Am I Sick of Swine Flu? When to See the Doctor for Swine Flu

The swine flu virus has been making people sick all across the globe since early this 2009. The disease has already reached pandemic proportions, with thousands of people becoming sick with swine flu and some hundreds dying from it. Despite this, reports from the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have stated that the outbreak of the virus is still under control.

In spite of the pandemic levels of the swine flu, its outbreak has reached, it is definitely possible for you to remain safe from being infected by the virus. All you need to do is to wash your hands frequently, be careful of what you touch and avoid crowded places.

Symptoms of the Swine Flu

Being careful and knowing the symptoms of the swine flu does not entirely eliminate the possibility of becoming sick with the swine flu. You know you are sick with some form of the flu if you have a runny nose, cough, fever, headache, muscle pain, chills and fatigue. It is likely that your flu is a case of swine flu if your symptoms are accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting.

Although swine flu can strike at anyone regardless of age, sex or race, there are people who are more at risk to becoming infected with the virus. These people are:

• Adults 65 years of age and older
• Children five years of age or younger
• People with weak immune systems such as HIV patients and chemotherapy patients
• People who have a chronic medical condition such as heart disease, asthma or diabetes
• Pregnant women

If you are one of the people listed above, you should be extra careful about taking preventive measures against being infected with swine flu.

When to See the Doctor

If you get sick and you suspect that your illness was caused by the swine flu virus, you should go to the doctor and get tested to confirm your suspicions. Thankfully, swine flu is really not fatal if it is treated immediately, and medications used for seasonal flu do work well in fighting against the swine flu virus. You do not have to get confined in a hospital to recover as well.

There are cases, however, when you may need emergency help when you are sick with the swine flu. In children, the warning signs that you should watch out for are:

• Worsening symptoms
• Irritability to the point that the child refuses to be held
• Lack of response or failure to wake up
• Continuous or severe vomiting
• Inability to drink fluids
• Difficulty in breathing
• Bluish or grayish tinge to the skin

In adults, the signs that would say that you need to go to the emergency room of the hospital are:

• Worsening symptoms
• Sudden dizziness
• Pressure or pain in the chest or abdominal area
• Confusion
• Difficulty breathing
• Severe or continuous vomiting

Always remember that if you do get sick with the swine flu, you do not have to worry as long as you are getting the treatment you need. You will feel better after a week or two.