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Influenza — flu — is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can be mild or severe, and sometimes fatal.
Symptoms
Flu symptoms usually come on suddenly. People with flu often have some or all of:
- fever or feeling feverish, and chills — though not everyone with flu has a fever;
- cough;
- sore throat;
- runny or stuffy nose;
- muscle or body aches;
- headaches;
- fatigue;
- vomiting and diarrhoea in some people, more often children than adults.
Cold or flu?
Both are respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses.
| Cold | Flu | |
|---|---|---|
| Onset | gradual | abrupt |
| Fever | rare | common; lasts 3–4 days |
| Aches | slight | common; often severe |
| Chills | uncommon | fairly common |
| Fatigue, weakness | sometimes | usual |
| Sneezing | common | sometimes |
| Chest discomfort, cough | mild to moderate; hacking cough | common; can be severe |
| Stuffy nose | common | sometimes |
| Sore throat | common | sometimes |
| Headache | rare | common |
Flu and COVID-19 are also both contagious respiratory illnesses caused by different viruses; CDC compares them on its flu and COVID-19 page. Several tests can detect influenza viruses.
Complications
Most people recover within a few days to under two weeks, but some develop complications, some of them life-threatening.
- Moderate: sinus and ear infections.
- Serious: pneumonia, from the flu virus alone or from flu together with bacteria; inflammation of the heart (myocarditis), brain (encephalitis) or muscles (myositis, rhabdomyolysis); and failure of several organs, such as the lungs and kidneys. Flu infection of the airways can also set off an extreme inflammatory response that leads to sepsis, the body's life-threatening reaction to infection.
- Worsening of chronic illness: people with asthma may have attacks while they have flu, and flu can worsen chronic heart disease.
Who is at higher risk
Anyone, even a healthy person, can get flu and have serious problems at any age. But some people are more likely to develop serious complications:
- people 65 and older;
- people of any age with certain chronic conditions, such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease;
- pregnant women;
- children under 5, and especially under 2.
More on people at increased risk.
Emergency warning signs
Get medical care right away for any of these.
Children
- fast breathing or trouble breathing;
- bluish lips or face;
- ribs pulling in with each breath;
- chest pain;
- severe muscle pain — the child refuses to walk;
- dehydration — no urine for 8 hours, dry mouth, no tears when crying;
- not alert or not interacting when awake;
- seizures;
- fever above 104 °F not controlled by fever-reducing medicine;
- any fever in a baby younger than 12 weeks;
- fever or cough that gets better and then returns or worsens;
- worsening of a chronic medical condition.
Adults
- difficulty breathing or shortness of breath;
- lasting pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen;
- lasting dizziness, confusion, or being unable to wake;
- seizures;
- not urinating;
- severe muscle pain;
- severe weakness or unsteadiness;
- fever or cough that gets better and then returns or worsens;
- worsening of a chronic medical condition.
These lists are not complete. Check with a health care provider about any other symptom that is severe or worrying.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Signs and Symptoms of Flu. Its stock photograph is left out.
Licens: CC0 1.0 (allmän egendom) · Bearbetat efter www.cdc.gov
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