The most common complications of influenza. Complications after the flu and colds Complications after the flu

Influenza can cause very severe damage to a person’s nervous system (encephalitis - inflammation of the brain, meningitis - inflammation of the pia mater, arachnoiditis - limited inflammation of the arachnoid membrane of the brain). Influenza viruses cause hemorrhages and blockages of small blood vessels, destroy the protection of the respiratory tract from microbes, and destroy cells of the immune system.

People who have had a traumatic brain injury or concussion become more vulnerable. However, not all people who have the flu will experience complications. The secret lies in the characteristics of the human body, in its reaction to the virus. However, many people still experience complications. So let's try to figure out why there are complications after the flu?

Causes of complications after influenza

Neurological complications after influenza are most common in people who abuse alcoholic beverages. This is understandable, because alcohol is a powerful poison for the nervous system. It sharply reduces the resistance of the nervous system to pathogenic factors. Even one dose of alcohol in large doses can cause irreparable harm to the nervous system. Unfortunately, many people believe that by drinking vodka (infused with pepper), they can stop a respiratory infection. This is a deep misconception. Under the influence of alcohol, blood pressure can drop sharply and suddenly and cause a collapsed state (and even death).

Complications after influenza can occur in people suffering from vascular and neurological diseases, even if they were asymptomatic and hidden before the influenza infection. In this case, the influenza infection seems to “hit” the weakest point in the body. Therefore, after the flu, a person may experience complications such as radiculitis, hypotensive or hypertensive crisis, nervous and mental disorders.

Other complications arise because during illness the protection of the respiratory tract is destroyed. When you inhale, the ciliated epithelium in the respiratory tract secretes mucus, which destroys bacteria. Particles from the air stick to this mucus, and then the mucus moves to the pharynx (due to the beating of the cilia) and is swallowed there. Next, everything goes into the stomach, where hydrochloric acid is already waiting for this mucus. The influenza virus attaches and penetrates the cells of the ciliary epithelium, multiplies there and leads to the weakening or death of ciliary epithelial cells. The damaged epithelium is no longer able to secrete good mucus and quickly promote it, so bacteria quite easily pass through the ciliary mucous barriers and then enter the lungs. In this case, the most common complication after the flu can be bacterial pneumonia.

Complications after the flu also arise because after this disease a person’s blood vessels are affected. The border tissue (epithelium) has been destroyed, and therefore, now the virus can easily enter the blood and cause serious damage to the entire circulatory system. Influenza viruses have the ability to stick red blood cells together. They form lumps and can clog small blood vessels. Viruses can also infect the cells of the inner layer of blood vessels (endothelium), causing their death. All this can lead to hemorrhages and the formation of blood clots, and this in turn can seriously disrupt the blood supply to human organs.

Another cause of complications after the flu can be suppressed immunity. Influenza viruses can infect cells that are responsible for immunity. And not at all for reproduction in them, but for destruction. The number of immune cells decreases sharply and, accordingly, the body’s protective functions weaken.

Things to remember

To avoid unpleasant complications, try to regularly prevent influenza. If you do manage to get the flu, then never suffer from this disease “on your feet”, try to stay in bed, provide yourself with plenty of fluids and quality nutrition, and ventilate the room more often. Do not self-medicate. Take only those medications prescribed by your doctor. And do not forget that the consequences of the flu are very insidious and can result in serious complications.

Each season is associated with certain risks of flu complications - cold wind, slush, low temperature, epidemiological situation in the region. If the flu is not given due attention, complications may appear, and sometimes several at the same time. The risk of complications increases in advanced forms of the disease. There are complications so serious that they cause death. To avoid such a fate, it is worth taking preventive actions and treating the disease in a timely manner, treating the body with care.

Why influenza complications occur and risk groups

Influenza is a viral disease that has an acute course and affects the upper respiratory tract to a greater extent. The body, thanks to the ciliated epithelium, prevents microorganisms and other harmful particles from entering the body, but the regulatory system does not always cope. When a virus penetrates, it affects the function of the ciliated epithelium, which opens the way for other infections, including more dangerous ones, to enter the body.

