Do you have Flu?
Flu is an acute respiratory illness, which usually causes high fever, severe weakness and fatigue. It makes you feel very sick, more than a normal cold.
The new flu virus can spread quickly from person to person through coughs and sneezes. If you are close to a person with flu you can breathe them in and become infected. The virus can also be passed from surfaces like door handles and hand rails.
How will I know if I have got flu?
First of all you need to check the symptoms you are having. Flu begins very suddenly, within a few hours of feeling well. The symptoms include:
- a fever of 38 C or 100.4 F that begins very suddenly
- severe tiredness
- a cough
- a sore throat
- muscle aches and pains
- a runny nose
- a headache
- Some people have vomiting and diarrhoea
If you have a fever, are severely tired or weak and have these other symptoms, you are likely to have the flu. Since there is so much flu circulating now, doctors will not be performing lab tests on all cases of flu - only on people with severe illness or in at-risk groups. So, any confirmed flu symptoms will be diagnosed as probable Swine Flu and treated accordingly.
It can be difficult at times to distinguish between the common cold and influenza. The main difference is that the symptoms of influenza come on rapidly and are typically accompanied by muscle aches and a fever.
The common cold has a more gradual onset and is associated with a runny nose and sneezing. An important additional feature of Swine Flu is that diarrhoea and vomiting occur occasionally.
How to Manage Colds and Flu at Home
What should I do if I get sick?
If you get sick with a flu-like illness, phone the HSE automated Flu Information Line on Free phone 1800 94 11 00. This is available 24 hours a day, and has detailed advice on symptoms and how to care for yourself or someone else at home. Listen to the symptoms of the flu and the advice on caring for someone at home. Most people with flu are able to recover at home within a week without needing anti-viral medicine or medical care.
This flu mostly causes a mild to moderate illness. It is uncomfortable but most people do not need treatment with anti-viral medicine and are able to recover at home within a few days.
- Stay at home for up to 7 days or until you fully recover, do not go to work or school while ill
- Rest in bed as much as possible
- Take medicines such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to reduce the symptoms
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Discourage any visitors
- Contact your GP surgery by telephone if you don't improve, or if you start to improve and then get worse
People who have very severe symptoms, or are in one of the high risk groups should contact their GP/family doctor by telephone if they get the flu.
People in high risk groups include:
- People whose immune system is reduced by disease or medication.
- People with chronic lung, heart, kidney, liver or neurological disease.
- People with Diabetes mellitus.
- People aged 65 years and older.
- Children under 5 years.
- People on medication for asthma.
- Severely obese people (Body Mass Index of 40 or more).
- Pregnant women.
- People with Haemoglobinopathies.
If you are in one of these groups and get flu symptoms, you should phone your GP surgery; your GP will decide if you need treatment. The GP may arrange for you to be seen at their surgery or may arrange a home visit. If the GP diagnoses you with flu, and you need anti-viral medicine, it can be picked up from any pharmacy free of charge on prescription.
If you are an adult and you have taken the basic care steps outlined above and you start to feel worse, or if after a few days you are not feeling better, you may need more advice from your doctor. Contact your GP surgery by phone if you notice:
- Shortness of breath at rest or while doing very little.
- Painful or difficult breathing.
- Coughing up bloody sputum.
- Drowsiness, disorientation or confusion.
- Fever for 4-5 days and not starting to get better (or getting worse).
- Starting to feel better then developing high fever and feeling unwell again.
- Chest pain
- Turning blue
If you are caring for a child you should contact your doctor by phone if you have taken the steps above and are still concerned that the child shows any of the following symptoms:
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing.
- Bluish skin colour.
- Not drinking enough fluids.
- Not waking up or not interacting.
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held.
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough.
- Fever with a rash.
In summary
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Pandemic Flu Symptoms Include:
- Sudden Onset of Symptoms
- High Fever - Temperature over 38ºC/100.4ºF
- Prominent Headache
- Aches and pains - often severe
- Fatigue, weakness can be prolonged for a number of weeks
- Extreme exhaustion -early and prominent
- Runny nose, sneezing, sore throat - common
- cough -common, can be severe
- Vomiting/diarrhoea - sometimes
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Common Cold Symptoms Include:
- Slow Onset of Symptoms
- Fever - rare
- Headache - rare
- General aches and pains - rare
- Fatigue, weakness - quite mild
- Extreme exhaustion- never
- Runny nose - common
- Sneezing - usual
- Sore throat - common
- Cough - mild to moderate hacking cough
- Vomiting/diarrhoea- not associated with the common cold in adults
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