Did you know that even though you receive a flu vaccination, you may not be immune to the disease? In fact, flu vaccine effectiveness in 2016 was only 42%.
We’re currently heading into another flu season, so even if you’ve been vaccinated, you need to know the warning signs.
Influenza is relatively easy to get over, but if gone untreated, it’s potentially deadly. The best defense is knowing what to look out for and when it’s time to head to the doctor.
To help educate you, let’s go through a checklist of common symptoms and find out when it’s time to visit an Urgent Care in Baton Rouge.
You typically know when you have the flu because it hits you like a ton of bricks. Within an hour you go from fine to feeling achy and fatigued.
This is different than a common cold that can come on slowly and linger for days. You can also usually feel a cold coming a mile away.
The flu strikes fast, so when you feel that sudden rush of achiness and fatigue, other symptoms are soon to follow.
A high fever is another big difference between influenza and a common cold. A fever between 100 and 104 is fairly typical. Because children are more susceptible, they tend to run slightly higher fevers.
While a fever is common with the flu, you need to monitor it closely. If you see it reach above 104 you should call an Urgent Care in Baton Rouge.
Two more symptoms of the flu are chills and body aches. These usually come on first, so take them as a warning sign.
Chills feel as though you’re cold on the inside yet hot on the outside. Body aches feel similar to muscle soreness following a hard workout. Over the counter pain medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen will ease the pain a bit.
A wheezing cough and nasal congestion are common symptoms of the flu. They typically follow shortly after the aches and fever.
These are also very symptoms of the common cold, but if they are accompanied by the symptoms above, it’s probably the flu.
A throat that starts off scratchy then turns sore, is another symptom of the flu. You’ll notice more pain when swallowing food or liquid. This is often a result of too much coughing.
If you have the symptoms listed above, it may be time to make a visit to a doctor. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to get over the flu.
A big red flag is an extremely high fever, so don’t wait. This is potentially dangerous.
Infants, young children, and senior citizens need to seek medical help immediately. They are much more susceptible to the side-effects of influenza.
Your Urgent Care in Baton Rouge provides families and individuals with high-quality health care. If you feel like you have the flu, contact us immediately.
