“Flu” is a generic term for a respiratory infection produced by several distinct influenza viruses, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). More than 200,000 people are hospitalized and about 36,000 people die from the flu in the United States each year.

What you eat after you’ve had the stomach flu may help improve lingering symptoms faster. MayoClinic.com states that allowing your stomach to settle and easing back into a regular diet are two lifestyle choices that can help your digestive system repair itself.

More than 1 million people in the United States have HIV and must take common cold risks into consideration to maintain their health. HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus, attacks the immune system by binding with cells responsible for fighting infections in the body.

Your ear consists of three parts: an outer, middle and inner ear. The middle eardrum has a tube extending from it called the Eustachian tube that normally has a small amount of mucus inside. However, fluid drainage from other parts of the head, such as the nose, can lead to fluid buildup in this compartment.

The common cold is the result of a virus that attacks the body. The three most common symptoms of a cold are nasal congestion, runny nose and sneezing, says MedlinePlus. It is usually accompanied by a fever less than 102 degrees F, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

According to MedlinePlus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, sciatica refers to pain, weakness, numbness and tingling that occurs down the back of one or both legs after a spinal nerve is compressed.

On January 17, 2008 the FDA issued an official public health advisory recommending that over-the-counter cough and cold medications not be used in children under age 2. Such medications have not been proven safe or effective in children of this age group.

The flu is a contagious respiratory disease that affects millions of Americans each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some people-including the elderly, young children, pregnant women and people with certain kinds of medical problems are at high risk for complications of flu.

A stuffy nose is one of the more uncomfortable symptoms of a cold or the flu. Decongestants are over-the-counter medications used to relieve nasal congestion. Some are taken by mouth, while others are sprayed into the nose. Afrin is a brand of oxymetazoline spray, a topical nasal decongestant.

Disease has always plagued living things. Some diseases are passed from one person to the next through infections such as influenza. Others develop because of environmental problems such as smoking or through cellular mutation. The medical community works to understand and treat all forms of human disease.

Coughing is a brain-controlled reflex that clears mucus and particulate matter from the airways. Nerves in the airways and chest connect with the cough center in the brain to trigger the reflex.

Tamiflu is an antiviral medication used to prevent the flu in exposed individuals. It is also used to shorten the duration of the flu virus in patients who have had flu symptoms for less than two days. It is available with a doctor’s prescription as an oral suspension or in capsules.