With winter making its presence known early, many of you within the Stark County, Ohio area are weighing the pros and cons of getting immunizations. As soon as the seasons shift, the threat of the flu seems to be all around you. People will often warn others by saying, “I have the flu.” But do they really? Allergy Respiratory & Sleep Medicine specializes in such respiratory viruses, and takes the time to explain flu virus infections to citizens in the Canton, Ohio and North Canton, Ohio areas. If you’re curious about the importance of the flu vaccine or the immune response to influenza, read on to find out how this virus functions.

While people will often claim that they have the flu as soon as they start to experience flu-like symptoms, they’re most likely dealing with one of the 100+ other viruses that circulate throughout public places. We generally assume the worst when a group of people begin to feel ill and rush to tell others that there is a flu outbreak in our area. Rest assured that there’s no outbreak of influenza in the Stark County area now. At least not yet. The CDC monitors this very carefully, their recent figures showing “sub-epidemic virus infections,” but not actual influenza.

Unlike the names we give to hurricanes, strands of flu viruses are given names with letters and numbers as a means of identification—the most popular over the last few years being H3N2, H1N1 2009, H1N2 and Influenza B. Allergy Respiratory & Sleep Medicine explains that each virus is named based on the proteins that make up each one. Why is that important? Well, because it’s the exposure to different virus proteins that triggers our immune system’s need to make antibodies in order to attach to and deactivate a particular protein.

So, what happens when you are the unlucky victim of a flu virus infection? Unfortunately, with an infection, the virus proliferates before enough antibodies can be created in order to stop it early. Eventually the immune response to influenza kicks in and the antibodies win. After you get over your infection or you’ve had your vaccination response, the proteins of that particular virus are turned down very low. Your cells can then prevent that virus when you come in contact with it in the future.

The problem is when a new virus is introduced to the population that hasn’t been dealt with before. Allergy Respiratory & Sleep Medicine warns that if your immune system doesn’t recognize that virus, it could spread very rapidly. And in the worst case scenario, a virus showing high virulence in the human body could be a serious risk to all those infected.

Your best course of action? Well, Allergy Respiratory & Sleep Medicine encourages Canton and North Canton residents to look into immunizations in order to prevent infection. Since we’re unable to predict exactly which viruses will show up next, the current immunizations are your best defense. The importance of a flu vaccine lies in the fact that it is designed to protect against viruses that experts believe are most likely to appear.

With the threat of flu virus infection hanging over our heads, Allergy Respiratory & Sleep Medicine urges Stark County, Ohio residents to visit their local pharmacy or doctor’s office in North Canton, Ohio to get an immunization—just to be on the safe side. We’re not yet able to determine which virus will show up next, and our immune system response to influenza may not be enough to handle it. So, talk to a professional about the importance of a flu vaccine and how it can provide a good defense this winter. Want to learn more about respiratory viruses and treatments? Then visit Allergy Respiratory & Sleep Medicine’s website at www.allergyrespiratorycenter.com or give this Canton, Ohio office a call at 330.479.3333.