Is it a Cold or Deadly Flu? How can you be sure? #IPromiseToStopFlu

Is it a Cold or Deadly Flu?

Hello parents, today I want to share an incident of flu which left a deep impact on our lives. I will
also share some helpful information on how influenza signs & symptoms show up. And, how to know if the illness is just a common cold or the deadly flu.

Last winters were quite tough on us. Nemit fell ill with the onset of winters. Thinking it to be a common cold we didn’t pay much attention to the symptoms initially. But within 2 days his symptoms got aggravated. He developed a sore throat followed by a bad cough and mild fever. But, on the 3rd night, his body temperature shot up to 104°.

I gave him medicine for fever which reduced his temperature a little but it was still 102°. My little boy seemed to be in a lot of pain. And I couldn’t do anything, it was the worst night of my life.

Next morning when his fever didn’t come down, we took him to the pediatrician who after a general check-up mentioned flu-like symptoms. We were clueless but sensed that it was not good.

She prescribed a few medicines for nasal congestion & cough and asked us to keep a close watch on him for the next 24 hrs. She instructed us to visit her immediately if the fever doesn’t subside or shoots up again. His fever did come down but it was still persistent. And, there was no relief in his cough.

On our next visit, the doctor reported some ‘murmur’ in the chest and feared that it could be the initial stage of pneumonia. And she started the antibiotics. Pneumonia was the last word we wanted to hear. Upon enquiring, she told us that many cases of pneumonia result from complications of cold or flu. We were lucky that it got detected at an early stage and Nemit was back to normal within a week.

She wanted us to be aware of this deadly disease and shared some helpful information about influenza. Being informed and well prepared is half the battle won. #IPromiseStopFlu

Is it a Cold or Deadly Flu? How can you be sure? How does influenza symptoms show up? #IPromiseToStopFlu #ChildHealth #CommonCold #Influenza #FluShot #InfluenzaVaccine #FluSeason #Vaccination

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Let’s see how Influenza signs and symptoms show up

Influenza or flu is a highly contagious disease caused by Influenza Virus. The initial symptoms may look like a common cold but these aggravate quite fast and may become severe within a few days.¹ The most common symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body ache, headache, and extreme tiredness.²

You should not confuse Flu with a Cold.

The symptoms usually look like a common cold but the severity indicates that it may be a flu.³ During a common cold, the child may seem active but when it’s a flu, the child will look dull and out of energy.

WHO recommends the most effective way to protect against influenza is to get vaccinated every year

Does your child really need the flu vaccine?

Children below 5 years of age come under the high-risk group due to their weak immune system.4 If the symptoms of flu are not detected early on, the complications like pneumonia can occur, it can even lead to death in rare cases.

And, that’s why it becomes even more important that children between 6 months and 5 years get the influenza vaccine each year.5 And continue giving the vaccine every year even after the age of 5.

The best time to get vaccination is just before the onset of flu season. #IPromiseToStopFlu for my child. You?


References –

  1.  https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/coldflu.htm
  2. https://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/files/influenzafaq.txt
  3. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/coldflu.htm
  4. https://riseandshine.childrensnational.org/5-reasons-your-child-should-get-the-flu-vaccine-every-year/
  5. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/flu/symptoms-causes/syc-20351719

Disclaimer: – All content here, including advice from the doctor, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek direct advice from your own doctor in case of any health-related questions.

 

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29 Comments

  1. Richa Kaushik November 13, 2019 at 6:54 pm - Reply

    This is so informative. Thanks a ton!

    • Neha Sharma November 14, 2019 at 10:56 am - Reply

      Glad to know you find it helpful, Richa 🙂

  2. Surbhi prapanna November 14, 2019 at 12:52 am - Reply

    Great info dear and you had shared really great points that will help parents in differentiating flu and common cold. it is really great that nowadays there are vaccinations are available that can prevent lots of serious diseases in kids. #IPromisetostopflu is a great initative and I am sure it will help a lot in spreading awareness among parents about flu and its complications.

    • Neha Sharma November 14, 2019 at 11:18 am - Reply

      That’s true dear, availability of vaccines for many life-threatening diseases have helped in reducing the number of sick patients & further spreading of the disease and we have also seen some of the diseases being completely eradicated. I hope this post reaches the maximum number of people. Thanks for reading and sharing!

