*As of the most recent update from the CDC ending Week 45, flu season 2020/2021 shows low activity of influenza in all major regions of the United States.
If you develop a fever, 100.4° or higher is common with the flu—but it should last for 48 hours or less. If your fever climbs to 102° or higher and lasts longer, you may have pneumonia. Both illnesses cause chills and sweating.
When the flu requires emergency medical careAlthough the ER should only be utilized by those who are very sick, there are severe flu symptoms that may warrant a trip to the ER. If you're in a high-risk group and are experiencing symptoms like fever, chills or body aches, seek medical care immediately.
What to expect with the flu
- Days 1–3: Sudden appearance of fever, headache, muscle pain and weakness, dry cough, sore throat and sometimes a stuffy nose.
- Day 4: Fever and muscle aches decrease. Hoarse, dry or sore throat, cough and possible mild chest discomfort become more noticeable.
- Day 8: Symptoms decrease.
Stay on top of flu season by getting a flu vaccination and you can also get the pneumococcal vaccine to cover the bases of attracting bacterial pneumonia. Other basic immune boosting habits can also help prevent respiratory infections. Maintain healthy sleep habits and constantly wash your hands.
What is Influenza (Flu)? Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.
In rare cases, the flu can be deadly. Left untreated, the flu can cause: ear infection. diarrhea.
The influenza virus primarily attacks your respiratory tract: your nose, throat, and the tubes that lead to your lungs. So symptoms like a runny nose, a phlegmy cough, and a sore throat all make a lot of sense. But the flu is so much more than that.
What Are the Most Common Complications? They include viral or bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, and ear infections and sinus infections, especially in children. The flu can worsen long-term medical conditions, like congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.
Period of ContagiousnessPeople with flu are most contagious in the first 3-4 days after their illness begins. Some otherwise healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick.
9 Ways to Help You Feel Better
- Get extra rest.
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Breathe moist air to help clear a stuffy nose.
- Elevate your head at night with an extra pillow if coughing keeps you awake.
- Try an over-the-counter medicine to help relieve your cough.
- Try acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve body aches and headache or to lower fever.
Most people with the flu have mild illness and do not need medical care or antiviral drugs. If you get sick with flu symptoms, in most cases, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care.
Yes, you can get the flu more than once a yearYes, it's possible to get the flu more than once a year, or even more than once a season. The main reason is that there are many different varieties of the flu virus. Influenza viruses come in four main types: A, B, C, and D.
You can't cure colds or the flu, but you can relieve the cough and sore throat that sometimes come with them.
- Use cough drops or hard candy.
- Try a teaspoon of honey.
- Drink up.
- Heat up that drink.
- Use cough medicine.
- Use a decongestant.
- Breathe in steam.
About a week. Typically, you're contagious from 1 day before you have any symptoms. You stay that way for 5 to 7 days after you start feeling sick. The virus can be spread until symptoms disappear.
Several over-the-counter medications can help ease the symptoms of influenza. These are available from drug stores. In severe cases, a doctor may prescribe a course of antiviral drugs. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) are drugs that doctors may use to treat type A or type B influenza.
Unlike type A flu viruses, type B flu is found only in humans. Type B flu may cause a less severe reaction than type A flu virus, but occasionally, type B flu can still be extremely harmful. Influenza type B viruses are not classified by subtype and do not cause pandemics.
Influenza B symptoms
- fever.
- chills.
- sore throat.
- coughing.
- runny nose and sneezing.
- fatigue.
- muscle aches and body aches.
Influenza A viruses are classified by subtypes based on the properties of their hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) surface proteins. There are 18 different HA subtypes and 11 different NA subtypes. Subtypes are named by combining the H and N numbers – e.g., A(H1N1), A(H3N2).
It is possible to get the flu twice during the same flu season. Since there are two types of flu strains – influenza A and influenza B – if you get influenza A, you can also get influenza B.
