Can A Flu Shot Make You Get Sick
It isnt out of the ordinary to react to the flu shot, as its simply a sign that your immune system getting to work protecting you. Common responses include a sore arm, headache, nausea, muscle aches or a mild fever. The vaccine itself is adapted every year, Dr. Ford says. So its very hard to predict, from one year to the next, if youre going to have a mild reaction, no reaction or a more problematic reaction.
However, if you do get sick after getting a flu shot, its not because of the vaccine. The only direct reactions to the shot are going to happen within the first 24 to 48 hours, Dr. Ford affirms. As mentioned before, if you get sick after that, people might think its related to getting the flu shot. But its just a coincidence.
Colds Dont Usually Come With A Significant Fever
While you may be running a little warmer, colds rarely come with a significant fever. And while you can still have the flu without a fever, the flu typically comes with a few days above 100° Fahrenheit.
A flu fever will likely come on fast. This is an especially common flu symptom in kids. Keep an eye on the little ones and the elderly, as they will be more susceptible to complications. Also, keep drinking liquids and get lots of rest.
What Is A Sinus Infection
A sinus infection, medically known as sinusitis or rhinosinusitis, occurs when your nasal cavities become infected, swollen, and inflamed. Fluid buildup in the sinuses can cause germs to grow, leading to a sinus infection.
Sinusitis is usually caused by a virus and often lasts even after other upper respiratory symptoms are gone. In some cases, bacteria or, rarely, fungus may cause a sinus infection.
Other conditions such as allergies, nasal polyps, and tooth infections can also contribute to sinus pain and symptoms.
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Is It Flu Or A Sinus Infection
December 22, 2021 By Will Sowards
Changing seasons and outside elements can affect the human body in various ways. One morning, you may wake up and feel terrible. Could it be a sinus infection or influenza ? There are differences between the two that help people know what is affecting them. Taking note of these symptoms will enable you to take care of yourself properly.
How Does The Flu Spread
Unlike asthma, the flu is contagious. The flu spreads from coughing and sneezing. It usually spreads from person to person. You can also get the flu by touching something with the flu virus on it, then touching your mouth or nose. You can spread the flu before you know you are sick and when you are sick.
The flu spreads from fall through spring each year.
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Could A Flu Shot Give Me A Cold
Asked by Nancy Unger, Mountain View, California
The day after I got my flu shot this year I got very sick — not with the flu, but with a heavy cold that lasted for weeks. I assumed the timing was just a coincidence, but this fall so many people that I know had the same experience that I’m wondering: Could a flu shot in any way lead to a heavy cold?
Living Well ExpertDr. Jennifer ShuPediatrician,Children’s Medical Group
How Long Do Symptoms Last
Typically, a sinus infection clears up within 2 to 3 weeks. COVID-19 lasts for about a week or two depending on its severity and your overall health.
A 2020 study surveyed 270 outpatients with COVID-19. Among them, 175 people reported returning to their usual level of health about 7 days after a positive COVID-19 test.
Some symptoms like cough and loss of smell or taste may linger temporarily after COVID-19. Some people may experience long-haul COVID-19, a group of symptoms that persist in the weeks and months following an infection.
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Did The Flu Give You A Sinus Infection How Should You Treat It
Influenza is bad enough on its own, pretty much putting you out of action for the better part of two weeks in the best-case scenario, that is but it can also lead to severe and less severe complications. Among other things, the flu leaves you vulnerable to Streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacterium that can cause pneumonia as well as middle ear infections and sinusitis.
Can You Get A Flu Shot If Youre Sick
It depends. The general guidance is it depends on how sick you are, says Donald Ford, MD, MBA, Chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. If you have a mild illness or a cold what we normally think of a routine viral infection theres absolutely no reason why you cant go ahead and get your flu shot, which is protection against a more severe viral infection.
However, if you have a fever which for adults is classified as a temperature over 100.4° F or are otherwise feeling unlike yourself, Dr. Ford recommends rescheduling for another day.
The temperature is one marker, he says. If youre sick enough that youre staying home from work, if youre having trouble keeping food down or staying hydrated, those would be all reasons to at least postpone it.
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Do We Know How Bad This Years Flu Season Will Be
We dont have a crystal ball, said Dr. Lisa L. Maragakis, the senior director of infection prevention at the Johns Hopkins Health System. But for hints of what to expect, scientists have been watching the Southern Hemisphere, where flu season is now wrapping up. And the good news is that the flu season has been relatively mild there, Dr. Maragakis said so ours might be, too.
