Extreme muscle and chest pain, as well as dehydration and troubled breathing can all be signs you need to get extra help.
It can be rather daunting news to read: according to Time.com, this year’s flu season could be shaping up to be “especially severe”. Does this mean a flu epidemic is on our doorstep? Do you need to grab a few extra-large boxes of tissues, some nighttime cold medication and run for cover?
Maybe but maybe not. It can be difficult to predict exactly where the season will head. But whatever the future may hold, we’ll say this: it’s always good to have some information under your wings, and to be educated and informed, whatever the issue may be. So, here it is.
This year to date, a minimum of 6.4 million people in the U.S have already battled the flu. If you are one of them and doing well, congratulations on your recovery!
To put things in perspective, last year’s flu season was one of the hardest in recent years, (although clearly not as bad as the 1918 flu epidemic, which attacked one third of the world’s population and killed about 675, 000 people in the United States alone).
But 2018-2019 was difficult for modern standards. And 2020 is shaping up to be worse, experts say.
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So far, 55,000 people have been hospitalized with the flu this season and sadly 2,900 have died from their sickness. On an extra sad note, 27 of those who died were children.
Protect yourself. Getting your flu shot is your first line of defence. Everyone 6 months old and above can get it. If you’re a senior citizen, there are more potent versions of the vaccine you can get. In addition, avoid contact with sick people and stay home if you are sick yourself. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, and wash your hands frequently. If your doctor prescribes a flu antiviral medication, take it as directed.
If you or someone you know experiences symptoms such as fast or troubled breathing, severe muscle pain, chest pain or a cough or fever that improves but then worsens while having the flu, you could be experiencing the emergency signs of the illness. Get medical help immediately.
For a complete list of serious flu-related complications that should never be ignored, check out this list at the bottom of the following page, (click and scroll down), put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
