Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by one of hundreds of strains of a virus that causes high fevers, cold sweats or chills, head and joint aches, fatigue, and gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 5 to 20 percent of Americans will become ill with the flu each year, resulting in 200,000 hospitalizations and up to 49,000 deaths.
For about 75 percent of sufferers, symptoms can range from mildly uncomfortable to leaving them bedridden but able to recover at home with home remedies that include chicken soup, rest and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. The remaining 25 percent will suffer from life-threatening complications.
If the thought of spending a week with the common symptoms of the flu isn’t enough to get you to your doctor for an annual seasonal flu vaccine, consider the following five frightening flu complications:
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is one of the most common and serious flu complications. This condition can occur from direct involvement of the flu virus in the lung or when a bacterial infection develops during the flu. Whether the cause is viral or bacterial, pneumonia is a serious condition that requires medical attention and possibly hospitalization.
With pneumonia, patients develop chills, fever, chest pains, cough with green or bloody mucus, increased heart rate, and bluish-colored lips because of a lack of oxygen in the blood. Shortness of breath or sharp pains when inhaling are also common. When the cause is a bacterial infection, often the symptoms of the flu will improve initially, only to return with higher fevers, worsened coughing and the telltale discolored phlegm. Antibiotics can be used to treat bacterial pneumonia but cannot be used to help with viral pneumonia.