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Symptoms of Flu
List of symptoms of Flu:
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Flu includes the 20 symptoms listed below:
- Headache
- Fever
- Chills
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- Nasal inflammation
- Blocked nose
- Dry cough
- Sore throat
- Sweating
- Body aches
- Muscle aches
- Limb pain
- Joint pain
- Loss of appetite
- Prostration
- Exhaustion
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Myalgia
Note that Flu symptoms usually refers to various symptoms known to a patient, but the phrase Flu signs may refer to those signs only noticable by a doctor.
More ways to research these symptoms: To research other symptoms use the symptom center, or to research causes of more than one symptom in combination, try our multi-symptom search.
Research More About Flu
Do I have Flu?
- Flu: Introduction
- Flu: Diagnostic Testing to confirm diagnosis
- Home Diagnostic Testing
- Alternative diagnoses and misdiagnosis for Flu
- How serious is it?
- Treatments for Flu
- More about Flu
Home Diagnostic Testing
Home medical tests related to Flu:
- Cold & Flu: Home Testing:
Wrongly Diagnosed with Flu?
The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Flu includes:
- Common Cold
- Respiratory syncytial virus
- SARS
- A variety of conditions can have or start with flu-like symptoms:
- Mastitis - breast infection in nursing mothers.
See the full list of 66 alternative diagnoses for Flu
More about symptoms of Flu:
More information about symptoms of Flu and related conditions:
- Other diseases with similar symptoms and common misdiagnoses
- Tests to determine if these are the symptoms of Flu
- Symptoms that may be caused by complications of Flu
- Associated conditions for Flu
- Risk factors for Flu
Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
- Blocked nose - see all causes of Stuffed nose
- Body aches - see all causes of Aches
- Chills - see all causes of Chills
- Dry cough - see all causes of Dry cough
- Exhaustion - see all causes of Prostration
- Fatigue - see all causes of Fatigue
- Fever - see all causes of Fever
- Headache - see all causes of Headache
- Joint pain - see all causes of Joint pain
- Limb pain - see all causes of Limb symptoms
- Loss of appetite - see all causes of Poor appetite
- Muscle aches - see all causes of Muscle aches
- Myalgia - see all causes of Myalgia
- Nasal inflammation - see all causes of Cold-like symptoms
- Prostration - see all causes of Prostration
- Runny nose - see all causes of Runny nose
- Sneezing - see all causes of Sneezing
- Sore throat - see all causes of Sore throat
- Sweating - see all causes of Sweating
- Weakness - see all causes of Weakness
Medical Books Online about Flu
Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Flu are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Flu.
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Patient Surveys for Flu
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Symptoms of Flu: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Flu.
Influenza:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
After an incubation period of 24 to 48 hours, flu symptoms begin to appear: sudden onset of chills, temperature of 101° to 104° F (38.3° to 40° C), headache, malaise, myalgia (particularly in the back and limbs), a nonproductive cough and, occasionally, laryngitis, hoarseness, conjunctivitis, rhinitis, and rhinorrhea. These symptoms usually subside in 3 to 5 days, but cough and weakness may persist. Fever is usually higher in children than in adults. Also, cervical adenopathy and croup are likely to be associated with influenza in children. In some patients (especially elderly patients), lack of energy and easy fatigability may persist for several weeks.
Fever that persists longer than 3 to 5 days signals the onset of complications. The most common complication is pneumonia, which occurs as primary influenza virus pneumonia or secondary to bacterial infection. Influenza may also cause myositis, exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Reye's syndrome and, rarely, myocarditis, pericarditis, transverse myelitis, and encephalitis.
Haemophilus influenzae infection:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
H. influenzae provokes a characteristic tissue response — acute suppurative inflammation. When H. influenzae infects the larynx, trachea, or bronchial tree, it leads to irritable cough, dyspnea, mucosal edema, and thick, purulent exudate. When it invades the lungs, it leads to bronchopneumonia. In the pharynx, H. influenzae usually produces no remarkable changes, except when it causes epiglottitis, which generally affects both the laryngeal and pharyngeal surfaces. The pharyngeal mucosa may be reddened, rarely with soft yellow exudate. Usually, though, it appears normal or shows only slight diffuse redness, even while severe pain makes swallowing difficult or impossible. H. influenzae infections typically cause high fever and generalized malaise. Meningitis, the most serious infection caused by H. influenzae, is indicated by fever and altered mental status. In young children, nuchal rigidity may be absent.
