Here are flu symptoms to look out for:. To learn more about flu symptoms, visit our health encyclopedia. Illness related to a COVID infection can range from mild like the common cold to severe like the flu , which can make it difficult to tell the difference. Visit kp. Home treatment. Most flu symptoms can be handled with home remedies.
Learn what you can do to treat the flu from the comfort of home. What to Look Out For. Fever, sore throat, coughing, sneezing, headaches, chills, sneezing — these are all common symptoms of the flu. Unfortunately, many flu symptoms are also symptoms of something much more concerning in — COVID Feeling sick?
Take advantage of our new telehealth visits to speak with a doctor from the comfort of your home. The flu is something that we need to be wary of during the winter and early spring months, but this year, in particular, has been incredibly rough. The team at Medics USA, located in Washington DC, are going to go over a few of the symptoms that have been associated with the two most common strains of the flu going around. Unfortunately, this strain is incredibly contagious, making the fact it showed up earlier in the flu season even less desirable.
This strain is known as the respiratory version of the flu, so the signs and symptoms will differ a little from the influenza A signs and symptoms. As a whole, there are various symptoms associated with this particular strain of the flu including some of the following:.
But sometimes the flu can lead to a bacterial infection, such as an ear infection , a sinus infection , or bronchitis.
Less often, the flu may cause a more serious problem, such as pneumonia. Certain people are at higher risk of problems from the flu.
They include young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with long-term illnesses or with impaired immune systems that make it hard to fight infection.
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and examine you. This usually gives the doctor enough information to find out if you have the flu, especially if many cases of a similar illness have occurred in the area and the local health department reports a flu outbreak.
In some cases, the doctor may do a blood test or take a sample of fluid from your nose or throat to find out what type of flu virus you have. Most people can treat flu symptoms at home. Home treatment includes resting, drinking plenty of fluids, and taking medicine to lower your fever.
But some people need to go to the hospital for treatment. They may have severe symptoms or get pneumonia. Or the flu infection may make an existing health problem worse.
If you think you have the flu, your doctor may be able to give you medicine that can make the symptoms milder. It's best to start taking it within 2 days of your first symptoms. You can help prevent the flu by getting the flu vaccine every year.
It's best to get the vaccine as soon as it's available. The U. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months old and older should get a flu vaccine. The vaccine is especially important for people who are at higher risk of problems from the flu, including:.
The flu vaccine is also important for health care workers and anyone who lives or works with a person who is at higher risk of problems from the flu. The vaccine usually prevents most cases of the flu. But even if you do get the flu after you've had the vaccine, your symptoms will be milder and you'll have less chance of problems from the flu.
You cannot get the flu from the flu vaccine. Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. The flu is caused by the influenza virus. Common classes of the influenza virus are type A and type B, each of which includes several subtypes or strains. Type A is usually responsible for the annual outbreaks that typically occur in the late fall and early winter.
The influenza virus changes often, so having flu caused by one strain does not give you full immunity to other strains. The virus is spread from person to person through:. If you are infected with the flu, you are most likely to pass it to someone else from 1 day before symptoms start and up to 7 days after symptoms develop.
Children may be infectious for longer than 7 days after symptoms start. Symptoms usually develop 1 to 4 days after you are infected. Because symptoms may not develop for a couple of days, you may pass the flu to someone before you know you have it. The symptoms of influenza flu appear suddenly and often include:. Some people get infected with the flu virus but do not have any symptoms.
Influenza usually does not cause symptoms in the stomach or intestines, such as vomiting and diarrhea. Other conditions have symptoms similar to the flu, such as the common cold, bacterial infections, and infectious mononucleosis. Influenza flu usually comes on suddenly. In many cases people can pinpoint the hour when symptoms started.
Symptoms develop 1 to 4 days after you are infected, and they include:. Complete recovery may take 1 to 2 weeks or longer. Fatigue and weakness can last for several weeks. Complications of influenza may develop in anyone, but they are much more likely in older adults and people who have other health problems, especially heart and lung diseases. Anyone exposed to an influenza flu virus can become infected. These viruses are contagious and spread easily among people in groups, such as in nursing homes, hospitals, shelters, schools, and day cares.
Working, visiting, or living in any of these areas increases your risk of getting the flu. The risk of having severe symptoms and complications is higher for:. Call or other emergency services if:. In most healthy people, the flu will go away in 5 to 7 days, although fatigue can last much longer. You may feel very sick, but home treatment is usually all that is needed. If it's flu season, you may just want to treat your symptoms at home. Watch closely for symptoms of a bacterial infection, such as nasal drainage that changes from clear to colored after 5 to 7 days and symptoms that return or get worse.
Early treatment with an antiviral medicine may reduce the severity of influenza and may prevent serious flu-related complications. It's best to start these medicines right away. Babies, older adults, and people who have chronic health problems are more likely to have complications from the flu, and they may need to see a doctor for care beyond home treatment. But not all antiviral medicines work against all strains of the flu.
Talk to your doctor if you think you may need an antiviral medicine. Call your doctor if you think your symptoms are caused by something other than the flu. Doctors can diagnose influenza flu using your symptoms alone if many cases of a similar illness have occurred in the community and if the local health department has confirmed a flu outbreak. Tests to confirm you have the flu and to find out the type of virus may be important if:.
A rapid flu test gives results quickly. Although this test is not always correct, it can be useful when deciding whether to use an antiviral medicine. In most healthy people, influenza flu will go away in 5 to 7 days.
The worst symptoms usually last 3 to 4 days. Home treatment to ease symptoms and prevent complications is usually all that is needed. But some people need treatment in the hospital. People at high risk of complications are encouraged to contact a doctor within 48 hours of their first symptoms to find out whether they need medicine to shorten the illness. They also should call a doctor to receive medicine if they have been exposed to the flu.
You can help prevent influenza by getting immunized with an influenza vaccine each year as soon as it's available. There are different ways to get a flu vaccine. Ask your doctor what is right for you. These lists are not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptom that is severe or concerning. To receive weekly email updates about Seasonal Flu, enter your email address:. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.
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