Can You Have The Flu And No Fever

Can A Cold Or Flu Be Prevented Or Avoided

There are things you can do to reduce your risks for colds and flu. They include:

• Wash your hands frequently. Use soap. This stops the spread of germs.
• Eat healthy, exercise, and get enough sleep. These things boost your immune system.
• Cough and sneeze into the inside of your elbow .
• Clean common surfaces, such as tables, counters, toys, door handles and bathrooms. Use anti-bacterial disinfectants.
• Get a flu vaccine . It is available through flu season. The best time is October and November. The flu shot is safe for adults and all children 6 months of age and older. It is strongly recommended that all children 6 months of age to 59 months of age get a yearly flu shot. The nasal-spray vaccine contains live but weakened viruses. It is safe for adults and all children 2 years of age and older who do not have asthma or breathing problems. Talk to your doctor before getting the nasal spray vaccine. You cannot get the flu from the flu shot or the nasal-spray vaccine. Some people who get the vaccine will still get the flu. They usually get a milder case than people who arent vaccinated. The vaccine is recommended for people who are more likely to get really sick from flu-related complications.

What Are The Early Symptoms

COVID-19 affects people in different ways, and there can be a variety of early symptoms. However, in research from , a team of scientists put forward a hypothesis that people develop COVID-19 symptoms in the following order:

• a fever
• muscle pain and a dry cough
• vomiting, nausea, or both
• diarrhea

This suggests that among people who do develop a fever, it may be one of the earliest symptoms. However, proving that this order of symptoms is accurate will require further studies.

COVID-19 is a disease that stems from an infection with the virus SARS-CoV-2 and according to the WHO, symptoms of the illness can take up to

• using a separate bedroom or bathroom
• avoiding contact with relatives or pets
• not sharing personal items, such as cutlery, glasses, bedding, or towels
• wearing a mask when isolation or physical distancing are not possible

Anyone with symptoms should call a doctor for advice about what to do next. It is important to mention any underlying conditions, as these may increase the likelihood of COVID-19 symptoms becoming severe.

who develop COVID-19 have mild symptoms and get better without treatment. However, if symptoms are severe or seem to be worsening rapidly, dial 911 or otherwise request emergency medical aid.

Warning signs include:

• bluish lips, fingers or toes, or skin
• trouble waking up or staying awake
• new confusion

Do not visit a medical facility without calling ahead and letting the staff know that COVID-19 is a possibility.

People At Higher Risk From Flu

Anyone can get sick with flu, even healthy people, and serious problems related to flu can happen to anyone at any age, but some people are at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick. This includes people 65 years and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions , pregnant people and children younger than 5 years, but especially those younger than 2 years old.

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Other Conditions Associated With Body Aches

Many conditions can be associated with body aches or pains. Some of these include:

• Stress
• A reaction or side effect of medication
• Lyme disease
• Viral gastroenteritis

If your symptoms do not go away after five to seven days or appear to be getting worse, or if you’re a part of a high-risk group, you should see a doctor to be diagnosed.

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For those who are not exhibiting symptoms, the CDC guidance states that these individuals should be considered contagious up to two days before their positive Covid test.

Among the traditional Covid symptoms of coughing, fever, and loss of taste and smell, the CDC says another symptom can be a pale, gray, or blue-colored tinge on your skin, lips, or nail beds.

The CDC recommends waiting five days after exposure to get a Covid test, or soon after symptoms occur.

“If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to Covid-19,” the guidance states.

Even if you’ve had Covid once before and are fully vaccinated, the CDC advises wearing a mask in public as immunity does not last forever and it is possible to get infected twice or more.

A triple-shot is effective against the Omicron variant, which has swiftly become the most dominant in circulation.

However, of Omicron cases, between 10 and 15 percent are reinfections, Professor Neil Ferguson told BBC Radio 4’s Today program.

STAGES OF OMICRON

There is a clearly established path now between when an individual is exposed to the virus and how long they may feel ill.

Though a string of positive studies does suggest that Omicron is milder than its Delta variant counterpart, one should remain alert nonetheless.

Stage two is around two or three days with no symptoms presenting yet.

