My Skin Hurts To Touch Flu

Symptoms During The Prodromal Stage

pale skin so cold to the touch

Among the systemic symptoms that may appear in the first few days of the prodromal stage of shingles are:

Fever
A headache
Sensitivity to light

Whether or not it feels like flu in the very beginning, the most telling first symptom of shingles typically is the pain. Often excruciating, the discomfort has been described as burning, stinging, tingly, prickly, itchy, numbing, achy, or shooting. It can be persistent or intermittent but will be limited to one side of the body. This symptom can be deceiving, though.

Because the pain from shingles is localized, it can be mistaken for other conditions depending on where it’s focused. For example, a stabbing or persistent pain on one side of the lower back may be attributed to sciatica or a kidney problem when, in fact, it’s the early sign of a shingles outbreak in that area. Similarly, shingles pain around the lips could suggest a cold sore coming on, while pain focused on the eye or ear might seem like the start of a migraine.

Care Advice For Influenza

What You Should Know About Influenza:

Flu symptoms include cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever. During influenza season, if your child has these symptoms, he probably has the flu.

Most parents know if their child has flu. They have it too or it’s in the school. It’s also in the news. You don’t need any special tests when you think your child has flu.

If your child develops a complication of the flu, then call your child’s doctor. Examples are an earache or trouble breathing. These problems are included in the “What to Do” section.

For healthy people, the symptoms of influenza are like those of a bad cold.

With flu, however, the onset is more abrupt. The symptoms are more severe. Feeling very sick for the first 3 days is common.

The treatment of influenza depends on your child’s main symptoms. It is no different from treatment used for other viral colds and coughs.

Bed rest is not needed.

Most children with flu don’t need to see their doctor.

Here is some care advice that should help.

Runny Nose with Lots of Discharge: Blow or Suction the Nose

The nasal mucus and discharge is washing germs out of the nose and sinuses.

Blowing the nose is all that’s needed. Teach your child how to blow the nose at age 2 or 3.

For younger children, gently suction the nose with a suction bulb.

Put petroleum jelly on the skin under the nose. Wash the skin first with warm water. This will help to protect the nostrils from any redness.

Nasal Saline To Open a Blocked Nose:

Medicines for Flu:

Skin Sensitive To Touch Overview

Since your skin is the largest organ in your body, chronic pain in that region can become a huge nuisance. Many different conditions may contribute to sensitive skin. However, it can be hard to figure out just why your skin feels sensitive or even painful. Heres a look at some conditions that can make your skin sensitive to touch all of a sudden, so you can find the treatment option right for you.

You May Like: High Dose Flu Vaccine Who Should Get It

What Does It Mean When Your Skin Is Sensitive To Touch

What is allodynia? Allodynia is an unusual symptom that can result from several nerve-related conditions. When youre experiencing it, you feel pain from stimuli that dont normally cause pain. For example, lightly touching your skin or brushing your hair might feel painful.

Skin Sensitive To Touch Causes

.Some days just the feeling of something touching my skin ...

There can be many reasons for having a hypersensitive skin that is sore to touch. In some cases, there are effective home remedies which can help to relieve the pain. There are, of course, reasons for this skin sensitivity which are caused by external factors, like sunburn or skin injuries. However, this article looks at the neurological reasons why skin can become very sensitive.

Read Also: Is The Flu Shot Good For A Year

Why Does Flu Make Your Skin Hurt

Its also possible that blood vessels in the brain dilate in response to fever, creating a headache by increasing pressure inside your head. Taege likens this inflammation to your skins response to a very hot object. You feel pain, and the place thats been seared will turn red and possibly blister.

Fibromyalgia Can Make Your Skin Sensitive To Touch

Sensitivity to touch due to tactile allodynia, thermal allodynia or mechanical allodynia is a common symptom of fibromyalgia. When you have allodynia, your body sends pain signals from non-painful stimuli. In fact, even lightly touching your skin can feel unbearably painful.

Another common symptom is a tingling sensation. That tingling feeling might be in one specific area or widespread over your body. As with any chronic health condition, certain things may trigger your fibromyalgia symptoms to worsen, causing increased skin sensitivity.

Recommended Reading: How Much Do Flu Shots At Cvs Cost

When Should I See A Health Care Provider

Consult your health care provider early if you develop flu-like symptoms and you have a condition that puts you at higher risk of complications.

You should also call your health care provider if your symptoms get worse, such as shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chest pain or signs of dehydration .

