What are the Symptoms Of Swine Flu? Currently the name ‘swine flu’ runs a chill through your spinal cord with fear and worry. But you must know this is just another type of influenza caused by influenza A H1N1 virus. That means it is another type of flu that associate with our seasonal flu symptoms. The difference is the virus influenza A H1N1 is mixed with bird and pig viruses; so human immunity system fails to combat it. It is apprehended that due this reason ‘swine flu’ may become pandemic or cause global outbreak, as this flu can easily spread from person to person. Experts are not able to confirm whether this swine influenza A H1N1 virus will return with another wave or it will stop to show up after sporadic incidents for few weeks or months.
There is hardly any significant difference of symptoms between seasonal flu and swine flu; this turns tougher to diagnose swine flu.
Symptoms of swine flu
As per CDC guidelines, alike seasonal flu, swine flu’s symptoms are :
Usually high fever, unlike seasonal flu, is absent sometimes
Running nose or blocked nose
Cough
Body ache
Sore throat
Chills and headache
Tiredness or fatigue, which is sometimes extreme
Vomiting and diarrhoea as commonly associated with seasonal flu, sometimes seen with swine flu
Severe swine flu infection symptoms may include respiratory failure and pneumonia.
In case you doubt that your child has the symptoms of swine flu, better avoid other people and consult your paediatrician. Who might confirm that he has an influenza A, doing random flu tests. Further testing is required to be done to confirm if it is swine flu (sending the samples to local hospital or state health departments and the CDC to confirm swine flu infection).
High Risk Groups Swine Flu
Elderly and infants are considered to be most vulnerable to serious infection of seasonal flu besides the people with medical problems of chronic nature. The high risk group people for swine flu are bit different and may include:
Women when they are pregnant
Those who suffer from chronic medical problems like lung disease, cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes and immunosuppression
Adults and children with obesity
Severe Swine Flu Symptoms
There are some symptoms that indicate the swine flu victims would need immediate medical attention; they are:
Rapid breathing or breathing difficulty
Change in skin colour as blue or gray
Reluctance to drink enough fluids
Persistent vomiting
Not responding or interacting
So irritated that the child refuses to be held
The flu like symptoms fades then return with fever and cough being worse
Difference between flu symptoms and sinus or cold infection
It should be noted that most children with running nose or cough are not likely to have swine flu and they need not to be taken to paediatrician for swine flu testing.
In this season many childhood diseases are common, they include:
Common cold – low fever, cold, cough and running nose
Sinus infection - fever , cough and lingering running nose
Spring allergies – runny nose, cough and congestion
Strep throat - fever, sore throat ( confirmed with a positive strep test)