NEW VARIANTS

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When To Visit Your Gp

If you are otherwise fit and healthy, there’s usually no need to visit your GP if you have flu-like symptoms.

You should just rest at home until you feel better, while keeping warm, drinking plenty of water and taking painkillers if necessary.

In these cases, your GP may suggest taking antiviral medication.

How Can I Help My Child

If your child gets the flu:

• Offer plenty of liquids. Fever and appetite loss are common with the flu, and can lead to dehydration.
• Encourage your child to rest in bed or on the couch with a supply of magazines, books, quiet music, and perhaps a favorite movie.
• Dress your child in layers that are easy to add and remove during bouts of chills or fever.
• Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever and aches.
• You can give over-the-counter cough or cold medicines to children over 6 years old if your doctor says it’s OK. Follow the package instructions carefully so you give the right amount. Do not give these medicines to children under 6 years old because they can cause bad reactions.
• Running a cool-mist humidifier can help relieve coughs and runny or stuffy noses. Clean it after each use or at least once a day.
• Honey can help loosen a stubborn cough in children older than 12 months of age. Give 12 teaspoons of honey at night. Do not give honey to children under 12 months old.
• For a stuffy nose:
• For babies: Put a few drops of saline into the nose, then gently suction the mucus out with a bulb syringe. Do this no more than 23 times a day so that the inside of your baby’s nose does not get swollen or sore.
• For older kids: Give 2 sprays of saline nose spray 3 times a day.

If your doctor prescribes medicine to ease symptoms, call the pharmacist before you go to pick it up. In a severe flu season, some pharmacies might have trouble keeping the medicines in stock.

• feel better

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Illnesses That Can Cause Body Aches Without A Fever

See below for more information on treatment

How Are Coronavirus Symptoms Different From Allergy Symptoms What About Flu Colds And Strep Throat

COVID-19 shares symptoms with other conditions such as allergies, the flu or strep throat. It may be very hard to tell the difference between COVID-19 and flu without a test.

If you have symptoms that might be due to the coronavirus, contact a health care provider, describe your symptoms and follow their recommendations.

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Symptoms Of The Cold Flu Allergies And Covid Can Be Similar Here’s How To Spot The Difference

Weve all been there. You wake up with a sore throat, then come the aches and the congestion that feels like it may cause your head to explode.

Is it a cold or allergies? Or something worse, like the flu or even COVID-19? Should you see your healthcare provider, or just stay home and get rest?

While a cold and the flu have similar symptoms, the flu is much more severe and can result in serious health problems, says Dr. Richard Martin, a family medicine physician at Geisinger Mt. Pleasant in Scranton. “Add allergies and COVID-19, and it can be even more complex to know whether you should call your doctor or get a COVID test.”Lets take a look at how to spot the difference and get you on the road to recovery ASAP.

Is It Flu Or A Cold

It can sometimes be difficult to tell if you have flu or just a cold, as the symptoms can be quite similar. The main differences are:

Flu symptoms:

• usually include fever and aching muscles
• make you feel too unwell to continue your usual activities

Cold symptoms:

• come on gradually
• mainly affect your nose and throat
• are fairly mild, so you can still get around and are usually well enough to go to work

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When To See A Doctor

According to the Mayo Clinic,9 call your physician if you are experiencing:

• Sore throat with tender, swollen lymph nodes
• Sore throat that lasts over 48 hours
• Sore throat with a rash
• Trouble breathing or swallowing
• Fever over 101 degrees F, or a fever lasting for more than 48 hours

It’s important to identify strep throat for a number of reasons. If untreated, strep throat can cause complications such as kidney inflammation and rheumatic fever.

Strep is different from the regular sore throat that usually precedes a flu or a cold because it is bacterial in nature, while the latter is viral. Strep throat is typically more severe and lasts longer as well.

While a regular sore throat might last for one to two days before going away on its own, strep throat usually requires treatment.

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He adds that though there needs to be more research done, it may be that some of the people who have milder symptoms are still potentially infectious, which calls for doctors to rethink some of the initiatives on how to stop the flu from spreading.

According to Hayward, few people visit the doctor when they have the flu, and even when they do, doctors rarely diagnose them as having influenza.