Colorado tick fever:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
After a 3- to 6-day incubation period, Colorado tick fever begins abruptly with chills; temperature of 104° F (40° C); severe aching of back, arms, and legs; lethargy; and headache with eye movement such as extraocular movement. Photophobia, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting may occur. Rare effects include petechial or maculopapular rashes and central nervous system involvement. Symptoms subside after several days but return within 2 to 3 days and continue for 3 more days before slowly disappearing. Complete recovery usually follows.
Lassa fever:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
After a 7- to 18-day incubation period, this disease produces a fever that persists for 2 to 3 weeks, exudative pharyngitis, oral ulcers, lymphadenopathy with swelling of the face and neck, purpura, conjunctivitis, and bradycardia. Severe infection may also cause hepatitis, myocarditis, pleural infection, encephalitis, and permanent unilateral or bilateral deafness.
Virus multiplication in reticuloendothelial cells causes capillary lesions that lead to erythrocyte and platelet loss; mild to moderate thrombocytopenia (with a tendency toward bleeding); and secondary bacterial infection. These capillary lesions may also cause focal hemorrhage in the stomach, small intestine, kidneys, lungs, and brain and, possibly, hemorrhagic shock and peripheral vascular collapse.
Relapsing fever:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The incubation period for relapsing fever is 5 to 15 days (the average is 7 days). Clinically, tick- and louse-borne diseases are similar. Both begin suddenly, with a temperature approaching 105° F (40.6° C), prostration, headache, severe myalgia, arthralgia, diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, and eye or chest pains. Splenomegaly is common; hepatomegaly and lymphade-nopathy may occur. During febrile periods, the victim's pulse and respiratory rates rise, and a transient macular rash may develop over his torso.
The first attack usually lasts from 3 to 6 days; then the patient's temperature drops quickly and is accompanied by profuse sweating. A skin rash on the trunk lasting 1 to 2 days is common after the primary febrile episode. The rash may be petechiae, macular, or papular. About 5 to 10 days later, a second febrile, symptomatic period begins. In louse-borne infection, additional relapses are unusual; but, in tick-borne cases, a second or third relapse is common. As the afebrile intervals become longer, relapses become shorter and milder because of antibody accumulation. Relapses are possibly due to antigenic changes in the Borrelia organism.
Complications from relapsing fever include nephritis, bronchitis, pneumonia, endocarditis, seizures, cranial nerve lesions, paralysis, and coma. Death may occur from hyperpyrexia, massive bleeding, circulatory failure, splenic rupture, or a secondary infection.
Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
In 95% of patients, rheumatic fever characteristically follows a streptococcal infection that appeared a few days to 6 weeks earlier. A temperature of at least 100.4° F (38° C) occurs, and most patients complain of migratory joint pain or polyarthritis. Swelling, redness, and signs of effusion usually accompany such pain, which most commonly affects the knees, ankles, elbows, or hips. In 5% of patients (generally those with carditis), rheumatic fever causes skin lesions such as erythema marginatum, a nonpruritic, macular, transient rash that gives rise to red lesions with blanched centers. Rheumatic fever may also produce firm, movable, nontender, subcutaneous nodules about 3 mm to 2 cm in diameter, usually near tendons or bony prominences of joints (especially the elbows, knuckles, wrists, and knees) and less often on the scalp and backs of the hands. These nodules persist for a few days to several weeks and, like erythema marginatum, often accompany carditis.
Later, rheumatic fever may cause transient chorea, which develops up to 6 months after the original streptococcal infection. Mild chorea may produce hyperirritability, a deterioration in handwriting, or an inability to concentrate. Severe chorea (Sydenham’s chorea) causes purposeless, nonrepetitive, involuntary muscle spasms; poor muscle coordination; and weakness. Chorea always resolves without residual neurologic damage.
The most destructive effect of rheumatic fever is carditis, which develops in up to 50% of patients and may affect the endocardium, myocardium, pericardium, or the heart valves. Pericarditis causes a pericardial friction rub and, occasionally, pain and effusion. Myocarditis produces characteristic lesions called Aschoff bodies (in the acute stages) and cellular swelling and fragmentation of interstitial collagen, leading to formation of a progressively fibrotic nodule and interstitial scars. Endocarditis causes valve leaflet swelling, erosion along the lines of leaflet closure, and blood, platelet, and fibrin deposits, which form beadlike vegetations. Endocarditis affects the mitral valve most often in females; the aortic, most often in males. In both females and males, endocarditis affects the tricuspid valves occasionally and the pulmonic only rarely.
