How do you know when the flu has turned serious?
May. 28, 2009 by Lisa Currie
Excerpted From the New York Times…
How do you know when swine flu has turned serious? Today, doctors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explained what flu warning signs warrant urgent medical attention.
Dr. Anne Schuchat, the C.D.C.’s interim deputy director for science and public health, said that in the United States, 507 people have been hospitalized because of swine flu. She noted that people over 55 account for only 1 percent of cases, and 62 percent of the people getting sick are from 5 to 24 years old.
In adults, serious warning signs include:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen.
- Persistent vomiting.
- Sudden dizziness.
- Confusion.
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Another serious worry in both adults and children is when a patient seems to improve but then takes a turn for the worse and develops a cough. read the full article