Why do People Die from the Flu?

By Rachel Stockton - rachels at foodconsumer dot org

According to the Center for Disease Control, the influenza virus is responsible for 36,000 deaths per year in the United States (this year, however, the estimate is 90,000, due to swine flu), with over 90% of said deaths occurring in the elderly. The remaining 10% are among young children and those plagued with chronic lung problems, such as asthma and bronchitis.

While there are three types of flu virus (A, B, C), the most virulent is Type A. Yearly, the CDC makes an attempt to determine which strain of Type A flu will be the most prevalent; from these educated guesses, they develop a vaccine to circumvent an all out pandemic.

The symptoms of influenza are undeniable because of their consistency and severity. While the onset of the common cold occurs gradually over the course of several days, once the incubation period has passed (3-4 days)after exposure to the flu, the victim is literally slammed with fever, chills, body aches, a sore throat and cough. Contrary to popular belief, the flu does not affect the digestive system; the virus vigorously attacks the cells in the upper respiratory tract.

The severity of flu symptoms render an otherwise healthy adult virtually helpless for the duration. How does the influenza virus cause death?

The actual flu virus itself is not fatal; however, if it strikes someone whose immune system is compromised (the elderly, the young, pregnant women and AIDS patients), more serious complications often develop, which can ultimately cause the patient to expire.

These complications typically occur when the patient actually appears to be getting stronger.

Once the initial bout with the flu virus has completed its run, secondary infection in the form of bacterial pneumonia or influenza viral pneumonia often occurs. The flu virus itself severely damages the epithelial cells around the lung (these cells serve as a protective covering over major organs, including the lungs). Very literally, a victim can drown in his own body fluids at this point.

The symptoms of secondary infections resulting from influenza are a productive cough, thick yellow or green mucus, bloody cough, and shortness of breath. While an antibiotic is worthless when it comes to the flu, they are essential in treating secondary illnesses.

Until the last two decades, Reyes Syndrome (which has a high mortality rate), which typically occurs in children, was assumed to be a direct complication from the flu. However, research has shown that RS is a result of medicating a child with aspirin to combat the flu. Therefore, most pediatricians advise parents to treat high fever associated with the flu with acetaminophen.

Despite the fact that the flu virus has been in existence for forty years, more people are dying from the flu (36,000) now than were twenty years ago (20,000). The primary reason for this is because of the aging population. Unfortunately, only 65% of adults over 65 are immunized. And, ironically, the flu is not as effective in older people as it is in the younger population; that's what makes getting immunized even more imperative. Reduced cases of documented flu each year means a significantly reduced number of deaths from its complications.

The flu happens. The best course of action against is to get vaccinated, wash hands frequently during flu season, and if at all possible, avoid contact with an infected patient.