Severe rheumatic carditis may cause heart failure with dyspnea; right upper quadrant pain; tachycardia; tachypnea; a hacking, nonproductive cough; edema; and significant mitral and aortic murmurs. The most common of such murmurs include:
❑ a systolic murmur of mitral insufficiency (high-pitched, blowing, holosystolic, loudest at apex, possibly radiating to the anterior axillary line)
❑ a midsystolic murmur due to stiffening and swelling of the mitral leaflet
❑ occasionally, a diastolic murmur of aortic insufficiency (low-pitched, rumbling, almost inaudible). Valvular disease may eventually result in chronic valvular stenosis and insufficiency, including mitral stenosis and insufficiency, and aortic insufficiency. In children, mitral insufficiency remains the major sequela of rheumatic heart disease.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The incubation period is usually about 7 days, but it can range from 2 to 14 days. Generally, the shorter the incubation time, the more severe the infection. Signs and symptoms, which usually begin abruptly, include a persistent temperature of 102° to 104° F (38.9° to 40° C); a generalized, excruciating headache; nausea and vomiting; and aching in the bones, muscles, joints, and back. In addition, the tongue is covered with a thick white coating that gradually turns brown as the fever persists and rises.
Initially, the skin may simply appear flushed. Between days 2 and 5, eruptions begin around the wrists, ankles, or forehead; within 2 days, they cover the entire body, including the scalp, palms, and soles. The rash consists of erythematous macules 1 to 5 mm in diameter that blanch on pressure; if untreated, the rash may become petechial and maculopapular. By the third week, the skin peels off and may become gangrenous over the elbows, fingers, and toes.
The pulse is strong initially, but it gradually becomes rapid (possibly reaching 150 beats/minute) and thready.
Alert A rapid pulse rate and hypotension (systolic pressure less than 90 mm Hg) herald imminent death from complete vascular collapse.
Other signs and symptoms include a bronchial cough, a rapid respiratory rate (as high as 60 breaths/minute), anorexia, constipation, abdominal pain, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, insomnia, restlessness and, in extreme cases, delirium. Urine output falls to half of the normal level or less, is dark in color, and contains albumin. Complications, although uncommon, include lobar pneumonia, otitis media, pa-rotitis, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and, possibly, renal failure. In rare cases, RMSF leads to death.
Influenza:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
After an incubation period of 24 to 48 hours, signs and symptoms appear: the sudden onset of chills, a temperature of 101° to 104° F (38.3° to 40° C), headache, malaise, myalgia (particularly in the back and limbs), a nonproductive cough and, occasionally, laryngitis, hoarseness, conjunctivitis, rhinitis, and rhinorrhea.
These signs and symptoms usually subside in 3 to 5 days, but cough and weakness may persist. Fever is usually higher in children than in adults. Also, cervical adenopathy and croup are likely to be associated with influenza in children. In some patients (especially elderly ones), lack of energy and easy fatigability may persist for several weeks.
Complications
Fever that persists longer than 3 to 5 days signals the onset of complications. The most common complication is pneumonia, which can be primary influenza viral pneumonia or secondary to bacterial infection. Influenza may also cause myositis, exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Reye’s syndrome and, rarely, myocarditis, pericarditis, transverse myelitis, and encephalitis.
Haemophilus influenzae infection:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
H. influenzae provokes a characteristic tissue response — acute suppurative inflammation.
When H. influenzae infects the larynx, trachea, and bronchial tree, it leads to mucosal edema and thick exudate; when it invades the lungs, it leads to bronchopneumonia.
In the pharynx, H. influenzae usually produces no remarkable changes, except when it causes epiglottiditis, which generally affects both the laryngeal and the pharyngeal surfaces.
The pharyngeal mucosa may be reddened, rarely with soft yellow exudate. More commonly, it appears normal or shows only slight diffuse redness, even while severe pain makes swallowing difficult or impossible. These infections typically cause high fever and generalized malaise.
Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease:
Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)
In 95% of patients, rheumatic fever characteristically follows a streptococcal infection that appeared a few days to 6 weeks earlier. A temperature of at least 100.4° F (38° C) occurs.
Joint pain
Most patients complain of migratory joint pain or polyarthritis. Swelling, redness, and signs of effusion usually accompany such pain, which most commonly affects the knees, ankles, elbows, or hips.
Skin lesions and nodules
In 5% of patients (generally those with carditis), rheumatic fever causes skin lesions, such as erythema marginatum. This nonpruritic, macular, transient rash gives rise to red lesions with blanched centers.
Rheumatic fever may also produce firm, movable, nontender, subcutaneous nodules ⅛" to ¾" (0.5 to 2 cm) in diameter, usually near tendons or bony prominences of joints (especially the elbows, knuckles, wrists, and knees) and less commonly on the scalp and backs of the hands. These nodules persist for a few days to several weeks and, like erythema marginatum, often accompany carditis.
Chorea
Later, rheumatic fever may cause transient chorea, which develops up to 6 months after the original streptococcal infection.
Mild chorea may produce hyperirritability, a deterioration in handwriting, or an inability to concentrate. Severe chorea causes purposeless, nonrepetitive, involuntary muscle spasms; poor muscle coordination; and weakness. Chorea always resolves without residual neurologic damage.
Carditis
The most destructive effect of rheumatic fever is carditis, which develops in up to 50% of patients. It may affect the endocardium, myocardium, pericardium, or the heart valves.
Pericarditis causes a pericardial friction rub and, occasionally, pain and effusion. Myocarditis produces characteristic lesions called Aschoff bodies (in the acute stages) and cellular swelling and fragmentation of interstitial collagen, leading to formation of a progressively fibrotic nodule and interstitial scars.
Endocarditis causes valve leaflet swelling, erosion along the lines of leaflet closure, and blood, platelet, and fibrin deposits, which form beadlike vegetations. Endocarditis usually affects the mitral valve in females and the aortic valve in males. In both sexes, endocarditis affects the tricuspid valves occasionally and the pulmonic valve only rarely.
Severe rheumatic carditis may cause heart failure with dyspnea, right-upper-quadrant pain, tachycardia, tachypnea, significant mitral and aortic murmurs, and a hacking, nonproductive cough.
The most common murmurs include:
❑ a systolic murmur of mitral insufficiency (high-pitched, blowing, holo-systolic, loudest at apex, possibly radiating to the anterior axillary line)
❑ a midsystolic murmur caused by stiffening and swelling of the mitral leaflet
❑ occasionally, a diastolic murmur of aortic insufficiency. Valvular disease may eventually result in chronic valvular stenosis and insufficiency, including mitral stenosis and insufficiency and aortic insufficiency. In children, mitral insufficiency remains the major after-effect of rheumatic heart disease.
Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Flu:
The Flu, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID (Excerpt)
The symptoms start very quickly and are
- Headache
- Chills
- Dry cough
- Body aches
- Fever
- Stuffy nose
- Sore throat
What to Do About the Flu - Age Page - Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)
Flu can cause fever, chills, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, as well as headache, muscle aches, and often extreme fatigue. Although nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can sometimes accompany the flu, especially in children, gastrointestinal symptoms rarely occur. The illness that people call "stomach flu" is not influenza. (Source: excerpt from What to Do About the Flu - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)
What to Do About the Flu - Age Page - Health Information: NIA (Excerpt)
Call your doctor if you have any signs of flu and:
Flu as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions
When considering symptoms of Flu, it is also important to consider Flu as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Flu may cause:
- Atypical lymphocytes
- Dacryoadenitis
- Headache
- Myalgia
- Myocarditis
- Myositis
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pericarditis
- Pharyngitis
- Pneumonia
- Pyrexia
- Suppurative otitis media
- Taste disturbance
- Upper respiratory tract infection
Medical articles and books on symptoms:
These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
- Diagnostic Testing for a Diagnosis of Flu
- Research Alternative Diagnoses for Flu
- How serious is Flu?
- More about Flu
- Online Diagnosis
- Self Diagnosis Pitfalls
- Pitfalls of Online Diagnosis
- Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
- Lesser known silent killer diseases
- Books on signs and symptoms
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
About signs and symptoms of Flu:
The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Flu. This signs and symptoms information for Flu has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Flu signs or Flu symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Flu may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Flu symptoms.
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