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

PIN IT!

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.