Swine flu may be difficult to differentiate from the common cold or from regular seasonal flu symptoms. This may cause you to ignore early symptoms of swine flu or to think that every sniffle or sneeze means you have it. It is important to be able to tell the difference. Here are 8 common swine flu symptoms:
Common Swine Flu Symptom #1: A fever is the first sign that you might have swine flu. If you get a sudden fever that rises immediately to 104 degrees, you should begin to look for other symptoms that signals that you have H1N1. Even if you don’t have Swine Flu, you may very well have something infectious.
Common Swine Flu Symptom #2: If, in addition to the fever, you find yourself coughing a lot then you may have Swine Flu. We cough because we have excess mucus or another irritant is in the respiratory tract and out body is trying to force those foreign objects out.
Common Swine Flu Symptom #3: Many people have gone to the doctor assuming they have strep throat only to find out that is it actually swine flu. For this reason, a sore throat may also be the first signal that you have swine flu. Do not ignore this important symptom.
Common Swine Flu Symptom #4: A runny nose is usually the first symptom that you have the common cold or are reacting to allergies. With swine flu being rampant you should be wary of a runny nose as it can also be a symptom of swine flu. Be very careful about using tissues and wash your hands if you get a runny nose.
Common Swine Flu Symptom #5: Body aches are a common symptom of seasonal flu, but not the common cold. A person with mild to severe body aches may have swine flu. People have reported everything from muscle aches to painful joints and eyelids.
Common Swine Flu Symptom #6: Because people get headaches on a daily basis for any number of reasons, this often first symptom of Swine Flu often goes ignored. It is, however, sometimes the first symptom you will notice. If you have a dull headache and you know Swine Flu is going around, immediately check for a fever and other symptoms. When you have fever and chills, you definitely have some kind of flu, if not the Swine Flu.
Common Swine Flu Symptom #7: Fatigue is another common sign of swine flu. You will not only be exhausted while you have swine flu but will remain exhausted for a week or more after it was over.
Common Swine Flu Symptom #8: Upset stomach and digestive system distress is the tell-tale sign, when accompanied by a few of the others that you have swine flu. This sets it apart from the regular seasonal flu. For many people who have the swine flu, they describe it as not much worse than any other flu except that they also have what feels like a stomach virus as well.
What you need to understand is that swine flu affects people differently, and people in different locations differently. People in the same household have reported one person being violently ill for over a week, while another feels out of sorts for a day or two. If one person in the household or in a group has three or more of these symptoms, they may very likely have swine flu.
