Life: The Flu

Can't say for sure I have the flu but the fact that I'm still feeling pretty icky on day 6 suggests it is more than your usual cold bug which a typical adult should be able to beat off in a day or two.

Been doing some web surfing about the flu.

Good starting point is the CDC.

Based on the symptoms page, I probably have the flu.

Fever (usually high) - I have only had ~ 99-100F
Headache - YES
Tiredness (can be extreme) - YES!!
Cough - YES!!!!
Sore throat - YES!!
Runny or stuffy nose - YES
Body aches - YES
Diarrhea and vomiting (more common among children than adults) - Fortunately, no.

From the Flu Summary Map, it looks like the flu season is tailing off as most of the country is listed as having sporadic activity. If you hit the previous week tab, you'll see that in February 2008, the flu was widespread.

I did get the flu shot earlier in the year. Unfortunately, this year's mix of strains missed what is hitting us hard. Excerpt:

Each year, health officials - making essentially an educated guess - formulate a vaccine against three viruses they think will be circulating.

They guess well most of the time, and the vaccine is often 70 percent to 90 percent effective.

But this year, two of the three strains were not good matches and the vaccine was 44 percent effective, according to a study done in Marshfield, Wis.

How do you know when you should go to the doctor when you have the flu?

The usual thing to do with the flu is plenty of rest, lots of fluids and symptom management with OTC meds. There are anti-viral medications which if taken early on can help but those require a doctor's prescription. But if you get any of the following as mentioned on the CDC web page go to the doctpr:

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting

Seek medical care immediately (call your doctor or go to an emergency room) if you or someone you know is experiencing any of the signs above. When you arrive, tell the reception staff that you think you have the flu. You may be asked to wear a mask and/or sit in a separate area to protect others from getting sick.