Feel awful? A lab test will tell you if it’s the flu

See a doctor, especially if your symptoms worsen

In the midst of a flu epidemic, it’s hard not to shudder if you sneeze.

Sickness is going around. The flu is among the most contagious and has already claimed dozens of lives this season, including at least 30 children. Flu vaccines reduce the risk, but they aren’t always effective.

So if you’re feeling under the weather, pay attention to your body. While most cases aren’t serious, you might need to visit a doctor.

If you’re worried about your symptoms, “it’s best to be seen and be seen early,” said Angela Campbell, physician and media officer in the influenza division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here’s how to know if your symptoms are a sign of the flu:

Symptoms

Unlike the common cold, flu symptoms hit suddenly — within a matter of hours. Symptoms include fever, feverish chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and tiredness.

Children with the flu could also vomit and have diarrhea, according to the CDC.

But here’s the kicker: It’s impossible to know if you have the flu based on symptoms alone. The only way to tell for sure is to take a laboratory test at a doctor’s office, but that’s not always needed for treatment.

When to go to the doctor

If you think you have the flu and are at high risk of developing complications, visit a doctor.

Children younger than 5, senior citizens, pregnant women, American Indians and Alaska Natives are the most at risk for serious flu-related complications, the CDC says. Also, anyone who has asthma, heart disease, blood or endocrine disorders, kidney or liver problems, metabolic disorders, weakened immune system, extreme obesity or neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions are considered high-risk. People younger than 19 who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy also should be cautious.

If you recently became sick (in the past two days), you also could visit a doctor for an antiviral drug. That can shorten the time you are sick and prevent complications.

You should also call or visit a doctor if you aren’t improving after a few days, Campbell said.

If you improve and then get worse, call the doctor, too, because that might be a sign you’ve developed complications, she added.

“Flu can get worse very fast,” Campbell said.

Signs of a deadly illness

The flu can cause complications that turn fatal. Examples include pneumonia; inflammation of the heart, brain or muscle tissues; and multiple-organ failure.

The flu also can make chronic medical problems worse, including asthma and chronic heart disease.

It’s important to act fast if you think you or a loved one has developed flu complications. In such cases, you might need to call 911 or go to the emergency room, Campbell said.

“In data of children who have died from the flu, a third of them have died before they could even get to a hospital,” Campbell said.

Anytime people notice trouble breathing or decreased responsiveness, Campbell said, that could be cause for concern.

The CDC expects the flu season to last several more weeks and recommends that people who haven’t been vaccinated get a flu shot.

“Flu can get worse very fast.”

Angela Campbell Physician, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention