What causes flu *season*?

[CZroe]

You can catch the flu year-round. I've heard people say that flu season is triggered by the cold temperatures reducing your immune system's effectiveness. That isn't what happened this year because the temperatures have been abnormally warm and yet we are on the brink of a pandemic before the normal flu season has even begun (Normally peaks in February). So what is it TRUELY caused by? Why does the flu tend to spread in winter? More people closed up in doors together?

 

[Kalvin00]

I've always thought since you're cold often, your immune system doesn't work as well. I don't really buy the being closed indoors thing.

 

[minendo]

Colder weather leads to more confined groups seeking warmth. With these more confined groups there is an increased number of people for one infected person to infect.

 

[matt426malm]

One guy gets off a boat from somewhere takes a sh** and starts shaking everyone's hand without washing his hands.

 

[LAUST]

I always wondered the same thing too.

 

[SilentZero]

But how does this whole "cold weather" idea hold up when you live in hot climates all year round? I live in Hawaii and people here dread the flu season. I asked the same question a few weeks ago at work and no one knew the answer.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Flu season is when the viruses become active. They have an internal seasonal clock that triggers their main infection around this time of year. The reason is that if they were always infecting people, we would have better immune defense, so their system allows us to become weak. Amazing but true.







I made that up, but it souds reasonable doesn't it?

 

[CZroe]

Originally posted by: LAUST
I always wondered the same thing too.. but also

<--- has not had a flu shot since I can remember and has not had the flu since I was 12.. the one I did have when I was 12 was a good one though, had to go into the hospitol for an IV cause everything I drank came right back up, had no ability to hydrate.. after that time, never had it again in almost 20 years now 🙂

Wow. I get it almost every year. It's been a while since I threw up though (Perhaps three years). 23yrs old

 

[MrScott81]

Originally posted by: CZroe

Originally posted by: LAUST
I always wondered the same thing too.. but also

<--- has not had a flu shot since I can remember and has not had the flu since I was 12.. the one I did have when I was 12 was a good one though, had to go into the hospitol for an IV cause everything I drank came right back up, had no ability to hydrate.. after that time, never had it again in almost 20 years now 🙂

Wow. I get it almost every year. It's been a while since I threw up though (Perhaps three years). 23yrs old

I don't think you get the flu almost every year, you probably just catch a cold...most people confuse the common cold with the flu.

 

[CZroe]

Originally posted by: scottdog81

Originally posted by: CZroe

Originally posted by: LAUST
I always wondered the same thing too.. but also

<--- has not had a flu shot since I can remember and has not had the flu since I was 12.. the one I did have when I was 12 was a good one though, had to go into the hospitol for an IV cause everything I drank came right back up, had no ability to hydrate.. after that time, never had it again in almost 20 years now 🙂

Wow. I get it almost every year. It's been a while since I threw up though (Perhaps three years). 23yrs old

I don't think you get the flu almost every year, you probably just catch a cold...most people confuse the common cold with the flu.

No, I mean fever, exhaustion, bed, and coughing up gallons of crap. At least 2 out of three years and I probably missed my break last time (Which is why I can't remember when I last missed my flu). I probably should have gone to the hospital this time but I didn't own a thermometer after my last move. Not that I would have been able to take my temperature... I was bed-ridden (Couldn't even get up for water). I was alone for 16hrs at a time and never left the room. Last year I had another three-day flu and was still coughing up stuff from it two weeks later. The year before that was when I threw up last. It was flu. That covers my 20s. I can't remember my flu history much farther, but I know I've had it at least 7 times throughout my teenage years, two were bronchitis. I have a twin brother and I cought it every time he did so that sort of doubled my chances I guess 🙂

 

[Kadarin]

School and other activities that bring lots of people in close contact with each other for extended periods of time.

 

[Spencer278]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
Flu season is when the viruses become active. They have an internal seasonal clock that triggers their main infection around this time of year. The reason is that if they were always infecting people, we would have better immune defense, so their system allows us to become weak. Amazing but true.







I made that up, but it souds reasonable doesn't it?

Lol when I was reading that I was think how the hell can a a strand of RNA or DNA and not much more know what season it is.

 

[Gravity]

I know it sux. One of my people was down for 2 weeks with it.

 

[OverVolt]

Originally posted by: CZroe

Originally posted by: scottdog81

Originally posted by: CZroe

Originally posted by: LAUST
I always wondered the same thing too.. but also

<--- has not had a flu shot since I can remember and has not had the flu since I was 12.. the one I did have when I was 12 was a good one though, had to go into the hospitol for an IV cause everything I drank came right back up, had no ability to hydrate.. after that time, never had it again in almost 20 years now 🙂

Wow. I get it almost every year. It's been a while since I threw up though (Perhaps three years). 23yrs old

I don't think you get the flu almost every year, you probably just catch a cold...most people confuse the common cold with the flu.

No, I mean fever, exhaustion, bed, and coughing up gallons of crap. At least 2 out of three years and I probably missed my break last time (Which is why I can't remember when I last missed my flu). I probably should have gone to the hospital this time but I didn't own a thermometer after my last move. Not that I would have been able to take my temperature... I was bed-ridden (Couldn't even get up for water). I was alone for 16hrs at a time and never left the room. Last year I had another three-day flu and was still coughing up stuff from it two weeks later. The year before that was when I threw up last. It was flu. That covers my 20s. I can't remember my flu history much farther, but I know I've had it at least 7 times throughout my teenage years, two were bronchitis. I have a twin brother and I cought it every time he did so that sort of doubled my chances I guess 🙂

stay away form me Mr. infectious 😀

I'm 16 but i don't ever remember having the flu, maybe when i was little i remember having headaches and fevers and puking my brains out, so far i haven't really noticed anything except about 1/2 the kids at school are out

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: minendo
Colder weather leads to more confined groups seeking warmth. With these more confined groups there is an increased number of people for one infected person to infect.

ding, ding, ding.

It has nothing to do with cold weather just more animals congregating together more closely.

-edit- and yeah flu is nothing like the common cold. Shaking, muscle aches, high fever, severe fatigue, dehydration, etc do NOT occur with a cold.

 

[vi edit]

When I get the flu, it's not so much because of the temp being cold, it's more because of very volitle temperatures. Like 65 one day, 15 the next, then back up to 50 the next day, down to 20 again the next, so on and so forth for a month or two.

It's those random and drastic temp changes that just wreck havoc on me.

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
When I get the flu, it's not so much because of the temp being cold, it's more because of very volitle temperatures. Like 65 one day, 15 the next, then back up to 50 the next day, down to 20 again the next, so on and so forth for a month or two.

It's those random and drastic temp changes that just wreck havoc on me.

For healthy individuals temperature changes have nothing to do with getting infected by an influenza virus.

 

[ClueLis]

Originally posted by: SilentZero
But how does this whole "cold weather" idea hold up when you live in hot climates all year round? I live in Hawaii and people here dread the flu season. I asked the same question a few weeks ago at work and no one knew the answer.

All the sick vacationers from cold climates arrive. 😉