What are swine flu symptoms?
Symptoms of H1N1 swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Many people with swine flu have had diarrhea and vomiting. Nearly everyone with flu has at least two of these symptoms. But these symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions. That means that you and your doctor can’t know, just based on your symptoms, if you’ve got swine flu. Health care professionals may offer a rapid flu test, although a negative result doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have the flu. The accuracy of the test depends on the quality of the manufacturer’s test, the sample collection method, and how much viral sample a person is shedding at the time of testing.
Like seasonal flu, pandemic swine flu can cause neurologic symptoms in children. These events are rare, but, as cases associated with seasonal flu have shown, they can be very severe and often fatal. Symptoms include seizures or changes in mental status (confusion or sudden cognitive or behavioral changes). It’s not clear why these symptoms occur, although they may be caused by Reye’s syndrome. Reye’s syndrome usually occurs in children with a viral illness who have taken aspirin — something that should always be avoided.
Only lab tests can definitively show whether you’ve got swine flu. State health departments can do these tests. But given the large volume of samples coming in to state labs, these tests are being reserved for patients with severe flu symptoms. Currently, doctors are reserving antiviral drugs for people with or at risk of severe influenza.
Who is at highest risk from H1N1 swine flu?
Most U.S. cases of H1N1 swine flu have been in children and young adults. It’s not clear why, and it’s not clear whether this will change.
But certain groups are at particularly high risk of severe disease or bad outcomes if they get the flu:
Pregnant women are six times more likely to have severe flu disease than women who are not pregnant.
Young children, especially those under 2 years of age
People with cardiovascular conditions (except high blood pressure)
People with liver problems
People with kidney problems
People with blood disorders, including sickle cell disease
People with neurologic disorders
People with neuromuscular disorders
People with metabolic disorders, including diabetes
People with immune suppression, including HIV infection and medications that suppress the immune system, such as cancer chemotherapy or anti-rejection drugs for transplants
Residents of a nursing home or other chronic-care facility
Elderly people are at high risk of severe flu disease — if they get it. Relatively few swine flu cases have been seen in people over age 65.
People in these groups should seek medical care as soon as they get flu symptoms.
A striking number of adults who developed severe swine flu complications have been morbidly obese. However, obesity itself does not seem to be the issue. The vast majority of extremely obese people suffer respiratory problems and/or diabetes, which seem to be the underlying reason for their severe flu complications.
If I think I have swine flu, what should I do? When should I see my doctor?
If you have flu symptoms, stay home, and when you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. Afterward, throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands. That will help prevent your flu from spreading. If you can do it comfortably, wear a surgical mask if you must be around others.
If you have only mild flu symptoms, you do not need medical attention unless your illness gets worse. But if you are in one of the groups at high risk of severe disease, contact your doctor at the first sign of flu-like illness. In such cases, the CDC recommends that people call or email their doctor before rushing to an emergency room.
But there are emergency warning signs.
Children should be given urgent medical attention if they:
Have fast breathing or trouble breathing
Have bluish or gray skin color
Are not drinking enough fluid
Are not waking up or not interacting
Have severe or persistent vomiting
Are so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Have flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and a worse cough
Have fever with a rash
Have a fever and then have a seizure or sudden mental or behavioral change.
Adults should seek urgent medical attention if they have:
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu-like symptoms that improve, but then come back with worsening fever or cough
Keep in mind that your doctor will not be able to determine whether you have H1N1 swine flu, but he or she may take a sample from you and send it to a state health department lab for testing to see if it’s swine flu. If your doctor suspects swine flu, he or she would be able to write you a prescription for Tamiflu or Relenza.
These antiviral medications aren’t a question of life or death for the vast majority of people. Most U.S. swine flu patients have made a full recovery without antiviral drugs.
What To Do If You Get Sick: 2009 H1N1 swine and Seasonal Flu
How do I know if I have the flu?
You may have the flu if you have some or all of these symptoms:
•fever *
•cough
•sore throat
•runny or stuffy nose
•body aches
•headache
•chills
•fatigue
•sometimes diarrhea and vomiting
*It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.
What should I do if I get sick?
If you get sick with flu-like symptoms this flu season, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. Most people with 2009 H1N1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs and the same is true of seasonal flu.