  3. Divya jain November 15, 2019 at 12:16 pm - Reply

    Wht v cn do to prevent it

    • Neha Sharma November 15, 2019 at 2:42 pm - Reply

      As I’ve also mentioned in the post, there is a Flu vaccine available, which can help protect the whole family. Please check with your doctor about the Influenza Vaccine.

  4. neha November 15, 2019 at 10:58 pm - Reply

    hey thank you for sharing this informative post sure will be sharing this with others ..

    • Neha Sharma November 16, 2019 at 10:33 am - Reply

      Thanks Neha

  5. Milan November 16, 2019 at 11:07 am - Reply

    Children upto 5 years of age should be given flu vaccination but it quite not right when parents of big kids too get them vaccinated. they should develop immunity on their own.

    • Neha Sharma November 16, 2019 at 1:42 pm - Reply

      Children up to 5 years come under high-risk group due to their weak immunity however it is always good that everyone in the family gets the flu shot. Vaccines actually help in strengthening the immune system without body getting the disease, it further helps prevent the suffering which the actual illness may cause.

  6. Truly Yours Roma November 16, 2019 at 12:41 pm - Reply

    I agree a shot of vaccination is better than seeing the little one in pain buddy. Thank you for the informative post

    • Neha Sharma November 16, 2019 at 1:38 pm - Reply

      Thanks for reading & sharing 🙂

  7. Bushra November 16, 2019 at 1:04 pm - Reply

    Yes flu is very common especially during winter. Never know that vaccination prevent from getting flu

    • Neha Sharma November 16, 2019 at 1:43 pm - Reply

      Thanks for stopping by

  8. MeenalSonal November 16, 2019 at 4:24 pm - Reply

    Awareness about the disease is very important for the better treatment and care of our dear ones. Thanks for sharing, it will help most new mommies a lot.

    • Neha Sharma November 16, 2019 at 4:46 pm - Reply

      Thanks for stopping by, MeenalSonal 🙂

  9. Deepa Jaisingh November 16, 2019 at 6:44 pm - Reply

    I dread this deadly flu so much as my then 3 year old daughter got it while we were living in Dubai. That 1 month was a nightmare for us and after that we became extra careful and getting shots for flu annually without any delays.

    • Neha Sharma November 18, 2019 at 11:18 am - Reply

      I’m sorry to hear that your little daughter has to suffer due to the flu, yes it’s important to get the vaccine every year

  10. Deepika November 16, 2019 at 9:24 pm - Reply

    Agreed! Vaccination at the right time is the best way to avoid any further complications due to flu or any fatal diseases.

    • Neha Sharma November 18, 2019 at 11:16 am - Reply

      Thank you, Deepika

  11. Pragnya Mishra November 16, 2019 at 10:56 pm - Reply

    Flu vaccination is a must. We don’t want our kids to suffer in pain and then regret it. Thanks for pointing out the difference in common cold and flu, it is confusing for many parents.

    • Neha Sharma November 18, 2019 at 11:15 am - Reply

      Glad you find it helpful, thanks for commenting & sharing 🙂

  12. Tina Basu November 17, 2019 at 10:46 am - Reply

    Influenza is so bad, its bad fro kids and elderlies both. It is always good to take precaution and get vaccinated.

    • Neha Sharma November 18, 2019 at 11:15 am - Reply

      Yes, that’s right, Tina

  13. Amrit Kaur November 17, 2019 at 10:56 am - Reply

    It is necessary for every parent to get kids vaccinated for flu from right age and at right time. Thanks for sharing information.

    • Neha Sharma November 17, 2019 at 11:08 am - Reply

      Thank you Amrit

  14. Jhilmil D Saha November 17, 2019 at 11:49 am - Reply

    Hey Neha, I had a similar experience with my daughter when she was about to turn 1. The doctor said it can lead to pneumonia. Its necessary to give vaccines on time

    • Neha Sharma November 18, 2019 at 11:14 am - Reply

      Yes, flu is very common hence it becomes even more important that we vaccinate our kids every year to protect them from the deadly disease.

  15. Atulmaharaj October 23, 2020 at 5:57 pm - Reply

    I actually didn’t know the different between a common cold and flu. Your timely visit to the doctor got things under control and thanks to you, I now know the difference between the two!

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