Influenza, commonly known as “the flu“, is an infectious disease caused by an influenza virus. Symptoms can be mild to severe. The most common symptoms include: a high fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, headache, coughing, and feeling tired. These symptoms typically begin two days after exposure to the virus and most last less than a week. The cough, however, may last for more than two weeks. In children, there may be nausea and vomiting, but these are not common in adults. Nausea and vomiting occur more commonly in the unrelated infection gastroenteritis, which is sometimes inaccurately referred to as “stomach flu” or “24-hour flu”. Complications of influenza may include viral pneumonia, secondary bacterial pneumonia, sinus infections, and worsening of previous health problems such as asthma or heart failure.

Three types of influenza viruses affect people, called Type A, Type B, and Type C. Usually, the virus is spread through the air from coughs or sneezes. This is believed to occur mostly over relatively short distances. It can also be spread by touching surfaces contaminated by the virus and then touching the mouth or eyes. A person may be infectious to others both before and during the time they are showing symptoms. The infection may be confirmed by testing the throat, sputum, or nose for the virus. A number of rapid tests are available; however, people may still have the infection if the results are negative. A type of polymerase chain reaction that detects the virus’s RNA is more accurate.

Frequent hand washing reduces the risk of infection because the virus is inactivated by soap. Wearing a surgical mask is also useful. Yearly vaccinations against influenza are recommended by the World Health Organization for those at high risk. The vaccine is usually effective against three or four types of influenza. It is usually well tolerated. A vaccine made for one year may not be useful in the following year, since the virus evolves rapidly. Antiviral drugs such as the neuraminidase inhibitoroseltamivir, among others, have been used to treat influenza. Their benefits in those who are otherwise healthy do not appear to be greater than their risks. No benefit has been found in those with other health problems.

Kidney disease, also known as nephropathy or renal disease, is damage to or disease of a kidney. Nephritis is inflammatory kidney disease. Nephrosis is noninflammatory kidney disease. Kidney disease usually causes kidney failure to some degree, with the amount depending on the type of disease. In precise usage, disease denotes the structural and causal disease entity whereas failure denotes the impaired kidney function. In common usage these meanings overlap; for example, the terms chronic kidney disease and chronic renal failure are usually considered synonymous. Acute kidney disease has often been called acute renal failure, although nephrologists now often tend to call it acute kidney injury. About 1 in 8 Americans suffer from chronic kidney disease.

Causes of kidney disease include deposition of the IgA antibodies in the glomerulus, administration of analgesics, xanthine oxidase deficiency, toxicity of chemotherapy agents, and long-term exposure to lead or its salts. Chronic conditions that can produce nephropathy include systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure (hypertension), which lead to diabetic nephropathy and hypertensive nephropathy, respectively.

Common Heart Attack Symptoms

Warning signs for a heart attack include discomfort in the chest and upper body, shortness of breath, nausea, lightheadness and cold sweats, according to the American Heart Association. Upper body discomfort may occur in the jaw, back, arms, neck or stomach.

Additional possible symptoms of a heart attack include anxiety or a fear of impending death, coughing or wheezing, including coughing up blood, fatigue, lack of appetite and a rapid or irregular pulse, according to WebMD. The common warning sign of chest pain typically occurs on the left side of the chest beneath the breast bone. Swelling in the feet, ankles and legs or in the abdomen may also be a warning sign of an impending heart attack. Abdominal swelling may also accompany the lack of appetite and nausea, leading to vomiting. Unusual feelings of weakness may be felt in the days and hours prior to a heart attack.

When to Call a Doctor

When you take care of someone with heart disease, keep an eye on his symptoms and learn when it’s time to call the doctor.

If he shows any of these signs, get in touch with the doctor’s office:

• Feeling of fullness in the stomach with a loss of appetite or nausea
• Extreme fatigue or less able to complete daily activities
• Respiratory infection or cough that gets worse
• Fast heart rate (above 100 beats per minute)
• New, irregular heartbeat
• Chest pain or discomfort during activity that goes away with rest
• Trouble breathing during regular activities or at rest
• Changes in sleep patterns, such as trouble sleeping or feels he needs to sleep a lot more than usual
• Pees less than usual
• Gets restless or confused
• Constant dizziness or lightheadedness
• Nausea or poor appetite