However, some people are more likely to get flu complications and they should talk to a health care provider about whether they need to be examined if they get flu symptoms this season. They are:
•Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
•People 65 and older
•Pregnant women
•People who have:
◦Cancer
◦Blood disorders (including sickle cell disease)
◦Chronic lung disease [including asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)]
◦Diabetes
◦Heart disease
◦Kidney disorders
◦Liver disorders
◦Neurological disorders (including nervous system, brain or spinal cord)
◦Neuromuscular disorders (including muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis)
◦Weakened immune systems (including people with AIDS)
Also, it’s possible for healthy people to develop severe illness from the flu so anyone concerned about their illness should consult a health care provider.
There are emergency warning signs. Anyone who has them should get medical care right away.
What are the emergency warning signs?
In children
•Fast breathing or trouble breathing
•Bluish skin color
•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 adults
•Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
•Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
•Sudden dizziness
•Confusion
•Severe or persistent vomiting
Do I need to go the emergency room if I am only a little sick?
No. The emergency room should be used for people who are very sick. You should not go to the emergency room if you are only mildly ill. If you have the emergency warning signs of flu sickness, you should go to the emergency room. If you get sick with flu symptoms and are at high risk of flu complications or you are concerned about your illness, call your health care provider for advice. If you go to the emergency room and you are not sick with the flu, you may catch it from people who do have it
Are there medicines to treat 2009 H1N1 flu?
Yes. There are drugs your doctor may prescribe for treating both seasonal and 2009 H1N1 called “antiviral drugs.” These drugs can make you better faster and may also prevent serious complications. This flu season, antiviral drugs are being used mainly to treat people who are very sick, such as people who need to be hospitalized, and to treat sick people who are more likely to get serious flu complications. Your health care provider will decide whether antiviral drugs are needed to treat your illness. Remember, most people with 2009 H1N1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs and the same is true of seasonal flu.
How long should I stay home if I’m sick?
CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other things you have to do and no one else can do for you. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol®.) You should stay home from work, school, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings.
What should I do while I’m sick?
Stay away from others as much as possible to keep from making them sick. If you must leave home, for example to get medical care, wear a facemask if you have one, or cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. And wash your hands often to keep from spreading flu to others.
Swine Flu (Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Virus)
What are the symptoms of swine flu?
Although uncomplicated influenza-like illness (fever, cough or sore throat) has been reported in many cases, mild respiratory illness (nasal congestion, rhinorrhea) without fever and occasional severe disease also has been reported. Other symptoms reported with swine influenza A virus infection include vomiting, diarrhea, myalgia, headache, chills, fatigue, and dyspnea. Conjunctivitis is rare, but has been reported. Severe disease (pneumonia, respiratory failure) and fatal outcomes have been reported with swine influenza A virus infection. The potential for exacerbation of underlying chronic medical conditions or invasive bacterial infection with swine influenza A virus infection should be considered.
H1N1 Flu and Seasonal H1N1 Flu: Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment
As winter approaches each year we brace for flu season. This year brings an extra complication: the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu. In June, the World Health Organization declared H1N1 a pandemic. Since then, the media has brimmed with H1N1 stories, governments have stockpiled Tamiflu, flu vaccines have been developed, temperature sensors have been installed in Asian airports, and gallons of hand sanitizer have been dispensed.
While the concerns are justified, we have always been vulnerable to various forms of the flu (influenza) virus. Flu viruses continually undergo genetic modification, presenting our immune systems with new challenges each season. To help you make sense of what’s in the news and plan your own best course of action, here’s a quick look at what you need to know about H1N1 and seasonal flu, and how to stay healthy.
H1N1 and Factory Farms
Big changes can happen when influenza viruses jump species. Birds, humans and pigs each have their own viruses that circulate among their populations. Pigs, however, can become infected with avian, swine and human viruses. Viruses can trade genes, potentially creating a novel virus capable of infecting humans, such as H1N1. Some authorities have tied industrial-scale hog farms — where animals are crowded together — with the origin and spread of the H1N1 virus.