At the same time, the body allocates enormous resources to fight the flu, which is why the immune system becomes significantly weaker. Accordingly, the penetration of viruses is easier, and the protective function does not do its job well. A weakened body is not able to effectively resist pathogens. This leads to damage to various organs and systems in the body. This is how complications develop.

To a greater extent, complications appear in people who, even without the disease, have a weakened immune system and a predisposition to:

People of retirement age 60+ years;
Children with an immature immune system (up to 4 years);
Women during pregnancy;
Patients who have chronic diseases;
Patients with immunodeficiency and weakened immune systems.

Complications

Among the most dangerous and common complications are:

Bronchitis;
Sinusitis or sinusitis;
Otitis;
Pneumonia;
Myositis;
Encephalitis;
Myocarditis;
Meningitis;
Heart muscle failure;
Pyelonephritis;
Pericarditis;
Glomerulonephritis.

In patients with chronic forms of illness, relapses often occur during influenza infection or after its elimination.

Complications in the lungs

Complications of influenza in adults often affect the lungs, as one of the main respiratory organs. Pulmonary diseases often include: bronchitis, abscess and pneumonia, as they are the most common. The nature of pneumonia can be viral or bacterial, and sometimes mixed.

The most dangerous is considered to be primary type pneumonia, caused by viruses. So the virus is very active, aggressive and adapts well to treatment.
Signs of complications after illness in the form of pneumonia:

High system temperature 39-40°;
A dry cough appears;
You may cough up blood;
Increased sweating.

If any of the listed signs are detected, it is recommended to immediately consult a specialist, especially if there is blood or high temperature. Self-medication can have a detrimental effect not on the virus, but on the human body.

Sinusitis

The inflammatory process in the maxillary sinuses is a fairly common complication after the flu. At the same time, congestion is observed in the sinuses. In the absence of proper treatment, sinusitis can provoke systemic damage to the body, gradually spreading the virus throughout the body.
Sinusitis can be identified by its characteristic symptoms:

Otitis

Inflammatory course in the middle ear. This disease significantly worsens hearing acuity and can provoke a complete loss of auditory perception.
Symptoms of otitis media are as follows:

Pain syndrome in the ear area;
Shooting, sharp pain;
Discharge of pus from the ear;
Hyperthermia of the body.

Complications on the heart muscle

Periodically, the flu leads to a number of complications that affect the cardiovascular system. This course is especially dangerous, as the general well-being of the body worsens. The most common problem is heart inflammation. If left untreated, the disease can develop into more dangerous heart failure. The listed forms of complications can lead to death.
Symptoms of heart damage:

Pain syndrome at the location of the heart muscle;
Severe shortness of breath;
Cardiopalmus.

Diseases affecting the nervous system

Influenza often provokes the development of various types of neuralgia, meningitis, polyneuritis, as well as arachnoiditis (an inflammatory process localized in the lining of the brain).
Symptoms of arachnoiditis include:

Pain that is localized in the head area and has a bursting character;
The most affected area is the nose and frontal area;
Nausea appears;
Dizziness.
Symptoms of meningitis include:
Bursting pain syndrome in the head area;
Nausea leading to vomiting;
Photosensitivity, sunlight causes discomfort.

Meningitis at the very beginning is accompanied by a headache and has an increasing course, usually the peak occurs on the 5-7th day of illness. The cause is irritation of nerve receptors in the brain area and involves vascular damage. Over time, nausea and vomiting appear, which have nothing to do with nutrition, and the headache still continues. The main factor of meningitis is that in the presence of a headache there is no increase in temperature.
Each disease is very dangerous and requires immediate treatment in a hospital.

Kidney diseases

Pyelonephritis, as well as glomerulonephritis, are potential risks of complications after influenza. These diseases tend to progress and affect larger and larger areas of the organ. If proper treatment is not carried out, there is a risk of acute kidney failure.

