Symptoms and signs of influenza can include:
- Upset stomach, diarrhea or vomiting
- Chills
- Headache
- Body aches
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Fever (38°C temperature or higher)
It can typically take up to three days to experience the symptoms after you’ve caught the flu virus.
The duration of the most severe symptoms can take about five days; the coughing, on the other hand, can take as long as two to three weeks.
Warning Signs
You may need to immediately go to the hospital if you exhibit:
- Signs of serious illnesses like meningococcal disease (which can entail symptoms like photophobia or dislike of bright lights, stiff neck, vomiting, sleepiness, severe headache and sometimes, rash)
- Convulsions or seizures
- Bluish or purple discoloration of your toes, fingers, skin or lips
- Chest pain or breathing difficulties
- Severe shaking or chills
- High fever that is persistent especially if you are pregnant
Be also on the lookout for dehydration signs such as irregular passing of urine and dizziness when standing.
You may need to call your doctor if someone you know is confused, unusually quiet or less responsive than normal.
Warning Signs for Babies and Young Children
If you see a child or baby grunting, wheezing or if his breathing is noisy or fast, you may need to bring him to a doctor. You need to see if the region below his ribs sucks inward (rather than typically expanding) as the child breathes in.
You need to urgently see the doctor if your child/baby looks:
- Dehydrated – This means he may shed not tears when crying or has dry nappies
- Unable to move or limp
- Very irritable and not wanting to be held
- Difficult to wake up or drowsy
- Very pale
If the child has symptoms of other severe conditions like meningococcal disease (symptoms can include rash, dislike of bright lights, stiff neck and severe headache, and even vomiting and sleepiness), then you need to bring him to the hospital immediately.
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