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In 2009, the Swine Flu pandemic had people in a panic with the uncertainty of their health. Scientists scrambled to quickly come up with an effective vaccine to combat the virus. The swine flu turned out to be milder than previous pandemics, but today's flu vaccine covers both seasonal and swine flu.
2011 has reports of two people infected with swine flu, though both were in contact with pigs shortly before contracting the virus. The contraction of swine flu is rare, but can be spread from pigs to humans, or humans to pigs. Swine flu symptoms do not appear much differently than seasonal flu symptoms at first. These include high fever, cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, body aches, chills, and fatigue.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that swine flu symptoms may vary slightly from seasonal flu. For instance, in the 2009 outbreak, Mexico reported that 30% of cases showed no fever, and Chile reported 50% of their cases had no fever. Most consider fever as a tell-tale sign of illness, and its absence could lead people to wait to go to the doctor for treatment. Pay attention to the symptoms. Swine flu can have severe symptoms like extreme fatigue or malaise. Vomiting and diarrhea is also more common in swine flu. If you show these symptoms, it is time for a visit to the doctor.
Swine flu can be more serious than the seasonal flu because it is more likely to cause complications like pneumonia and respiratory problems. A rapid flu test can show whether the influenza A virus, or swine flu, is present. Antiviral drugs recommended by the CDC for treatment of influenza A virus are Oseltamivir or Zanamivir.
Swine flu symptoms usually start to disappear within one to two weeks as long as complications do not arise. The elderly and those with chronic health problems such as Asthma or heart problems could experience worsening of symptoms related to those conditions. It is important to take immediate action if you suspect you have swine flu. Take steps to prevent seasonal and swine flu with the vaccine or visit your doctor for more information on preventative measures.
What else can I help you with?
Is flu like symptoms always the Swine Flu?
The symptoms of swine flu and normal flu are very similar, even doctors cannot tell them apart without swabbing and testing. As a result a lot of people who think they have had swine flu have probably only had normal flu.
Where can one find symptoms of swine flu?
Your best option on finding out more information on symptoms of swine flu would be to visit your local physician or Doctor. If you have access to the internet, visiting a medical website such as WebMD will familiarize you with swine flu symptoms.
How you know if you have the Swine Flu or not?
The only way to know for sure that it is the H1N1/09 (swine flu) is to have lab testing. Otherwise you can only tell by symptoms which are virtually the same as regular flu. See the related question for information about the symptoms of swine flu.
What kind of cough tell you you have the Swine Flu?
The kind of cough is not diagnostic of Swine Flu. The swine flu has many of the same symptoms as the regular flu. You cannot tell by the type of cough what type of flu you have. Your doctor cannot even tell that. If you are displaying actual flu symptoms, your doctor can order a laboratory test to confirm or rule out the swine flu. That is the only way to receive a proper diagnosis to which flu subtype you may or may not have. See the related question below for a more detailed description of the symptoms of swine flu.
If you had almost every symptom of the Swine Flu and it ended in ten days did you have it?
The symptoms of swine flu are the same as other more common flu strains. There is no way of knowing if your flu was the swine flu without laboratory testing.
What other diseases besides swine flu have flu-like symptoms?
the cold a fever
If I have cold symptoms and have been sick do you have swine flu?
Not necessarily.
What are the symtombs of swine flu?
The symptoms are similar to a normal influenza
What are the symptoms of Swine Flu?
The danger of Swine Flu is that it has almost the exact same symptoms as the regular flu which makes it hard to diagnose. Some common symptoms of both of these influenza viruses include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, and headaches.
How do medical professionals diagnose the Swine Flu?
By symptoms only. Swine flu usually presents with diarrhea in addition to the usual symptoms. Additionally, the regular flu season has not started yet, so most cases are assumed to be swine flu. There is no test at this moment that a family doctor could order (at least not in Canada).
How can you recognize a flu symptom?
Flu symptoms are hard to recognize sometimes as they often appear as cold symptoms, however a telling sign of the flu is in the suddenness and intensity of which the symptoms hit you that are often accompanied by weakness and fatigue.
How many symptoms of Swine Flu are there?
Each person usually may get three to four of the symptoms, but each individual can get a different combination of them and usually not all of them. See the related question below about all the different symptoms of swine flu.