Toxins that are released due to the activity of viruses that penetrate the blood affect the kidneys and increase the amount of myoglobin in the urine. This situation can cause a complication - Guillain-Barre syndrome. After a short period of malaise and symptoms characteristic of acute respiratory infections, signs appear - the arms or legs become numb, and the skin feels like goosebumps are crawling. 1-2 days after the presence of weakness/numbness in the limbs, a person may become immobilized, but does not lose consciousness and is of sound mind.

Thus, if the first symptoms of muscle weakness appear, you should immediately consult a specialist for treatment, otherwise paralysis is possible.

Methods for preventing influenza complications

It is easier to prevent complications from occurring than to fight them. To avoid the bad fate and diseases described earlier, it is worth taking care of the body during a difficult period for it. It is recommended to use as preventive measures:

During an epidemic, you should avoid appearing in crowded places to a minimum;
It is necessary to protect the body from hypothermia;
It is recommended to drink plenty of fluids;
Maintain hand hygiene; antibacterial soap will be a great help in this regard;
Ventilate the premises more often to prevent the preservation of viruses and their accumulation;
Carry out regular physical activity. This could be a little exercise, exercise or a walk;
Eliminate habits that negatively affect the body’s stability and reduce the level of the immune system - drinking alcohol, smoking;
Complete nutrition, enriched with vitamins. This is especially true when it’s winter-autumn outside;
Normal sleep, the amount of time spent sleeping should be at least 7-8 hours;
Get vaccinated, for example with Ultrix.

If you do get the flu, you should avoid treating it on your feet, when the body is not able to adequately fight and the risk of getting a secondary infection increases many times over. It is recommended to rest at home during this period, this improves the effectiveness of treatment, the effectiveness of the immune system and reduces the risk of contracting an infection.

It is highly advisable to contact a specialist who will select antimicrobial drugs that will speed up the recovery process. These include Kagocel, Amoxil, Fromilid. In this case, the body will more easily tolerate the disease and the risk of consequences will be minimized.

The effectiveness of vaccinations

Vaccinations can have positive effects, but vaccines can also cause negative effects. Today, the number of specialists who oppose the use of the vaccine is rapidly increasing. The harm of flu vaccinations lies in the likelihood of acute allergic reactions. Some patients complain of worsening symptoms of neuralgia between the ribs, as well as a decrease in hearing acuity and visual function.

Some doctors oppose vaccination because it can reduce the effectiveness of the immune system. Thus, the pathogen may become resistant to treatment if the virus is not defeated by the immune system. Moreover, the use of a vaccine in the presence of low immunity or immunodeficiency, on the contrary, can lead to a worsening of the disease or provoke a disease.

The disadvantage of vaccination is that there is no 100% guarantee after the manipulation. There is a risk that even a vaccinated person will get the flu and complications will occur. At the same time, stability of immunity does not come from the use of vaccination, since the virus is constantly mutating and new previously unknown strains appear that are resistant to certain drugs.

The vaccine is prepared on the basis of an old strain, and the virus that is widespread in current conditions may have a different genetic modification, so the body’s resistance will be minimal.

The flu is not so scary in itself, but its complications are dangerous. If you do not want to spend large sums of money and suffer from complications, it is worth preventing the flu from occurring, and if the body is affected, monitor your well-being and prevent a secondary infection from entering the body. In a medical institution, a diagnostic procedure is carried out, which will determine the true cause of the disease and allow you to create an adequate treatment regimen. Self-medication in this case increases the chances of complications from the flu and increased symptoms.

Let's talk in more detail about the causes of headaches and dizziness during and after the flu, as well as how to treat these disorders. Possible complications after influenza also deserve special attention.

Causes of headaches

Why do you have a headache when you have the flu? There are 3 main reasons for this:

With the flu, the headache is a result of intoxication of the body. Intoxication is poisoning caused by viral activity. Intoxication is caused by the entry of virus particles, destroyed epithelial cells and dead immune cells into the blood. This symptom is characteristic of all acute respiratory viral infections. However, a characteristic feature of influenza is the predominance of intoxication symptoms over inflammation symptoms (runny nose and cough), especially during the acute period of the disease.
The influenza virus causes hypertension - full-blooded filling of blood vessels. As a result, edema forms, and areas with vascular hypertension overheat. Excessive filling causes an increase in blood pressure. All this can manifest itself as pressing pain in the temples and eye sockets.
The acute period of infection is almost always accompanied by fever. An increase in body temperature to 38-40 C in itself provokes disruption of the nervous system. As a result, the person experiences a headache, cannot concentrate, and feels tired and sleepy.

