You’re sneezy, stuffed up, and feel bad all over. Is it a cold, or do you have the flu?
The symptoms can be a lot alike. But if you know the warning signs of the flu, you can get treatment quickly and work on feeling better, sooner.
What You Need to Know
Unlike a cold, flu symptoms usually come on suddenly. Another key difference is a fever, which might not happen with a cold. You might also have:
- Severe aches in muscles and joints
- Pain and tiredness around your eyes
- Weakness or extreme fatigue
- Warm, flushed skin and red, watery eyes
- A headache
- A dry cough
- A sore throat and runny nose
Adults with seasonal flu don’t usually vomit or have diarrhea, but children might. Some symptoms can mean your illness is severe. Get immediate medical help if you have any of the following:
- Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in your chest or belly
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe vomiting
You Think You Have the Flu. Now What?
In most cases, the best way to treat it is to:
- Rest at home.
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Avoid contact with other people.
If you're very sick or you have other medical conditions, you might need treatment with prescription medications called antiviral drugs.
These medicines -- oseltamivir (Tamiflu), peramivir (Rapivab), or zanamivir (Relenza) -- work best when you take them within 48 hours after your symptoms start. They can shorten the length of your illness by a day if you take them within this early window. They might help even after 2 days, if you have a bad case.
Your doctor may want you to take antiviral drugs if you have a high risk of complications from the flu.
When Is Flu Season?
Seasonal flu follows a fairly predictable pattern, starting in the fall and ending in the spring. A sign that it’s started is the sudden rise in the number of school-aged children sick at home with a flu-like illness. This first outbreak is soon followed by an uptick in other groups, including parents.