such reactions stems from the vaccines being manufactured with the viruses, produced within the chicken egg. People suffering from such flu shot reactions experience increased heart beat, breathing problem, hoarseness, wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness and dizziness.
• Another flu shot reaction, though is rare to occur, affect very trivial number of people. It is called Guillain-Barre syndrome. Guillain-Barre syndrome causes temporary paralysis and sometimes permanent nerve damage. Those who have such syndrome within a few weeks of being administered the flu shots and experience a contrary effect over their body should avoid the vaccines.

Remedies Of Flu

As far as complete cure is concerned there is no any specific medicine curing the flu from its root, except a few short tenure relievers to be prescribed to the patients by the registered doctors only.

Following are the medicines which the medical practitioners or doctors recommend to the patients suffering from flu or influenza to recover from the flu complications.

• Amantadine available in market by the name Symmetrel.
• Rimantadine or Flumadine.
• Oseltamivir (Tamiflu).
• Zanamivir (Relenza).