Influenza headaches are localized in the following areas:

frontal;
temporal;
brow ridges;
eye sockets.

Causes of dizziness

With the flu, the head may feel dizzy as a result of oxygen starvation of the brain. Nasal congestion and cough contribute to this.

The breathing of a sick person becomes shallow, superficial and rapid. As a result, the lungs are not filled with enough air, and little oxygen enters the blood. Lack of oxygen especially affects the functioning of the central nervous system.
In addition, dizziness can be caused by low blood glucose levels. Glucose is the main source of energy for the brain. Fighting the virus requires a lot of energy, but patients' appetite is often reduced.

Thus, during illness, the brain suffers from a lack of oxygen and glucose.

If you feel dizzy after suffering from the flu, there is a risk of complications (for example, neuroinfection). However, most often dizziness is a sign of asthenic syndrome after the flu.

Possible complications of ARVI

Headaches after the flu may indicate the development of complications. Complications are diseases that develop against the background of primary pathology. Thus, against the background of ARVI, bacterial lesions of organs, both respiratory and other systems, often develop, which often turn out to be more dangerous than the primary viral infection.

In particular, after suffering from the flu, headaches occur with complications such as:

Neuroinfection. Infections of the nervous system, in particular the spinal cord and brain, are serious complications of ARVI. If, after suffering from a severe form of the flu, you are bothered by dizziness, nausea, headaches, vomiting for no reason, or increased body temperature, you may be dealing with inflammation of the nervous tissue. It is important to note that neuroinfection can have both an acute and chronic course. Acute neuroinfection has vivid symptoms - after the flu (or other acute respiratory viral infection), the head hurts severely, it is impossible to concentrate, and the ability to maintain balance deteriorates. Chronic neuroinfection proceeds sluggishly, accompanied by low-grade body temperature and general malaise.
Headaches after the flu can also be associated with sinusitis. Sinusitis is inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. In this case, the headache is localized in the area of the superciliary arches (with frontal sinusitis) or under the eyes (with sinusitis). In this case, the pain intensifies when tilting or sudden movements of the head. Patients usually have an increased body temperature (up to 38 C). Sinusitis is a complication of a runny nose. It is usually bacterial in nature and can be treated with antibiotics. Advanced sinusitis is treated promptly (pus is removed from the sinus through a puncture, and then the sinus is washed with an antiseptic).

Thus, if you have a severe headache after the flu, consult a doctor to avoid possible complications.

Post-viral asthenia

Post-viral asthenia is a syndrome that develops after suffering a severe viral disease. Its symptoms:

dizziness;
headache;
prostration;
apathy;
sleep disturbance;
poor appetite.

These symptoms are the consequences of viral activity. It is known that the influenza virus disrupts the functioning of the nervous, cardiovascular, and digestive systems. The nervous system takes a very long time to recover from an illness. This will explain why after the flu there is a headache and dizziness. Some patients also complain of “noise” in the head after the flu, deterioration of memory and ability to concentrate.

To help the body recover from illness, it makes sense to adjust your diet and daily routine.

It is necessary to ensure that the body receives vitamins and a sufficient amount of water. Physical activity plays an important role, especially walking in the fresh air.

If post-viral asthenia does not go away within a few weeks, you should seek medical advice.

Treatment

In most cases, headaches due to influenza do not require separate treatment. This symptom subsides as the virus weakens, so general antiviral therapy used for influenza is usually sufficient. At the same time, a severe headache is a reason to take a painkiller. Many antipyretics, by the way, have an analgesic effect, which is important to keep in mind when selecting treatment. These drugs include paracetamol and ibuprofen. Analgin and aspirin relieve pain and fever faster, but they also have many more side effects and contraindications.

