Community Health - Symptoms of the Flu
Symptoms of flu:
- Fever (over 100°F)
- Body aches
- Chills
- Dry Cough
- Headaches
- Sore Throat
- Stuffy Nose
The flu rarely causes symptoms in the stomach and intestines, but some people, usually children, do get vomiting and diarrhea with the flu. The new H1N1 flu virus seems a little different than typical flu in that in has caused some stomach and intestinal upset. Roughly 25% of those who have gotten the H1N1 pandemic flu virus had nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea with their illness.
A person usually gets over all the symptoms within 2 to 7 days.
Complications of Flu Influenza can weaken the lungs, making it easier to get a bacterial or viral infection that can cause pneumonia. Complications often occur when a person seems to be getting better. The new symptoms come on suddenly:
- High fever,
- Shaking chills,
- Chest pain (with each breath), and
- Coughing that produces thick yellow-green mucus.
Pneumonia is serious and can be life threatening. If you have these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.
Children and flu Children can also experience:
- Convulsions caused by fever,
- Croup, and
- Ear infections.
Reye’s syndrome is another complication that can appear in children and teens who are recovering from the flu. It usually begins with vomiting, and then progresses to changes in mental state, such as confusion or disordered speech. Reye’s syndrome is seen in young persons who have taken aspirin to relieve symptoms of the flu. For that reason, aspirin products are not recommended for children. Contact your health care provider before giving aspirin to a child.
Newborns that have been in intensive care units are particularly vulnerable to complications if they become infected with a flu virus.
How Flu Spreads You can get influenza from a person infected with the virus who coughs or sneezes within several feet of you. The virus passes through the air on droplets of saliva that can enter your body through your nose or mouth when you breathe in.
You can also get the flu by touching surfaces that were recently touched by someone who had the virus on their hands. If you touch that surface then touch your nose or mouth, you can give the virus a way into your body. The risk for being infected goes up in highly populated areas, such as airports or schools. A person who is infected with an influenza virus is usually contagious one day before symptoms start and up to 7 days after symptoms appear.