When Should I See A Doctor

Fibromyalgia and skin issues and pain

You should seek medical advice if:

your child is under three months old and has a temperature of 38C or above, or is between three and six months old and has a temperature of 39C or above
their symptoms last more than three weeks
they seem to be getting worse rather than better
they have chest pain or are coughing up bloodstained phlegm this could be a sign of a bacterial chest infection that needs treatment with antibiotics
they’re finding it difficult to breathe seek medical help immediately from your GP surgery or local hospital
they have, or seem to have, severe earache as they could have an ear infection that may need antibiotic treatment
they have a persistent or severely sore throat they may have bacterial tonsillitis, which needs antibiotic treatment
they develop any other worrying symptoms

Recommended Reading: Mucinex Cold And Flu Side Effects

How Are Cold Sores Treated

Treatment for cold sores focuses on relieving and shortening symptoms. For people with frequent outbreaks, treatment works to decrease how often future episodes. Treatments may include:

Prescription or over-the-counter pain medicines. These can help with discomfort, especially if sores are inside the mouth.
Antiviral medicines. These may be pills that are taken by mouth or a cream to apply to sores. They may help shorten an outbreak and reduce the severity of symptoms. They may be used to help prevent future outbreaks if you have disabling recurrent infections.
Self-care such as extra rest and drinking more fluids. These may help relieve the flu-like symptoms of a first outbreak.

How Do Colds Spread

In general, a person becomes contagious from a few days before their symptoms begin until all of their symptoms have gone. This means most people will be infectious for around two weeks.

You can catch the virus from an infectious person by:

touching an object or surface contaminated by infected droplets and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes
touching the skin of someone who has the infected droplets on their skin and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes
inhaling tiny droplets of fluid that contain the cold virus these are launched into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes

Colds spread most easily among groups of people in constant close contact, such as families and children in school or day care facilities. They’re also more frequent during the winter, although it’s not clear exactly why.

A number of different viruses can cause a cold, so it’s possible to have several colds one after the other, as each one may be caused by a different virus.

Don’t Miss: What Is In The Flu Shot

How To Treat Skin Sensitivity Associated With Fever

This article was medically reviewed by Erik Kramer, DO, MPH. Dr. Erik Kramer is a Primary Care Physician at the University of Colorado, specializing in internal medicine, diabetes, and weight management. He received his Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from the Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2012. Dr. Kramer is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and is board certified.There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 133,898 times.

Is It A Cold Or Flu

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

Flu symptoms

usually include a headache, 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

Also Check: What Flu Medicine Is Safe While Breastfeeding

How Do I Know If My Child Has Influenza

The flu strikes more quickly than a cold, and makes people feel worse. Children with colds usually have energy to play and keep up their daily routines. Children with influenza are usually in bed.

Typical influenza symptoms include:

sore throat, and
loss of appetite.

Children with the flu may have many of the same symptoms as adults, but there can be differences:

Newborns and babies may have a high fever that cant be explained, and no other signs of sickness.
Young children usually have temperatures over 39.5°C and may have .
Upset stomach and pain, vomiting, and diarrhea are common in younger children. Earaches and red eyes are also common.
In some cases, muscle inflammation can lead to severe leg or back pain.

What Are The Symptoms Of A Cold

Cold symptoms come on gradually and are milder than symptoms of the flu. Symptoms commonly include:

Cough
Mild fever
Runny nose
Sore throat
Stuffy nose

Cold symptoms typically last for about a week. However, youre contagious during the first few days, so stay home, get plenty of fluids and be sure to rest.

Most colds are caused by a virus, which antibiotics wont treat. Its best to get plenty of rest, fluids and use over-the-counter medicines to help manage symptoms, says Dr. Martin.

If your symptoms last longer than a week, check with your healthcare provider to rule out an allergy or bacterial infection.

How Can I Prevent Cold Sores

You can help reduce the spread of the herpes viruses that cause cold sores. This can help both you and others avoid getting cold sores. Follow these tips:

Do not kiss others if you have a cold sore. Also avoid kissing someone with a cold sore.
Do not share eating utensils, lip balm, razors, or towels with someone who has a cold sore.
Wash your hands after touching the area of a cold sore. The herpes virus can be carried from your face to your hands when you touch the area of a cold sore. When this happens, wash your hands thoroughly, for at least 20 seconds. When you cant wash with soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Disinfect things you touch often, such as phones and keyboards.
If you feel a cold sore coming on, do the same things you would do when a cold sore is present to avoid spreading the virus.
Use condoms to help prevent passing on the viruses through sex.