It’s not enough, he says, to just tell people to stay home to avoid spreading the illness, especially if they aren’t struck with the debilitating symptoms of a severe flu. And while flu vaccines are still important, they aren’t 100 percent effective among healthy young adults and are even less so among the elderly population.

But this study should not be taken to mean that the flu is as trivial as the common cold. “The flu is very common, and often mild, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t take it seriously because from time to time it can lead to very severe complications,” he says.

And while doctors work on rethinking the spread of flu, Hayward says people can protect themselves by getting vaccinated and by regularly washing their hands.

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How You Catch Flu

The flu virus is contained in the millions of tiny droplets that come out of the nose and mouth when someone who is infected coughs or sneezes.

These droplets typically spread about one metre. They hang suspended in the air for a while before landing on surfaces, where the virus can survive for up to 24 hours.

Anyone who breathes in the droplets can catch flu. You can also catch the virus by touching the surfaces that the droplets have landed on if you pick up the virus on your hands and then touch your nose or mouth.

Everyday items at home and in public places can easily become contaminated with the flu virus, including food, door handles, remote controls, handrails, telephone handsets and computer keyboards. Therefore, it’s important to wash your hands frequently.

You can catch flu many times because flu viruses change regularly and your body won’t have a natural resistance to the new versions.

Is It A Cold The Flu Or Covid

Your child has a sore throat, cough, and a high fever. Is it COVID-19? Could it be the flu? Or just a cold?

All these illnesses are caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract. All are contagious and can spread easily from person to person. And they cause some similar symptoms. So it can be hard to tell them apart.

Here are some things to look for if your child gets sick.

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How To Prevent A Cold Flu And Covid

For most people, having a cold, the flu or COVID doesnt require a trip to the emergency room. Most symptoms resolve after some much-needed rest, but that isnt always the case.

To decrease your chances of catching a cold, flu or COVID, remember to wash your hands frequently. Washing with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds can help get rid of the germs on your skin.

Avoid contact with people who are sick. And if you become sick, stay home to keep from infecting others.Remember, the best way to prevent the flu and COVID-19 is by getting vaccinated, says

Dr. Martin. The symptoms may be similar and having both viruses at one is possible. This is something youll want to avoid, especially older adults, young children and those with certain medical conditions.

How Is Strep Throat Treated

Doctors usually prescribe about 10 days of antibiotic medicine to treat strep throat. Within about 24 hours after starting on antibiotics, your child probably won’t have a fever and won’t be contagious. By the second or third day, other symptoms should start to go away.

Even when kids feel better, they should take the antibiotics as prescribed. This is the best way to kill the harmful bacteria. Otherwise, bacteria can remain in the throat and symptoms can return. Completing all the antibiotics also prevents other health problems that a strep infection can cause, such as rheumatic fever , scarlet fever, blood infections, or kidney disease.

To prevent spreading strep throat to others in your home:

• Keep your child’s eating utensils, dishes, and drinking glasses separate and wash them in hot, soapy water after each use.
• Make sure your child doesn’t share food, drinks, napkins, handkerchiefs, or towels with other family members.
• Teach your child to cover all sneezes or coughs. If a tissue isn’t handy, kids should sneeze or cough into a shirtsleeve, not their hands.
• Remind everyone to wash their hands well and often.
• Give your child a new toothbrush after the antibiotic treatment starts and he or she is no longer contagious.

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Can The Same Home Remedies And Medicine Be Used For Both Cold And Flu

There is no cure for a cold, the CDC says it will get better on its own. But prescription antiviral drugs may help with the flu, especially when taken within two days of the onset of symptoms. People with health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease that put them at at high risk for flu complications should seek treatment right away.

As for home remedies, there is evidence that zinc, taken by mouth in the form of lozenges, tablets, or syrups, can help reduce the length of colds if taken within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health . The NCCIH adds that zinc can cause nausea and gastrointestinal issues, and that it can interact with other medication, such as antibiotics.

There is no strong scientific evidence that any natural product can cure the flu, says the NCCIH.

Acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen are effective treatments for fever and aches caused by either a cold or the flu. People with either illness should also be sure to rest and drink plenty of fluids.

Additional reporting by Pamela Kaufman.