The 4 seasonal sickies that makes our lives miserable - and how to avoid them

FLU

Flu, or influenza, is a respiratory infection caused by a virus that affects the nose, throat and lungs. It is contagious and spreads easily through droplets generated by coughing and sneezing. A bout of flu feels worse than a common cold and, while most people usually recover in a week or two, it can lead to serious complications like bronchitis and pneumonia. It can also be dangerous for vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly, or people with pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms often come on within a few hours, and include headaches, high fever, chills, a dry cough, muscle aches, sore throat, a runny or blocked nose and severe tiredness.Those affected are often too unwell to perform daily activities.

What can you do?

The best way to avoid getting the flu is to stay away from anyone who is ill, especially if you are in a vulnerable group. It's also a good idea to wash your hands regularly to prevent the spread of germs. The best way to safeguard yourself is to have your annual flu jab if you are eligible. You can aid your recovery by drinking plenty of water, staying warm, taking paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower your temperature and treat aches and pains. If you have a lung condition, it's important to keep taking your usual medicines as prescribed and follow your action plan or self-management plan.

When to get help:

See your GP if symptoms persist for longer than two weeks, if they make you breathless, or if your respiratory condition is worse than normal. Call 999 if you get sudden chest pain or feel short of breath - or if you find it hard to breathe or you cough up blood.

RSV

RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus and levels usually peak during the winter. While most cases are mild, RSV can sometimes lead to complications, particularly among babies, older adults and people with some pre-existing medical conditions. This virus enters the body through the eyes, nose or mouth, because it spreads easily through the air via infected respiratory droplets. You can become infected through contact with someone who has the virus or if someone with RSV coughs or sneezes near you. Although it is more common among infants under the age of two, anyone can get RSV, including young children and older adults, particularly those over the age of 60.

What are the symptoms?

While for most people symptoms are similar to that of a cold, such as a runny nose, headache, fever, coughing, sneezing and tiredness, RSV is not the same as a cold. You can suffer from worse symptoms such as laboured breathing, wheezing and a fever. Young infants may become irritable, lose their appetite or have difficulty breathing. It can sometimes lead to pneumonia, bronchiolitis or inflammation of the small airways in the lungs, which can be life-threatening.

What can you do?

The RSV vaccine is the most effective way to protect yourself or your baby from catching it and it is available for free on the NHS for those who are eligible. You can get the vaccine if you are aged 75 to 79. If you are 28 or more weeks pregnant, the vaccine helps to protect your baby for their first few months after they are born. When treating RSV at home, take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower your or your child's temperature. Use salt water (saline) nasal spray or solution to rinse the inside of your or your child's nose if it is blocked and stay upright as much as possible while awake. This will make it easier for you or your child to breathe.

When to get urgent help:

If your child has RSV and a temperature over 38C or a dry nappy for 12 hours seek urgent medical attention. Dial 999 if there are severe breathing difficulties or if their skin or lips turn blue. If your child has asthma and their reliever inhaler is not helping also call 999. RSV is a high risk to people over 75. It can also be more severe in those with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), weakened immune systems and frailty.

PNEUMONIA

Pneumonia is a type of chest infection which affects the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs. When you have it, these air sacs get swollen and fill with fluid, which make it harder for you to breathe. It is usually caused by a bacterial infection or a virus. Bacterial pneumonia usually happens when you are already sick, and the body is weaker. Viral pneumonia is caused by viruses like flu or RSV.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms are similar to flu and may come on suddenly, over one or two days, or more slowly over a few days. Common symptoms include a dry cough or coughing up yellow, green, brown or blood-stained mucus, feeling weak, tired and generally ill, feeling like you cannot catch your breath, a lack of appetite, fast heartbeat, sweating and shivering. You may also feel wheezy, be confused, have low blood pressure, joint or muscle pain, nausea or vomiting, or sharp chest pain when breathing.

What can you do?

The main treatment for bacterial pneumonia is antibiotics. You should rest, drink plenty of water and you can take paracetamol to help if you have chest pain. If you do not start to feel better after three days, contact your GP as you may need to try different antibiotics. In more severe cases of bacterial pneumonia, you may be too ill to be treated at home and may need to go into hospital, especially if you are too ill to drink and take tablets. You then might need fluids and antibiotics through a drip and oxygen if struggling to breathe.

When to get help:

See your GP if you think you have a chest infection, especially if you have a lung condition such as asthma or COPD. These conditions cause inflammation in your airways and chest infections make your airways even more inflamed, so it's important to get help early. Dial 999 if struggling to breathe, coughing up blood, your lips, tongue or face turn blue, you feel cold and sweaty, your skin is pale or blotchy, if you have a rash that won't fade when you roll a glass over it, you collapse or faint, become confused or very sleepy, or if you stop urinating or are urinating less than usual.

COVID

Most people infected with it will experience mild symptoms and recover without needing special treatment. However, some people can become seriously ill and require medical attention. Covid can spread easily between people. You may catch it if someone with the virus is talking to you, or coughs and sneezes near you. New variants Stratus and Nimbus are now the most common being passed around in the UK.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms include a high temperature or shivering, a new continuous cough, a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste, feeling tired or exhausted, shortness of breath, headaches, aching body, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite and diarrhoea. Most people feel better within a few days or weeks, but for some it can take longer to recover. Covid can be more serious, requiring hospitalisation. There could be the development of long Covid, where symptoms last for more than 12 weeks. If you have a lung condition, or have had a lung transplant, you may be more at risk of becoming very ill. But research shows that for most people the risk is now much lower than it was when the pandemic started, due to weaker strains of the virus, vaccination and increased immunity from previous infections.

What can you do?

Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you or your child has symptoms and either have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or school. Get lots of rest, drink plenty of water and take paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain relief. Covid vaccines and boosters have stopped most people getting seriously ill and have kept many out of hospital since the height of the pandemic. Most people no longer need extra doses of the vaccine, so the NHS now only offers boosters to people who will benefit most from them. This includes adults aged 75 years and over, elderly residents in care homes, and individuals aged six months and over or who are immunosuppressed. If you belong to one of these groups, you should get a text, email or letter inviting you for your Covid-19 vaccine twice a year, once in spring and once in early winter. If you have not been invited and think you should have been, contact your GP surgery.

When to get help:

Dial 999 if you or your child gets sudden chest pain or if you feel very breathless or have difficulty breathing - in babies and young children their tummy may suck in under their ribs, or they may have long pauses when breathing or make grunting noises. Also seek emergency help if you are coughing up blood, or you or your child have very pale, blue or grey lips or skin, or your baby or child is floppy or will not wake up or stay awake.

• Asthma + Lung UK has a free Winter Wellbeing Guide to help people stay well this winter. Sign up via asthmaandlung.org.uk/withyouthiswinter