Flu is a menacing infectious disease, triggered by a virus that affects the tissues in the lungs, throat, and nose in the human body. When these tissues are affected, symptoms like sore throat, headache, and a running nose are seen. The infection may take a severe turn in some instances. A recent study indicates flu can lead to the onset of heart attacks in people.

The revelations made by recent research on the link between the flu and heart attack

The study in question was carried out by a group of Ontario researchers. It indicates that having the flu can enhance your risk of contracting cardiac disorders. The findings of the research published in one of the most respected medical publications, namely the New England Journal of Medicine. The Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, researchers says they have detected a direct correlation between influenza or such acute respiratory infections and myocardial infarctions, which is called heart attacks.
Dr. Jeff Kwong, associated with the Toronto Western Hospital, said the discovery is not exactly groundbreaking. In his position serves as a Senior Scientist at the ICES. It was during the 1930s that the scientists had taken note of more people dying of heart attacks in the flu season. From that time, they have been trying to establish a link. However, obtaining the proof was hard given the fact that not all people exhibiting flu-like symptoms get infected by the flu virus.
Dr. Kwong, along with his colleagues, made use of a robust resource to establish their viewpoint. They used a health information database containing data of almost 13 million Ontarians. They found by analyzing collected data that individuals are six times more likely for developing a heart attack in the first week of flu diagnosis.
Dr. Kwong said on the topic, the study proves flu infection is a key factor that can trigger heart attacks. He added that people above 65 years should be immunized against flu to boost their defense against heart attacks. Other respiratory infections are also capable of leading to the onset of cardiac attacks, though not on the same scale of flu- found the study authors. The study findings also got support from others in the medical community.

Understanding the link between flu and heart attacks

While flu infection may not cause heart attacks in all affected people, it does enhance the risk, more so in people who are already coping with heart disorders. The heart experts are of the view, flu creates excess stress in the body, and those lead to the onset of cardiac complications eventually. Dr. Michael Blaha, clinical research director at Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, said myocardial infarction is often caused by systemic inflammation. Flu often leads to heart rate anomalies and elevated blood pressure- two factors that can worsen heart health.
How to reduce the risk of flu caused heart attacks
Now that the study has revealed direct links between flu and developing cardiac attacks, it is important for people to bolster their defense against the infection. The scientists think people experiencing heart symptoms should opt for medical evaluation, more so if these are found within the first week of flu infection.
Getting a flu vaccine is a must work for adults as it only protects them from the ailment, but reduces the risks of heart attacks to an extent. The vaccine does make an impact, as shown by previous studies. It has been seen that the flu vaccine reduces the chance of hospitalization and mortality risk — those who get vaccinated face fewer health complications as opposed to those who do not.

The first step in keeping flu away is taking the vaccine, and you also need to know the common symptoms. These are:

• High fever
• Muscle pain and joint ache
• Headache
• A sense of fatigue
• Dry cough
• Sore throat

If you are diagnosed with flu, taking the right medication is what matters, consult with a doctor. It is important to discuss with the doctor about any other medication (both OTC and prescription) you are taking.

Of course, there are other precautions that you can take to keep flu at bay.

These may sound very basic but are effective- say the doctors.

• Washing your hands and legs well are vital to keeping flu infection at bay, using lukewarm water with medicated soap is a good idea. You can also use a good antibacterial hand wash. Make sure you rub hands for over 15 seconds and lather well to wash off all traces of germs. When outside, you can use a medicated hand sanitizer spray to keep hands free of germs and contaminants.
• It is also important that you stay away from sick people. Avoid any kind of physical contact with such people.
• It is also better if you can keep the rooms and surroundings clean. Germs find it hard to thrive in places that are cleaned regularly.

Know when you should seek medical help

Even after getting the flu vaccine, you may still get infected. It depends on your immunity and a lot of other factors, too. You have to watch out for the symptoms, and if they worsen, seeking medical help is prudent. If the symptoms do not subside within three days, you should call a doctor. It is also necessary to seek medical help if you find the severity of symptoms fluctuating.