10 symptoms of swine flu and what you should do next

popular symptoms of swine flu

Chest Congestion and a Stubborn Cough

A nagging cough in the chest is one of the foremost symptoms of swine flu. It may bother you in the day as well as in the night, disrupting your sleep patterns to no end.

If your cough is accompanied by green, brown or yellow phlegm, which also appears highly concentrated, there is a good chance that your swine flu has now turned into pneumonia, in which case you need to get yourself admitted to the hospital immediately.

High Fever

• A rising fever is also one of the popular symptoms that are associated with swine flu and is something that you need to watch out for if you feel you may have contracted the H1N1 virus.
• The temperature in the body of a person with swine flu is likely to range between a hundred and hundred and four degrees Fahrenheit.
• It is also possible that this fever will be accompanied by excessive sweating in the night along with nausea and a whole lot of coughing and congestion, making it impossible for you to get any sleep at all.

Painful and Sore Throats

If you have the swine flu virus in your body, then you are definitely likely to complain about a sore throat. While sore throats may also be caused by common cold viruses, it can also be brought on by the H1N1 virus.

A sore throat caused by swine flu is a lot more painful than having a regular sore throat, and you often might find yourself unable to open your mouth and swallow any food. The pain in your throat is likely to get exacerbated if you have nasal congestion as well and happen to be breathing through the mouth rather than the nostrils.

Swollen Glands in the Neck and Armpits

The glands in your neck are likely to get painfully swollen when you contract swine flu as a result of which you may find it difficult to talk, eat food or even drink water. The glands in your armpits are also likely to swell up considerably when you have swine flu in your body and will be very tender to touch.

Glands in your neck and armpits get swollen when you contract H1N1 simply because these tend to combat foreign invaders. Touching the glands is something you must strictly avoid to keep yourself free of pain.

Nasal Congestion

• Severe nasal congestion is a very well known indication of having swine flu.
• You will find that you are unable to stop sneezing even when you take recourse to homemade remedies to cure your cold.
• To know whether your nasal congestion is indeed a result of the presence of the H1N1 virus in your body, mucus from either your cough or nasal fluid shall be sent to the lab for diagnosis by your doctor.

Muscle Aches

Muscles aches in your body are certainly likely to be present when you are down with swine flu. The muscles are going to be become very achy and weak, and you may also feel some muscle stiffness in your joints and limbs like your feet, knees, shoulders, legs, and the arms.

The best way to keep yourself feeling more pain than usual in such a situation is to give your muscles as much rest as possible. Avoid moving around and stay confined to your room for as long as you can. 

Body Chills

Are you down with swine flu? Then you must be having chills in your body. It is very likely for people with H1N1 to feel colder than usual, even when the weather is reasonably sunny and bright.

While chills may ordinarily lead you to believe that you are suffering from a conventional bout of influenza, the chills caused by H1N1 shall cause your body to become overheated.

Bouts of feeling overheated will be followed by chills that are sweaty and cold, all of which should make you understand that it is H1N1 that is causing your condition.

Respiratory Infection  

• Serious respiratory complications are what you are certainly likely to experience when you are infected with swine flu.
• Respiratory failure is a common symptom of H1N1 flu in addition to pneumonia.
• If you suffer from chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes, then your respiratory infection is likely to worsen.
• Calling your doctor is something that you should not hesitate to do in the event that you start showing symptoms like shortness of breath as it has to be medically treated as quickly as possible for you to have a successful recovery.

Nausea and Vomiting      

Vomiting and nausea are also very common symptoms of swine flu. Bouts of vomiting, as well as nausea, can come about very quickly and without warning within twelve to twenty-four hours of having contracted the H1N1 virus.

If the H1N1 virus in your body causes you to vomit excessively, then you need to keep yourself as hydrated as you can by drinking eight to ten glasses of water in a day. By doing so, you will keep your immune system from deteriorating as much as it would otherwise, thus boosting your energy levels as well.

Fatigue

• If you are suffering from swine flu, then you are certainly likely to undergo some severe fatigue.
• Muscle fatigue is very common in people who have swine flu, and you will find yourself severely lacking in energy and vitality.
• Carrying out your day to day tasks will cause you to feel a lot of pain and make you tired easily.
• You might feel yourself gasping for breath even after executing some simple chores around your house.

how to treat swine flu

In addition to taking medicines that have been prescribed by your doctor in order to fight H1N1 in your body, there are a number of effective ways by which you can treat swine flu condition in your home. 

Drink Enough Water

One of the best ways to treat swine flu at home at least is to drink as much water as possible. You need to engage in the intake of fluids in order to fight the dehydrated state that is likely to be brought by the H1N1 virus in your body.

Some of the fluids that you should ideally choose in order to keep yourself hydrated are warm soups, juice, and water; special care needs to be taken to ensure that the water you drink while suffering from swine flu has been well filtrated.

Consider using Pain Relievers

Considering the use of pain relievers is something that you can do in order to combat the body aches that are very likely to occur when you have swine flu. While over the counter pain relievers are safe to use in such instances, asking your medical practitioner to suggest some pain relievers for use would be a better idea.

Get Plenty of Rest

Getting enough rest is absolutely necessary to treat swine flu and recover from it in a successful manner. The more sleep you get, the easier it will be for your immune system to fight the virus.

how to avoid contracting swine flu

Prevention is better than cure is what people all around the world have to say when it comes to contracting and treating diseases. Hence making sure that you lead a lifestyle that prevents you from coming into contact with such a disease in the first place is very essential.

Make sure that your Surroundings are Clean and Hygienic

You should move around in places that contain minimal access to garbage and where the surroundings are very clean and hygienic. You must make every effort to keep yourself away from factories and farm houses as much as you can as these are areas where the H1N1 is known to be quite rampant.

get vaccinated against swine flu

An effective way, of keeping yourself from contracting swine flu, is to get yourself properly vaccinated. The swine flu vaccination is offered at every hospital and clinic and is not very expensive to obtain either.

About Author

Dr. Sumbul Naqvi

Sumbul is a dentist by profession and a marketer by choice. She has about 4 years of experience in marketing and a year of clinical experience. Previously, she was working with Witworks. She is a graduate from K.L.E. Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum. Driven by a mission to make a bigger impact in healthcare, she opted to work for Portea.