How is influenza in older adults different from the common cold in the general population?

Influenza is a common respiratory disease that usually spreads during the rainy season. Common symptoms may cause fever , cough , and body aches. In those with mild symptoms, symptoms will go away on their own in 3-5 days. However, in the elderly or those with underlying diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes, they are often at risk of having severe symptoms that require hospitalization. Data from Thailand shows that the groups with the highest rates of hospitalization due to influenza are young children and the elderly. ¹

How is “Influenza” more dangerous than we thought for the elderly?

Influenza infection in adults and the elderly can have effects on the body beyond the influenza infection.

• Increases the risk of stroke by 8 times more than the general population.
• Increases the risk of coronary artery disease by 10 times more than the general population. 
• 23% will lose the ability to care for themselves after getting sick with influenza 
• In 75% of diabetic patients, there will be a problem with abnormal sugar levels ^.

And heart disease, it’s better not to take the risk with the influenza virus.

4 out of 10 patients with acute myocardial infarction due to influenza infection

• Influenza infection increases the risk of heart disease 
• Infection causes acute myocardial infarction 
• Infections cause fatty deposits in blood vessel walls to rupture, causing blood clots and blockages. 
• ^{Acute myocardial infarction leads to 13} deaths .

The main reasons why older adults are at increased risk of illness and death

1. Immunosenescence 5 causes a reduced response to immune stimulation, as can be seen in the elderly who are less responsive to vaccines than adults. http://ufabet999.app The elderly are more susceptible to infection than the general population ^. 
2. Underlying disease : Influenza infection in elderly people with co-morbidities such as cardiovascular disease and chronic lung disease can increase mortality if both diseases occur together. ⁶
3. Frailty in the elderly , in addition to worsening the immune response, frailty with other illnesses also causes disability ⁷ , which increases the chance of having to rely on others, such as frailty with influenza. It was found that if they occur together, the ability to fight germs will decrease. At the same time, the elderly with many comorbidities or underlying diseases, influenza infection will result in increased frailty, leading to increased impact from the disease and reduced response to the influenza vaccine in this group of patients.

Can the flu be prevented?

Influenza can be prevented by getting vaccinated annually because each year the germs change and mutate, creating new germs that are more virulent than before. Each year the influenza vaccine is adjusted to be suitable for the germs prevalent at that time. The influenza vaccine can be given all year round, but the best times are before the rainy season (May) and before the winter season (October), as these are the times when the outbreak begins.

What are the benefits of getting a flu shot besides preventing influenza? It was found that getting a flu shot ⁶

• Reduces the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events by 34%.
• Reduce the incidence of acute coronary syndrome  by 45%.
• Reduce the incidence of cardiovascular death by 56%.