When treating children, it is important to take into account that aspirin and analgin can be taken starting from the age of 12.

With ARVI, a headache usually bothers you for no longer than a week. If your head hurts severely some time after you have had the flu, you first need to find out the cause. Next, based on the diagnosis, the necessary treatment is selected.

It is important to remember that in most cases, taking an analgesic does not solve the problem. Painkillers do not cure, but hide the disease. To defeat the disease, you need to influence the cause of the unpleasant symptoms, in this case the virus. Talk to your doctor about what antiviral and detox medications you should take to get rid of your headaches.

Many people are concerned about the question of why they have a headache after the flu. It would seem that the disease has been cured, but the head is still dizzy and hurts. This may be a sign of serious illness, so you should not delay visiting a doctor.

A headache with the flu is the body’s response to the action of viruses, but after complete recovery, no pain should occur.

Some people try to relieve headaches with analgesics, but sometimes this only helps for a while, and then the pain returns again. It should be understood that painkillers will not eliminate the cause of the pain, which may be a symptom of a serious illness.

Arachnoiditis may cause headaches after the flu

A very common consequence of the flu is arachnoiditis, a disease in which the soft membrane of the brain or spinal cord becomes inflamed. In this case, the arachnoid membrane is significantly affected. The disease is polyetiological. The reasons why the disease can occur include various infections (measles, scarlet fever), including those that cause influenza.

With this disease, which is a complication after the flu, the arachnoid membrane thickens, adhesions or cysts filled with clear and turbid fluid appear in the connective tissue.

Symptoms of the disease include, first of all, headache, most often occurring in the morning. It can intensify with physical activity, and when it intensifies, nausea and vomiting often appear. In some cases, people begin to feel dizzy and their memory weakens. Against the background of these processes, patients become irritable, sleep is disturbed, apathy appears, and the main signs of intoxication of the body are noted - fatigue and weakness, increased sweating. This complication can even cause epileptic seizures.

Treatment of arachnoiditis depends on what infection caused the disease. Therapy includes the prescription of antibacterial, desensitizing and antihistamine drugs. Treatment of this disease is quite long and complex. In order not to harm the body, if pain in the head just appears immediately after suffering from the flu, you should consult a specialist. With timely treatment, the prognosis is favorable.

Many people believe that a severe headache is a consequence of the flu, but this is absolutely not true. Painful sensations indicate that an inflammatory process has begun in the area of the brain, ears or sinuses, which must be treated immediately. The flu is not scary as an independent disease, it is dangerous due to its consequences, which sometimes kill adults and children.

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What complications can there be after the flu?

Meningitis is a rather dangerous disease in which the meninges become inflamed. If a person was not vaccinated against meningitis on time, then the occurrence of the disease after the flu occurs in 99%.

As the disease progresses, a person has a severe headache, a numb neck (it is impossible to tilt the head forward due to pain), body temperature rises significantly, consciousness is impaired, and over time, photophobia and increased sensitivity to touches and sounds appear. The disease progresses very quickly.

In no case should you self-medicate this condition, since advanced meningitis that occurs against the background of influenza very often causes death. If a person goes to the hospital with a headache after the flu and is diagnosed with meningitis, doctors provide emergency and intensive therapy.

For the first few days, the patient is in intensive care, where he is given antibacterial therapy and antiviral treatment. Only if a person applies on time will the treatment result be positive. The main prevention of meningitis after influenza is vaccination. A common cause of meningitis after the flu is self-medication. Therefore, parents should remember that the child does not need to be treated on their own; they should always contact a pediatrician to exclude such terrible consequences.

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Headache after flu with sinusitis

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. The disease occurs against the background of influenza. If timely treatment is not carried out, the disease develops into a chronic form.

The main symptoms are headaches and pain in the bridge of the nose, nose, above the eyes, depending on the location of the inflammatory process. Basically, the pain appears in the evening. May get worse when bending over. In addition to these signs, the person begins to have difficulty breathing and begins to talk through his nose. Discharge from the sinuses is clear or purulent, depending on the stage of the disease and inflammation.

