Flu Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore

Is it the flu or a stomach bug? The two can be similar, but vomiting doesn’t necessarily mean you have the flu. It’s impossible for sure whether you have the flu from symptoms alone. Check out our list of common flu symptoms below to know whether or not you should come in to Urgent Care and get tested.

• Aches – Body aches, especially in the head, back, and legs, are one of the earliest signs that you may have contracted the flu virus. While painful, body aches are a good sign that your body is using white blood cells to fight off the virus.
• Fever/Chills – A fever, chills or both are generally early signs you have the flu. The body will often work to fight off the flu virus by raising its set temperature, which gives you a fever and causes the air around you to feel colder in comparison, which causes the chills.
• Runny Nose – The flu virus can enter your body through your nose or your throat. Once you have the flu, your nose combats the illness by over-producing mucus to clear your nose’s mucus lining of harmful viruses and bacteria.
• Headaches – When your body is running a fever, your blood vessels will dilate and increase the pressure in your head. This, in addition to sinus issues that can also accompany the flu, can leave your head throbbing.
• Fatigue – When you have the flu, your immune system uses a lot of energy to fight the virus which leaves you feeling tired and achy.
• Cough – Your body will often combat the flu by producing mucus in your airways to trap the virus. You then cough up this mucus to expel the virus. A dry cough is generally caused by an irritation in the back of your throat due to inflammation and irritation.
• Sore Throat – Sore throats are a common symptom of the flu for a number of reasons. Flu sufferers tend to have swollen throats, be dehydrated and have a cough. All of these elements can work together to dry out your throat and make it difficult to swallow.

The flu is a nasty virus. A flu test from Urgent Care is the best way to know for sure if you’ve caught it, but our flu shots can help you avoid it altogether.

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