Viral Care

Virus – What Is It?

Viruses are one of the most mysterious microorganisms discovered to date, which are materials of either DNA or RNA with a protein surrounding coat. It may sound mysterious because they are capable of reproducing on their own. They only come to life once they are inside the body of a host such as us humans. And this is when they turn their notorious side up, causing many forms of infection.

However, you may have a bad image of a virus, but it is not exactly like that. You see, some viruses are even good for us and the environment because of the different roles they have. You may be surprised to know that some viruses protect us from other harmful microorganisms.

Despite this, viruses are known to cause many infections and disorders in humans. Let us learn about the types of viral infections first.

Virus Infections – The Different Types

1. Respiratory Infections

These are the sort of infections that affect the lungs, nose, and throat. Usually, the infections we have are inhaled from the nose or the mouth as they are present in the air.

Some examples of such viruses are-

• Rhinovirus, the most common virus, as some of you may know, causes the common cold.
• Seasonal influenza causes flu-like symptoms and severe body pain along with fatigue.
• Respiratory syncytial virus, or the RSV known to cause severe infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia.

2. Skin Infections

Skin infections caused by certain viruses usually cause rashes, which can cause a lot of itching and pain. Some of the most common issues include-

• Mumps usually affects children up to 10 years of age.
• Herpes simplex virus, which is known to cause cold sores. It usually transmits through sexual or intimate contact or by taking infected food.
• Varicella zoster virus causes itching, blisters, fatigue, along high fever. As you may know, it commonly causes the chicken pox.

3. Sexually Transmitted Viral Infections

Sexual transmission usually occurs during intimacy through kissing or when having sex. Some of the common examples include-

• HPV that causes genital warts or cervical cancer.
• Hepatitis B is usually a condition affecting the liver.
• The genital herpes virus causes painful sores in the genitals.
• HIV typically affects the immune system in our bodies.

4. Other Viral Infections

• EPV virus that usually causes signs such as fatigue, fever, swelling of lymph nodes,
• West Nile Virus is known to be transmitted through mosquitoes.
• Viral meningitis is a form of inflammation affecting the brain and the spinal cord.

Symptoms

Of course, there are symptoms and a lot of them that may occur usually when you have some form of viral infection. Let us give you an idea about some of the common signs you can notice during any infection or viral disorder-

• High fever
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Sore throat
• Stomach pain
• Coughing
• Runny nose
• Stuffy nose
• Skin rashes
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Muscle aches
• Chills
• Seizures
• Bladder function problems
• Indigestion
• Sleepiness
• Confusion

As you can see, some of the issues are common with other types of infections, those that are caused by bacteria or even fungi. As the symptoms may seem too generic, it is highly important to get to the doctor to get vital advice.

Prevention

• Getting vaccinated during childhood.
• Even adults who seem to be prone to viral infections during seasonal changes can get immunity booster vaccines.
• Washing hands regularly
• Avoid touching the nose and the mouth with dirty hands.
• Getting enough sleep
• Avoiding direct contact with people who have such infections or even avoiding the use of common and shared items such as utensils, combs, and food.
• Practice safe sex practices, such as condoms, when having sex
• Avoiding the use of unhygienic syringes or needles
• Watch out from having contaminated food and water.

Common Medicines To Cure Viral Infections

Of course, there are a lot of medicines to cure viral infections. Most common issues, like the common cold or chicken pox, are fully curable under any condition or age of the patient within just a few days.

But having said that, sometimes, viral infections can be very severe beyond the point of complete recovery, such as severe HIV or genital herpes. Here, use of medicines can only check the disorder from getting even worse.

Some of the common antiviral drugs are-

• Adefovir
• Ritonavir
• Acyclovir
• Cidofovir
• Ribavirin