Skin Sensitive To Touch Dermatitis

Why Biting Ice Cream Hurts So Bad

Dermatitis is a general term covering different types of skin inflammation. Typically, dermatitis causes an itchy rash and swollen or red skin. For instance, eczema, dandruff, and allergic reaction rashes are all forms of dermatitis.

If you come into contact with something you are allergic to, you may have an allergic reaction. Hives, a common skin condition from an allergic reaction, can cause an itchy and painful rash. Anytime you have or suspect an allergic reaction, its important to see your doctor or go to an urgent care clinic immediately.

Also Check: How Much Is A Flu Shot At Hy Vee

Common Treatments For Skin Pain Due To Dermatitis Include:

antihistamines
topical antiseptics

Having skin sensitive to touch may be a sign of an underlying condition, such as some of the ones mentioned here. However, there are many conditions that may cause sensitive skin. Its important to talk with your doctor about your skin sensitivities and other symptoms, so you can get on the right treatment plan.

What Are The Symptoms Of Allodynia

The main symptom of allodynia is pain from stimuli that dont usually cause pain.

In some cases, you might find hot or cold temperatures painful. You might find gentle pressure on your skin painful. You might feel pain in response to a brushing sensation or other movement along your skin or hair.

Depending on the underlying cause of your allodynia, you might experience other symptoms too.

For example, if its caused by fibromyalgia, you might also experience:

anxiety

indicated that PIEZO2, a gene that controls the sense of touch, may contribute to tactile allodynia.

Recommended Reading: Flu And Pneumonia Vaccine Same Day

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.

Cutaneous Hyperesthesia: A Novel Manifestation Of Covid

Why Is My Skin Sensitive to Touch All of a Sudden?

Keywords:

To the Editor,

We have read the article by

The first patient was a 40-year-old male doctor. The first observed symptoms were general malaise and fever of 38 °C. On the same day, the patient reported burdensome cutaneous hyperesthesia, which he described also as abnormal hypersensitivity. The sensation started abruptly and affected whole body however, it mostly concerned his abdomen and back. He stated that this feeling was aggravated by any kind of touch and alleviated by warm baths, which he would take before going to bed to be able to fall asleep. The intensity of cutaneous hyperesthesia did not vary throughout the day, although, started to decrease after five days of infection. The sensation persisted for 10 days, the same period of time as his general symptoms.

Cutaneous hyperesthesia is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain as increased sensitivity to stimulation . The pathogenesis is yet to be fully understood, however, peripheral and central nervous system injury, reorganization in dorsal horns and diminished number of C fibers in the affected zone may play the vital role. To the best of our knowledge, cutaneous hyperesthesia in patients suffering from SARS-CoV-2 infection has not been reported so far. However, the similarity of the symptoms to those reported in Herpes Virus infections may favor the possible intrinsic neurotropic properties o SARS-CoV-2 suggested by the authors .

Don’t Miss: How Long Are Flu Symptoms Contagious

When To See A Doctor

Sensitive or tender skin is a serious health condition that requires proper medical attention. See your doctor right away if your skin is sensitive to touch and even after trying those home remedies, you are not able to get any relief.

Schedule an appointment as that extra skin sensitivity is likely to interfere with your day-to- day activities. The doctor may recommend medications and ask you to take anti-inflammatory drugs. Some doctors may also prescribe topical pain medications and narcotic drugs. Get to the underlying cause and find relief from the skin sensitivity.

Difference Between Flu And Covid

The symptoms of COVID-19 and flu can be similar.

If you are unwell with flu-like symptoms, contact the COVID-19 hotline on 1800 675 398 or your GP to check if you require COVID-19 testing.

The symptoms to watch out for are:

loss or changein sense of smell or taste
fever

Some people may also experience headache, muscle soreness, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Recommended Reading: Flu Nose Spray Side Effects

When To See A Healthcare Provider

Although body aches are normal with the flu, if they become more severe than you would expect, you should contact your healthcare provider.

You should also seek medical attention for muscle aches if:

There are signs of infection, such as redness or swelling, around a muscle
There is poor circulation in the area that hurts
You have recently been bitten by a tick
Pain doesn’t improve within three days

You have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
You have muscle weakness or cannot move part of your body
You have vomiting, a stiff neck, and fever

Some people, especially children, may experience very painful leg cramps with the flu. Leg cramps can be so painful that walking is difficult or accompanied by a limp. If your child is complaining of leg pain in his or her calves or refuses to walk, contact your family’s pediatrician to determine if an evaluation and treatment are necessary.