Early Signs of Swine Flu
Early symptoms of H1N1 (sometimes known as Swine Flu) are similar to regular influenza and include fever, stuffy or runny nose, headaches, cough, sore throat, fatigue, chills and body aches. Vomiting and diarrhea may be experienced but not always.
-
Fever and Chills
-
Fever is defined as the the body temperature elevation over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The body raises it's temperature as part of it's autoimmune system function. In attempt to increase the temperature, the body will shake, generating heat until that temperature is reached and until then, the person will feel cold. This is commonly referred to as chills.
Stuffy or Runny Nose
-
A stuffy or runny nose can cause difficulty breathing due to nasal congestion.
-
Headaches
-
Headaches can range from a tightness in the muscles around the scalp (tension headaches) to throbbing on one side of the head in addition to nausea and dizziness (symptoms of migraines) to excruciating pain around one eye (cluster headache).
Cough and Sore Throat
-
A sore throat is caused by an irritant in the throat, be it mucus or another substance. The body preforms coughing, a spasmodic contraction of the thoracic cavity, in attempt to clear the substance.
Body Aches
-
Body aches or pain is part of the body's defense system. It is an early warning system used by the body to notify diverse organs to react to minimize injury.
Diarrhea
-
Diarrhea commonly occurs during a viral infection. Many recover within a few days to a week but if prolonged it can lead to dehydration and become life threatening if not treated.
-
References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Michael Hashizume
