The Healthiest Home Improvement Products

The Healthiest Home Improvement Products

Making major changes to your home can be hazardous...
The Effects of Climate Change on Your Health

The Effects of Climate Change on Your Health

An important question: What consistently progressi...
Plasma Donation: What You Need to Know

Plasma Donation: What You Need to Know

Do you want to give the gift of life? When it...
How to Get the Most Out of Your Dermatology Appointment

How to Get the Most Out of Your Dermatology Appointment

Got a suspicious-looking mole? How about adult-ons...
Adult Coloring Books-The Story Behind the Therapeutic Trend

Adult Coloring Books-The Story Behind the Therapeutic Trend

Are you a child at heart? If so, you’re definitely...
4 Types of Headaches and How to Treat Them

4 Types of Headaches and How to Treat Them

What illness causes nearly $36 billion in lost pro...
5 Ways to Transform Yourself into a Morning Person

5 Ways to Transform Yourself into a Morning Person

Are you a morning person or a night owl?If you’re...
4 Things Your Body Language Says -- About You and Others

4 Things Your Body Language Says -- About You and Others

We often think about how words impact our lives. B...
8 Ways Caffeine Does You Right

8 Ways Caffeine Does You Right

Are you a caffeinated coffee lover? How about a Mo...
How Ultrasounds May Benefit Breast Cancer

How Ultrasounds May Benefit Breast Cancer

It saved Dr. Nancy Cappello’s life. And it could s...
4 Ways to Keep Your Hands and Nails Youthful

4 Ways to Keep Your Hands and Nails Youthful

Have you ever met a woman who has a face that look...
5 Ways to Combat the Dreaded Double Chin

5 Ways to Combat the Dreaded Double Chin

You think it’s going to be the perfect selfie. Tha...
8 Benefits of Gardening on Your Health

8 Benefits of Gardening on Your Health

Believe it or not, having a green thumb can actual...
6 Ways to Improve Your Posture

6 Ways to Improve Your Posture

“Stand up straight.” Mother may not have known abs...
Lucky 7: Health Numbers You Should Know

Lucky 7: Health Numbers You Should Know

Do you know your “Lucky Seven?” You should if you...
7 Unconventional Relaxation Trends Worth Giving a Try

7 Unconventional Relaxation Trends Worth Giving a Try

Are you tired of conventional relaxation treatment...
What Puts You at Risk for TSS?

What Puts You at Risk for TSS?

We’re about to go back in time for a minute. Do yo...
7 Not-So-Strange Skin Conditions

7 Not-So-Strange Skin Conditions

As we get older, we notice rashes, bumps and spots...
Skin Tags? Here’s What to Do

Skin Tags? Here’s What to Do

Are you struggling with unsightly skin tags?Let’s...
Super Lice? Here’s How to Avoid and Treat Lice

Super Lice? Here’s How to Avoid and Treat Lice

Your child comes home from school scratching his h...
6 Ways to Have a Healthy Kitchen

6 Ways to Have a Healthy Kitchen

The statistics are shocking. One out of every six...
Pros and Cons of Pet Health Insurance

Pros and Cons of Pet Health Insurance

Most people invest in insurance for their health,...
How to Avoid the Middle-Aged Spread

How to Avoid the Middle-Aged Spread

Are you worried about packing on the pounds as the...
Mad Cow Disease-Still a Threat?

Mad Cow Disease-Still a Threat?

People around the world were shocked when a 37-yea...
Could You Save a Life? The Truth About Bone Marrow Donation

Could You Save a Life? The Truth About Bone Marrow Donation

Did you know that a bone marrow transplant can sav...
Work Out For a Cause: 6 Great Charity Choices

Work Out For a Cause: 6 Great Charity Choices

Need a little motivation to get into that dreaded...
All-Natural Cleaning Products You Should Use – and Ones to Skip

All-Natural Cleaning Products You Should Use – and Ones to Skip

Are you going green?According to The Nature Conser...
5 Tips to Make the Most of Your Annual Doctor Visit

5 Tips to Make the Most of Your Annual Doctor Visit

Is it time for your annual physical?When it comes...
Helpful Ways to Discuss Body Image with Kids

Helpful Ways to Discuss Body Image with Kids

Picture this. Your 10-year-old daughter comes home...
6 Ways to Undo Carcinogen Exposure

6 Ways to Undo Carcinogen Exposure

According to the American Cancer Society, carcinog...

Have the Flu? How to Tell and What to Do

May 06, 2024

How do you get the flu?

In our society, it is common to shake hands upon greeting a friend. In the flu season, this could transmit viral illnesses from one person to another.

Though it is difficult to tell who is contagious before the onset of symptoms, here are some virus timelines. You can pass on the influenza virus one to four days before you show any symptoms. Symptoms may not show up for days, which means you could be infectious before you show any signs of illness. You could be contagious up to 10 days into your illness.

Influenza Symptoms

Sudden onset of symptoms such as loss of appetite, fatigue, high fever and a non-productive, dry cough typically indicate influenza. Other ailments include headache, sore throat, adverse effects on eyesight, cold sweats, fever between 100.4 degrees F to 104 degrees F that comes and goes, and severe back, arm or leg pain in one or both limbs. These symptoms often are accompanied by body aches and chills. Complete recovery from these symptoms could take as long as two weeks, perhaps more. Overcoming fatigue could take much longer.

Though the symptoms listed above are serious, there are severe complications that may accompany the flu. These include bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, worsening of condition, congestive heart failure, asthma and diabetes. For children, these complications might involve sinus problems, earaches and infections.

Special Dangers For the Elderly People, Children and the Immune-Compromised

Young children, adults older than 65, pregnant women, those fighting long-term illnesses and those with impaired immune systems should avoid contact with people or crowds that may expose them to the influenza virus. This applies to people with lung and heart diseases, kidney disease, diabetes, cancer treatments, and any illness that lowers your immune response, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a breathing illness.

Page 2/4