The flu, headaches and shingles can affect all populations. The flu virus often changes and new strains appear regularly. Headaches are one of the most common health complaints, and anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk for shingles. Each of these conditions can cause mild to severe reactions and affect many people differently. A health care provider can assist in diagnosing and treating individual signs and symptoms of the flu, headaches and shingles.
The Flu
The flu, or influenza, is a common respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. It's a very contagious illness that travels through air droplets from an infected person. Children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to the condition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that influenza activity usually peaks in January or later, although the time and duration can vary. The flu virus has many strains and can cause severe complications if untreated. The most common flu symptoms include body aches, chills, headaches, runny nose, coughing, sore throat, fever and fatigue. The flu symptoms usually come on suddenly and generally last anywhere from two days to two weeks.
Headache
Headaches are one of the most common health complaints. They generally occur from muscular contractions and vascular irregularities. Various types of headaches exist and they can cause pain in any region of the head. Sam Houston State University reports that more than 50 million cases of headaches occur every year and approximately 90% of all headaches are classified as tension-type headaches. Symptoms of tension headaches include tenderness of the scalp, head and shoulder muscles, tightness and pressure and constant, aching pains; they usually occur on both sides of the head. Other symptoms of headaches include pain around the eyes and inflammation.
Shingles
Shingles is a viral infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Anyone who has had chicken pox is at risk for the disorder because the virus lies inactive in the body and can reactivate as shingles. Older adults and those with weakened immune system are more susceptible to the condition. Symptoms of shingles occur in stages and can cause mild to severe reactions. The first sign of shingles usually starts with tingling pain and itching of the affected area. Rashes and fluid-filled blisters then form and tend to occur only at a particular location on one side of the body. MedlinePlus notes that blisters generally form in one to 14 days, and the pain of shingles can persist after healing.
