5 Ways to Identify Effects of Flu Virus

1. Cold or Flu? Know the Difference

If it's between November and March, and you're achy, sneezing, and have a sore throat, odds are you either have a cold or the flu. At first, the two might seem alike, but they're very different. While colds develop slowly, the flu comes on fast and without mercy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 36,000 Americans die each year of complications from the flu and more than 200,000 are hospitalized.

2. Recognize the Symptoms

Flu is a viral infection that attacks your respiratory system, including your nose, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs. It has common signs and symptoms: fever over 101 F in adults and often as high as 103 to 105 F in children; chills and sweats; headache; dry cough; muscular aches and pains, especially in your back, arms and legs; fatigue and weakness; a stuffed and runny nose and loss of appetite. In children, flu can also cause diarrhea and vomiting.

3. Understand the Risks

Some children and adults may develop sinus problems and ear infections, but most healthy people recover from the flu without incident. In some, however, the virus can cause serious complications, including bacterial pneumonia, dehydration and worsening of chronic medical conditions (such as congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes). People 65 years or older, those with compromised immune systems, pregnant women and young children are at high risk for complications.

4. Learn How Flu Spreads

The flu spreads easily. You can catch it from the cough or sneeze of an infected person, or by contacting the virus on your hands and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. You can infect people around you one day before you have any symptoms and for up to five days after you get sick.

5. Practice Prevention

A flu shot is the first line of defense against the virus, but it doesn't provide 100 percent protection. If you have flu symptoms and are at risk of complications, see your doctor right away. Taking antiviral drugs within the first 48 hours of symptoms may reduce the length of your illness by a day or two and help prevent more serious problems. Seek immediate medical care if you have a severe cough with phlegm, a high fever and sharp pain when you breathe deeply. You might have bacterial pneumonia and will need to treat it with antibiotics.