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Flu



Introduction: Flu

Flu is a common respiratory virus that is usually more severe than the common cold. Symptoms often include high fever, headache, fatigue, weakness, and exhaustion. Cold-like symptoms such as sore throat, runny nose, and stuffiness can also occur but are less common than in common cold.

Early diagnosis of flu often involves distinguishing flu from common cold, which is not always easy, but is important because of newer antiviral medications for the flu. There are numerous other less common conditions that start out like the flu (see flu-like symptoms).

Symptoms of Flu

See full list of 20 symptoms of Flu

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Flu:

Medical Textbooks Online about Flu

Medical Books Excerpts
  • "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs"
  • "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs"
  • "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs"
  • "In a Page: Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In a Page: Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In a Page: Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms"
  • "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms"
  • "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care"
  • "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care"
  • "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)"
  • "A Pocket Manual of Differential Diagnosis"
  • "A Pocket Manual of Differential Diagnosis"
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)"
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)"
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)"
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)"
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)"
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)"
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)"
  • "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)"
  • "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter"
  • "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter"
  • "Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis"
  • "Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis"
  • "Handbook of Diseases"
  • "Handbook of Diseases"
  • "Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series"
  • "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses"
  • "The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics"
  • "The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics"
  • "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms"

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Wrongly Diagnosed with Flu?

Misdiagnosis and Flu

Sinusitis is overdiagnosed: There is a tendency to give a diagnosis of sinusitis, when the condition is really a harmless complication of another infection, such as a common cold....read more »

Whooping cough often undiagnosed: Although most children in the Western world have been immunized against whooping cough (also called "pertussis"), this protection wears off after about 15 years....read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Flu

Causes of Flu

Read more about causes of Flu.

More information about causes of Flu:

Treatments for Flu

See full list of 13 treatments for Flu

Videos for Flu

Cold and Flu Smarts for Kids

Cold and Flu Smarts for KidsAdults may already know the new ways to avoid catching and spreading the flu. But you may need to teach these behaviors to kids. Listen to an...

Cold and Allergy

Cold and AllergyWhen you have watery eyes, a runny nose, congestion and sneezing, how can you tell if it's a cold or an allergy? Find out the difference and the...

 

Flu Prevention

Flu PreventionOur parents told us to cover our mouths when we cough. But that might not be the best strategy for flu prevention. Listen to an infection control...

The Threat of Bird Flu

The Threat of Bird FluDoctors and healthcare officials are preparing for the possibility that a virulent strain of avian flu may become a serious threat to humans.

 
See full list of 10 related videos

Patient Surveys for Flu

Prognosis for Flu

Prognosis for Flu: Good for healthy adults and children. Risks for infants, elderly, or other at-risk people.

More about prognosis of Flu

Reseach about Flu

Visit our research pages for current research about Flu treatments.

Clinical Trials for Flu

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Flu include:

See full list of 218 Clinical Trials for Flu

Prevention of Flu

Prevention information for Flu has been compiled from various data sources and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Flu.

  • Avoid contagion
    • Avoid exposure to people with flu
    • Handwashing
    • Avoid touching eyes or nose with your hands
  • Flu vaccination - annual vaccination against various flu strains; either avoids flu or reduces its severity and complications.

Read more about prevention of Flu

Statistics for Flu

Types of Flu

  • Influenza A - most common strain of virus.
  • Influenza B
  • Influenza C
  • Hong Kong influenza - strain of Influenza A
  • Russian influenza - a 1978 epidemic.

See full list of 9 Types of Flu

Stories from Users Related to Flu

Related forums and stories:

User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Flu, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

Article Excerpts about Flu

The Flu, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID (Excerpt)

Influenza, or the flu, is a respiratory infection caused by a variety of flu viruses. The most familiar aspect of the flu is the way it can "knock you off your feet" as it sweeps through entire communities. (Source: excerpt from The Flu, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID)

Facts About Flu (Influenza): CDC-OC (Excerpt)

Influenza, also called "the flu", is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract. Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches, and extreme fatigue. Although nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea sometimes occur during a flu infection, such symptoms are rarely prominent. "Stomach flu" is a misnomer sometimes used to describe gastrointestinal illnesses that are actually caused by other microorganisms. (Source: excerpt from Facts About Flu (Influenza): CDC-OC)

Shots for Safety - Age Page - Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)

Flu - the short name for influenza - is a highly contagious infection that causes fever, chills, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, as well as headache, muscle aches, and often extreme fatigue. Flu usually is a mild disease in healthy children, young adults, and middle-aged people. However, it can be life threatening in older adults. (Source: excerpt from Shots for Safety - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

What to Do About the Flu - Age Page - Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)

Each winter, millions of people suffer from the flu, a highly contagious infection. It spreads easily from person to person mainly when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Flu - the short name for influenza - is caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. It usually is a mild disease in healthy children, young adults, and middle-aged people. However, flu can be life threatening in older adults and in people of any age who have chronic illnesses such as diabetes or heart, lung, or kidney diseases (Source: excerpt from What to Do About the Flu - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Definitions of Flu:

Acute viral infection involving the respiratory tract; marked by inflammation of the nasal mucosa, the pharynx, and conjunctiva, and by headache and severe, often generalized, myalgia. - (Source - Diseases Database)

An acute febrile highly contagious viral disease - (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Contents for Flu: User Surveys and Discussion Forums


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