Common Signs & Symptoms of Flu & Cold found in Adults

Dr. Purushothaman
January 13, 2018

Influenza, which is commonly known as flu, is an infection caused by a virus. It affects the respiratory system that includes the nose, lungs and throat. This is a very common disease that every person gets affected at any point in their lives. Flu is a common disease which is seasonal. Even though it can be cured on its own, you need to take good care of yourself when you are affected by it. The reason for this that flue can lead you to other major complications. Hence a good treatment is mandatory. Take the right food and the right treatment so that you will be able to get back to your healthy life and indulge yourself in your day to day activities.

Common symptoms

Fatigue

When you are affected by the flu, you will experience a sudden and increased fatigue as soon as you are outdoors or while doing any kind of heavy physical activity. This can also happen if you have any other medical problems. Flu usually causes severe fatigue without much reason. This is actually a sign that the body is fighting against the virus of influenza. This will take away a large amount of energy from the body. This causes the sudden fatigue.

Chills and body ache

Yet another sign that we get when we have the flu is body aches accompanied by chills. This actually is a sign that the body is fighting against the disease. As the body temperature lowers, we experience chilling and trembling. It usually happens before we get a fever. When the virus attacks the body, we do experience body pain.

Fever

Fever is a sign that the body gives you whenever you have an infection from a foreign body. This includes the viral infections too. If you are affected by the influenza virus, you will be having a body temperature of 100 degree Fahrenheit or more. Checking your body temperature when you are having a fever will help you understand whether you are affected by flu or not. The benefits of a healthy diet should be understood, as the right food really gives a great lot of energy to the body when we are affected by flu.

Sore throat

Flu is accompanied by sore throat and most probably you will be experiencing cough with phlegm. Severe cough can gradually develop into a sore throat and this will make you really uncomfortable as you find it difficult to swallow your food and even drinks. At times, you will be getting only a sore throat alone and not a cough. In both the cases, you need to seek the help of your doctor at the earliest.

Gastrointestinal issues

Flu can give you headaches and a lot of discomfort in the abdomen, chest and throat. It can also be seen that you will be suffering from gastrointestinal problems like vomiting, diarrhea and nausea. Usually such a flue is found more in children than in grownups.

Nasal Congestion

The flu virus can give you stuffy nose, which is usually due to the inflammation in the nose. This can be considered as an early stage for a flu. So whenever you experience nasal congestion, you need to take up the right medical treatment or else it can end up in flu.

Joint pain

Apart from nasal congestion and sore throat, the flu virus can give you joint pain that is really painful for you. The infection, which is due to the flu is the main reason for the joint pain. It would be wise if you get the right medical help when you have joint pain as well as body ache. Treating the right way will help you from getting flu.

Other symptoms

Some of the other symptoms of flu are chest pain, dehydration, breathing problems, muscle pain, discoloration of skin, sneezing, dizziness, headache, low appetite, fainting, confusion and low sleep. Flu can always be irritating as it will affect the normal life of a person. Good rest and the right medication will give relief to the person affected. Eating the right and healthy diet will also help you to increase the body’s stamina.

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