Symptoms of Swine Flu
The symptoms of swine flu are similar to the symptoms found in common flu. Although swine flu has received a lot of coverage following the outbreak in Mexico, international health agencies as well as the U.S. Center for Disease Control have advised that there is little reason to be worried about the disease turning into a pandemic. Swine flu is generally a mild disease, as long as you understand the different symptoms of swine flu and how to cope with them.
The latest strain of the swine flu virus has infected humans particularly in the United States and Mexico. It is a novel influenza A-type virus that has not been previously identified in North America. Since its first identification in April 2009, international authorities continue to investigate the severity of the disease, and national governments have adopted their own programs to slow the spread of the disease and curb deaths. The most common symptoms of swine flu include fever, cough, and sore throat. There have also been reports of mild respiratory illness attached to the infection.
Other common symptoms of swine flu include diarrhea, myalgia, headache, chills, over-fatigue, dyspnea, and vomiting. Basic treatments for mild cases of swine flu include bed rest and drinking anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza. The unique property of this latest strain of swine flu is that the severe infections happen mostly to children. If your child has swine flu symptoms, you should self-quarantine and contact your pediatrician immediately. The symptoms of swine flu for serious cases in children include bluish skin, irritability, and occurrence and recurrence of severe fever. Children who have a hard time getting out of bed and are unresponsive can also have a severe case of swine flu. Other serious swine flu symptoms include difficulty in breathing, not drinking enough fluids, severe vomiting, and worsening fever. High-risk groups for this infection include pregnant women, obese adults, children, and people with underlying medical problems such as pneumonia, asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. If you belong to the high-risk group and live in a country with known swine flu cases, you should self-check for swine flu symptoms and contact your doctor immediately if you suspect that you have these symptoms.
The doctor will advise if you need to test for swine flu after a brief check-up. Children with swine flu symptoms are advised to avoid attending large gatherings and events where mass infections can occur.