Almost always, sinusitis is accompanied not only by a headache, but also by an increase in body temperature, lack of appetite, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. The disease is diagnosed based on X-ray, ultrasound, and computed tomography data. The main goal of treating sinusitis is to reduce pain, remove swelling and eradicate infection. For this purpose, antibacterial drugs, physical procedures, and vasoconstrictor medications are prescribed.

In cases where, after the flu, the head hurts severely, the nasal discharge is purulent and drug treatment does not give practically any results, doctors use surgery. Sinusitis is a complication after the flu, which, if not treated promptly, can cause meningitis, neuritis and osteomyelitis. Therefore, doctors do not recommend delaying treatment.

Flu and ARVI are not such harmless diseases as they seem. The fact is that they cause quite serious and sometimes life-threatening complications. Is it possible to warn them?

The most dangerous, of course, is viral flu. It causes the destruction of the ciliated epithelium, whose function is to clean the respiratory tract, and opens access to the lungs for various infections. Therefore, the flu is most often complicated bronchitis, pneumonia, rhinitis, sinusitis or otitis media. Inflammatory diseases of the cardiovascular system may develop - myocarditis And pericarditis. Most often this happens in older people.

Complication in the form Reye's syndrome occurs mainly in children who were treated with salicylic acid (aspirin) during the flu. The syndrome is characterized by severe vomiting, which can lead to cerebral swelling and coma.

Guillain-Barre syndrome also typical for children. It can be a consequence of viral influenza or other acute respiratory viral infections. It develops paralysis of the peripheral muscles of the limbs. In mild form, this is expressed in muscle pain that the patient experiences for several days. The level of myoglobin in urine increases ( myoglobinuria), which can impair kidney function.

Some types of post-influenza complications are associated with damage to the central nervous system. They appear in the form radiculitis, polyneuritis, neuralgia. One of the most common lesions of the central nervous system during influenza is arachnoiditis. It is dangerous because it can develop even on the 7-14th day of the disease, when a person already considers himself to be recovering. With this disease, the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid is disrupted and inflammation of the arachnoid membrane of the brain occurs. Symptoms of arachnoiditis can be different, but they always manifest themselves very acutely: pain in the head, forehead or bridge of the nose, dizziness, nausea, flashing “spots” before the eyes.

First of all, understand: the flu, especially with a fever, cannot be carried on your feet! Treatment is usually carried out at home. In severe cases, patients are hospitalized. Indications for hospitalization are temperature above 40°, vomiting, convulsions, shortness of breath, arrhythmia, hypertensive crisis, severe toxicosis.

The patient is prescribed bed rest. The room where it is located must be regularly ventilated, avoiding hypothermia. Food should be rich in vitamins; you should not eat fatty, fried, or salty foods. You should drink plenty of fluids.

Take various medications as prescribed by your doctor - remantadine, amantadine, ascorutin, interferon, antihistamines And expectorants facilities. If the patient has difficulty breathing, drop into the nostrils ephedrine or naphthyzin. Antibiotics prescribed only for chronic infection, severe immunodeficiency, or fever lasting more than 5 days, accompanied by intoxication.

If you have the flu, you should never try to lower your temperature at any cost: fever is an important protective reaction of the body. Experience shows that with the systematic use of antipyretics, symptoms such as inflammation of the respiratory tract and intoxication last longer, and the risk of complications increases.

If the temperature is very high and poorly tolerated by the patient, limited doses can be taken analgin(0.25-0.5 g once). But it is better to wipe the skin with a warm solution of vinegar (0.25% - 0.5%) and use diaphoretics (linden blossom decoction, tea with lemon or raspberry jam). Mustard plasters also have a good effect. But forget about “warming” alcohol! Even a single dose of alcohol during the flu can cause a sharp rise in blood pressure and collapse.

But even if the temperature has dropped, this does not mean that you are already healthy and can start working. The body's defenses are weakened at this time, and you can easily catch a bacterial infection that will not be so easy to get rid of. Therefore, with acute influenza, the patient is usually on sick leave for at least 7-10 days.