How Flu Viruses Spread
Influenza viruses are very contagious. Sneezes and coughs propel the viral droplets into the air, and an infected person begins shedding viruses a day before symptoms strike, thus thwarting quarantines from being a completely effective tactic. These viruses can survive on inanimate objects for two to eight hours. You touch that object (a borrowed pen, a shopping cart), then rub your eye, nose or lips — and presto, inoculation.
Recognizing Flu Symptoms
One to three days after exposure, flu symptoms develop: fatigue, fever, body aches, headache, sore throat, cough, and even vomiting or diarrhea. Children may also develop middle ear infections. People with respiratory ailments, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are especially vulnerable to complications such as pneumonia.
Who Gets the Flu?
Whereas the seasonal flu or influenza viruses take a greater toll on the very young and the very old, the H1N1 virus (swine flu) has so far proved most dangerous to children and young adults. So far, most of the deaths have been of people with other significant health problems, and the vast majority of the million or so H1N1 flu cases have been mild, on par with seasonal influenza
Vaccines for Seasonal Flu and H1N1
The vaccine for this season’s expected influenza viruses, though recommended to protect against these viruses, doesn’t work against the H1N1 virus. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) anticipates a vaccine against the novel H1N1 will be available this fall. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has prioritized the H1N1 vaccine for groups at higher risk of complications: people who work in the health care industry, live with or care for babies younger than 6 months old, are pregnant, are between the age of 6 months to 24 years old, or are 25 through 64 years old with chronic illnesses or immune dysfunction.
Seasonal and H1N1 Flu Prevention Tips
Basic hygiene measures can prevent the flu’s spread.
•Wash your hands (and your small children’s hands) frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based cleaner.
•Sneeze or cough into a tissue or your elbow.
•If you or your child falls ill, stay home. The contagious period stretches from one day before symptoms strike to five to seven days thereafter. The CDC recommends people stay home until they’re without fever for 24 hours.
Natural Flu Prevention and Remedies
Healthy lifestyle choices can keep your immune system in fighting shape. Sleep deprivation, stress, smoking, malnutrition and alcohol excess all undermine immunity. Conversely, a healthy diet, adequate sleep, regular exercise and relaxation improve immune health.
Some herbs have antiviral activity, including against some influenza strains. The list includes ginger, licorice and garlic (use it raw in food). Two small studies have shown that a proprietary elderberry syrup (Sambucol) shortens the duration and severity of influenza.
Immune-enhancing herbs such as ginseng and eleuthero (Siberian ginseng) have been shown to help prevent viral respiratory infections, including the flu. One study found that giving ginseng a few days before the flu vaccine boosted the subsequent immune response. The Chinese herb astragalus also acts as an immune tonic. Taken in adequate dosages, echinacea and andrographis have both been shown to curtail upper respiratory infections. Whether any of these herbs can help counter H1N1 flu is unknown.
Vitamin D and the Flu
Vitamin D plays a role in many bodily processes, including immune function. Some scientists have pointed to a correlation between wintertime troughs in vitamin D intake and respiratory viral infections. New research published this year in the Archives of Internal Medicine linked low blood levels of vitamin D with a heightened risk of upper respiratory infections, particularly among people with chronic lung conditions. No studies have yet determined whether supplementing with vitamin D can prevent the common cold, much less influenza. Because few foods provide vitamin D, many experts recommend supplementation with at least 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D — several times the current guidelines for 200 to 600 IU.
Antiviral Medications and the Flu
The antiviral medications Tamiflu (oseltamivir), which is derived from Chinese star anise, and Relenza (zanamivir) may make flu symptoms milder. Most experts recommend these medications be reserved to prevent disease in people at high risk for complications (in the face of suspected exposure) and to treat people who develop severe flu symptoms. (Overuse of these medications can lead to viruses becoming resistant to their effects.)
Anyone under the age of 18 should avoid aspirin, which, when taken during a viral illness, can lead to a serious condition called Reye’s syndrome, a rare disease characterized by neurological disorders, brain swelling and enlargement of the liver.
When to Get Medical Treatment for the Flu
Seek medical attention if you develop signs of severe illness: shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chest or abdominal pain, dizziness, confusion, or severe vomiting. Signs that a child needs immediate care include rapid breathing, poor fluid intake, extreme irritability and lethargy (the child is difficult to wake and won’t interact).