Yet there are reasons to be worried as well. When you look across the years, more serious and more severe flu seasons often follow light ones, Dr. Maragakis said. Thats likely because of how the flu evolves and how susceptible people are to the strains circulating during the next season. Since weve had two light years in a row, we could be in for a bad year if the flu starts spreading, she said.
In a study published on a preprint server in August that has not yet been peer-reviewed, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh used mathematical modeling to predict how severe the upcoming flu season might be based on this increased susceptibility. They reported that if flu and flu vaccination levels are typical of prior years, 102,000 more Americans than average could be hospitalized with influenza a 20 percent increase.
Special Information For People With Allergies
If you have ever had either of the following, you should check with your allergist to ask if the flu vaccine is safe for you:
- A life-threatening allergic reaction after a dose of flu vaccine
- A severe allergy to any part of a flu vaccine
Egg Allergy and Flu VaccineEgg allergy is not a reason to avoid the flu vaccine. It is safe for ALL people with an egg allergy to receive an annual flu vaccine. This is true no matter how severe your egg allergy was in the past. This includes anaphylaxis to egg.
The following organizations recommend getting the flu vaccine every year, even if you have an egg allergy:
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
- American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
You can get any flu vaccine, even if you have a history of mild or severe egg allergy. You can get the shot or nasal spray, depending on the recommendations above if you have asthma. You no longer need to be observed in a doctors office for 30 minutes after getting the vaccine if you have or had an egg allergy.
The CDC makes the following recommendations for people with an egg allergy who get the flu vaccine:3
The AAAAI and ACAAI state that the vaccine is safe to give in any setting. There is no special waiting time or other precautions.4
Severe Allergic Reactions
Medical Review April 2021 by Sarah Goff, MD, PhD, and October 2021 by David Stukus, MD
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Start With Home Remedies For Colds And Flu
You should stay home if youre sick especially if you have a fever. Actually, its always recommended that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever has gone away without the use of fever-reducing medications. Here are some steps you can take at home to feel better:
- Get plenty of rest.
- Drink lots of fluids .
- Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help lower your temperature, and get some headache or muscle ache relief. Warning: Do not give aspirin to children or teenagers who have the flu, as it comes with a small risk of causing the potentially fatal Reye Syndrome.
Can I Get Seasonal Flu Even Though I Got A Flu Vaccine This Year
Yes. Its possible to get sick with flu even if you have been vaccinated . This is possible for the following reasons:
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You may be exposed to a flu virus shortly before getting vaccinated or during the period that it takes the body to gain protection after getting vaccinated. This exposure may result in you becoming ill with flu before the vaccine begins to protect you.
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You may be exposed to a flu virus that is not included in the seasonal flu vaccine. There are many different flu viruses that circulate every year. A flu vaccine is made to protect against the three or four flu viruses that research suggests will be most common.
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Unfortunately, some people can become infected with a flu virus a flu vaccine is designed to protect against, despite getting vaccinated. The protection provided by the flu vaccination can vary widely, based in part on the health and age factors of the person getting vaccinated. In general, a flu vaccine works best among healthy younger adults and older children. Some older people and people with certain chronic illnesses may develop less immunity after vaccination. Flu vaccination is not a perfect tool, but it is the best way to protect against flu infection.
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Treating And Preventing A Sinus Infection
How you can treat a sinus infection depends on the cause of the infection, its duration and the severity. For example, if youre dealing with a form of bacterial sinusitis, your doctor might prescribe you an antibiotic. But if the infection is viral, the best course of action is usually to rest and let the virus run its course. In the case of chronic sinusitis, sinus surgery might be the most appropriate or effective treatment choice.
You cant prevent a sinus infection with a vaccine but you can reduce the frequency of your infections by learning to avoid the things that trigger them, such as certain allergens or irritants. Rinsing your nasal passages with saline and using a humidifier at home might also help reduce the frequency of sinusitis.
Will There Be Flu Along With Covid
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While its not possible to say with certainty what will happen in the fall and winter, CDC believes its likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both be spreading. In this context, getting a flu vaccine will be more important than ever. CDC recommends that all people 6 months and older get a yearly flu vaccine.
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What If I Get The Flu And Covid
Simultaneous infections like these have so far been rare. A spring 2020 study in New York City, for instance, found that after testing about 1,200 Covid-19 patients for co-infection with other respiratory viruses, like influenza, only 3 percent had simultaneous infections.
