January and February are typically our peak months for influenza in South Carolina. As such, I hope that if you’re reading this, you aren’t doing so while sitting under a blanket shivering, shaking, coughing and aching. Unfortunately, lots of folks will have influenza this year, so let’s discuss it.

First of all, what people often call “the flu” generally isn’t. The annoyance of head colds, the inconvenient misery of vomiting and diarrhea — these are not the same as influenza (although cold and intestinal symptoms can accompany the flu).

Influenza is the name for a specific family of viruses that come in several types. There’s influenza A and B, and even C, as well as assorted animal flu viruses. (We’ve all heard of bird and swine flu, among others.) Most commonly, Americans suffer from A and B, which is now generally the subtype designated H1N1, with vaccines updated yearly to counter current strains.

What does flu do? Well, if you’ve had it, or been around someone close who has, you’ll know. It causes cough, upper respiratory congestion, sore throat, headache, severe muscle aches and pains, and fever and chills with occasional intestinal symptoms, especially in children. It can afflict anyone of any age but is particularly hard on the very young, the very old and those with underlying medical problems or poor immunity.

Flu is believed to spread by droplet; that is, the person with flu coughs or sneezes, and small bits of infected secretions spread as far as six feet and land in the mouth or nose of the uninfected. (Disgusting, isn’t it?) It may also be that individuals get the virus on their hands and infect their own mouth or nose. Subsequently, one to four days later, flu symptoms begin. (But a person may be able to infect others one day before symptoms start and up to seven days after they feel better.) The flu symptoms listed above may last up to two weeks. That’s a lot of discomfort … and Tylenol!

If a person develops flu symptoms, his or her physician (or local urgent-care or ER) can perform a test to confirm it, although the flu test is imperfect and can sometimes be negative even in the face of flu infection. The physician can then prescribe an antiviral medication like Tamiflu or Relenza. These drugs, typically given for five days, shorten the duration of illness by one or two days. They may reduce the likelihood of serious complications like pneumonia, which may follow influenza. Severe flu complications may result in hospitalization or death.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends vaccination as the first line of defense against influenza. While it is best to be vaccinated well before the January/February peak, experts feel it is still a good idea even late in the season. The vaccine is protective within two weeks of administration. As with every drug, there are possible side effects that should be discussed with your healthcare provider.

As much as we’d like to think of the flu as a minor inconvenience, it really merits caution. National influenza deaths have varied from as low as 3,000 to as high as 49,000 nationwide. So I hope your flu season is uneventful — and that if you have it, you feel better soon!

This article just hits the high points. For detailed discussions of the complex and fascinating topic that is influenza, check the following websites:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/
http://www.flu.gov/
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/

— Edwin Leap is an emergency physician and writer who lives with his wife and four children in Walhalla. Read more at EdwinLeap.com.