Symptoms of swine flu

Swine flu looks like an ordinary flu at first, which is exactly why it catches people off guard. Most cases are mild, but knowing the warning signs tells you when a flu is no longer just a flu.

Typical symptoms

• Fever, often high and sudden (though not everyone with H1N1 has fever)
• Cough, usually dry
• Sore throat and runny or blocked nose
• Body ache, headache, and deep tiredness
• Chills
• Sometimes vomiting or diarrhea, more often in children than adults

The usual course

Symptoms start 1 to 4 days after catching the virus and most people recover in about a week, with tiredness lingering a little longer.

Danger signs - seek urgent medical care

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest
• Persistent high fever not settling, or fever that returns after improving
• Bluish lips or face
• Confusion, severe weakness, or fainting
• Severe or persistent vomiting, inability to keep fluids down
• Signs of dehydration: very little urine, dizziness on standing

If breathing is severely difficult or the person is confused or turning blue, call 112 immediately.

In children - extra warning signs

• Fast or difficult breathing, chest pulling in with breaths
• Refusing to drink, no wet diapers for many hours
• Extreme irritability or unusual drowsiness
• Fever with rash

Who should see a doctor EARLY, even with mild symptoms

Pregnant women, children under 5, adults over 65, and anyone with asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or weak immunity should contact a doctor at the first flu symptoms - early antiviral treatment works best within 48 hours.

Ayurvedic view (interpretive): Classical descriptions of jwara include fever with body ache and respiratory involvement, resembling flu. The framework is interpretive; the danger signs above are the ones that decide action.

Remember: High fever, cough, sore throat, and body ache for about a week is the common course. Breathing trouble, chest pain, bluish lips, confusion, or a returning fever are emergencies - and high-risk people should see a doctor at the first symptom, not the first danger sign.