Kids may be more likely than adults, though, to get multiple infections at the same time. When we look at the kids who have been hospitalized for the coronavirus, often they have more than one respiratory virus, Dr. Fradin said. Generally, people with both infections would be treated similarly to those infected with one, she added flu patients might be given antiviral drugs, for instance.
But because so few people have had the flu and Covid-19 at the same time, we still dont know much about how sick they generally become, Dr. Palese said. There are some cases which are really bad, he said, and some that havent been all that serious. Still, Dr. Gandhi stressed that the possibility of simultaneous infection is yet another reason to get a flu vaccine. Being co-infected with two very serious illnesses is never a situation you want to be in, she said.
Should I Get The Flu Vaccine If I’m Pregnant Or Breastfeeding
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Years of studies and observation show that you can safely get a flu shot at any time, during any trimester, while you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Babies cannot get the vaccine until six months old. Because antibodies from the vaccine pass onto a fetus in the womb and through breast milk, you protect your baby even more by getting vaccinated.
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Pregnant people should not get the nasal spray form of the flu vaccine. Those with a life-threatening egg allergy should not get the flu vaccine, whether pregnant or not.
SourcesFlu & Pregnancy- CDC
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Untreated Sinus Infection Risks
Sinus infections often start to improve on their own after about 10 days. If your symptoms last longer without improving or if they worsen, a doctor may need to treat the underlying cause of the infection.
If a sinus infection affects a sinus cavity close to the brain, it can spread to the brain if left untreated. Though rare, an infection can also pass into the eye socket and cause vision changes or blindness. These types of infections are more common in kids.
While uncommon, a serious fungal sinus infection left untreated may pass into the bones.
Make an appointment with a doctor if you have severe symptoms, or if the following symptoms last longer than 10 days or keep coming back:
- fever
- congestion
- facial pain
Because the cause of your sinus infection can affect your treatment options, its important to see a doctor for a diagnosis. The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if youre looking for a doctor.
If you believe you have chronic or recurring sinusitis, consider asking for a referral to an otolaryngologist, also known as an ear, nose, and throat specialist. You may need imaging and other tests to determine the cause of your symptoms.
An ENT specialist can take a culture of nose drainage to better understand the cause of an infection. The ENT specialist can also examine the sinuses more closely and look for any problem in the structure of the nasal passages that could lead to chronic sinus problems.
How Severe Are The Symptoms
Most sinus infections go away on their own without severe symptoms or complications. If a sinus infection is caused by bacteria, you may need antibiotics.
Many cases of COVID-19 may be mild or moderate. The World Health Organization estimates that
Heres what to do next whether you think that you have a sinus infection or COVID-19.
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Can The Flu Shot Prevent Covid
It is not designed to do so, and we have no solid evidence that it does. But some recent, yet preliminary and limited, studies suggest that it could. One study published on a preprint server in September that has not yet been peer reviewed found that of nearly 18,000 employees at a Dutch hospital, those who received a previous flu vaccine were 37 to 49 percent less likely to get sick with Covid-19 during the first and second coronavirus waves, respectively,than those who didnt get the flu shot.
Researchers have been speculating that the flu vaccine might spark a broad immune response that could help prevent other infections, including Covid-19. And while there is growing interest in this theory, and other studies have found similar associations, its hard to know whether these effects are causal or just coincidental, Dr. Fradin said.
The best way to prevent Covid-19,she added,is to get a Covid-19 vaccine.
When To Contact A Medical Professional
- Your symptoms last longer than 10 to 14 days or you have a cold that gets worse after 7 days.
- You have a severe headache that is not relieved by over-the-counter pain medicine.
- You have a fever.
- You still have symptoms after taking all of your antibiotics properly.
- You have any changes in your vision during a sinus infection.
A green or yellow discharge does not mean that you definitely have a sinus infection or need antibiotics.
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The Bottom Line On Flu Shots And Side Effects
It’s normal to feel soreness, redness, tenderness, or even develop a mild fever or body aches during the two days after you get vaccinatedthats just your immune response, not the flu illness itself.
So theres no reason to avoid getting the flu shot because you think itll make you sick. Unless you have severe or life-threatening allergies to the flu vaccine or any ingredients in it, you should roll up your sleeves for one each year, the CDC says .
Getting sick with the flu is more dangerous than many people think. While most people will recover, some people can develop complications from the influenza virus, which can include sinus and ear infections, pneumonia, and inflammation of the heart , brain , or muscle . It can even be deadly.