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The flu — influenza — is a respiratory infection caused by viruses. Millions
of Americans get it each year. Sometimes it is mild; it can also be serious or
deadly, **especially for people over 65, newborn babies, and people with
certain chronic illnesses**.
It spreads when someone with flu coughs, sneezes or talks, spraying tiny
droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. Less often, by
touching a contaminated surface and then your mouth, nose or eyes.
Cold or flu
| Cold | Flu | |
|---|---|---|
| Start of symptoms | Slowly | Suddenly |
| Fever | Rarely | Usually |
| Aches | Sometimes, slight | Usually |
| Fatigue, weakness | Sometimes | Usually |
| Headache | Rarely | Common |
| Stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat | Common | Sometimes |
How it started is the most useful line in that table, because you know it
before any of the others have declared themselves.
Flu symptoms: fever or chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose,
muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue. **Vomiting and diarrhoea are more
common in children.**
And one piece of vocabulary: "stomach flu" is not the flu. It is
gastroenteritis, a different illness entirely.
Complications
Some are serious or life-threatening: **bronchitis, ear infection, sinus
infection, pneumonia**, and inflammation of the **heart (myocarditis), brain
(encephalitis) or muscle tissue (myositis, rhabdomyolysis)**.
The flu also worsens chronic problems — people with asthma may have asthma
attacks while they have it.
More likely to have complications: **adults 65 and older, pregnant women,
children under 5**, and people with chronic conditions such as asthma,
diabetes and heart disease.
Diagnosis and treatment
Diagnosis starts with a medical history and your symptoms. Tests swab inside
the nose or the back of the throat. **Quick tests give results in 15–20
minutes but are less accurate**; other tests take an hour or several hours.
Most people recover on their own without medical care. With a mild case,
stay home and avoid contact with others except to get medical care.
Contact your provider if you have flu symptoms and are in a high-risk
group, are very ill, or are worried. Antiviral medicines can make the
illness milder, shorten it, and prevent serious complications — and **they
usually work best started within 2 days of getting sick**, which is why the
decision to call cannot wait out the first week.
Prevention
The best way to prevent the flu is a flu vaccine every year, plus good
habits: covering your cough and washing your hands often.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, via MedlinePlus.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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