Flu Symptoms

Influenza, a very common respiratory disease which is spread via airborne droplets of infected respiratory fluid is usually associated with the following symptoms:

Fever : Fever usually means the body has raised its temperature to fight an infection or condition. In case of flu, the temperature begins abruptly, with a fever ranging between 102 to 106°F.

Headache : Flu usually causes pain affecting the head or brain area.

Muscle aches : One of most common symptoms of flu is aching in legs, arms and the back and these aches occur due to aches or pains affecting the muscles.

Nasal congestion : Nasal congestion or a stuffy nose is a very common symptom of flu. It's usually caused by a virus and typically resolves spontaneously within a week. Nasal congestion has many causes and can range from a mild annoyance to a life-threatening condition.

Loss of appetite: Loss of appetite is very common in case of flu as it commonly occurs during a sudden illness, such as an infection. When a loss of appetite continues for a long time, a person is at risk for malnutrition.

Sore throat: Sore throat is a symptom of many medical disorders including flu. Most of the infections that cause sore throats are contagious in nature. Infections are caused either by viruses such as the flu, the common cold, mononucleosis, or by bacteria such as strep, mycoplasma, or hemophilus.

Dry cough: Dry cough usually refers to non-productive cough without producing sputum. Many respiratory infections such as flu starts out as a dry cough, and then become a wet cough or productive cough as the lungs start to produce more sputum.

Burning eyes: This symptom describes burning, itching, or drainage from the eye of any substance other than tears and is normally very common in case of influenza.