Common Signs, Treatments, and Complications

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Common Flu Symptoms
• Flu Symptoms vs. Cold Symptoms
• How to Treat Flu Symptoms
• Flu Complications
• When Is Flu Season?

Unlike cold symptoms, signs of the flu tend to come on suddenly. You might have:

• Fever above 100 F
• Severe aches in your muscles and joints
• Weakness or severe fatigue
• Warm, flushed skin and red, watery eyes
• Chills
• A headache
• A dry cough
• A sore throat and runny nose

Vomiting and diarrhea with flu is more common in children. 

Get medical help right away if you have:

• Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in your chest or belly
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe vomiting

These symptoms can mean your illness is severe.

The symptoms of colds and flu can be a lot alike. Here’s how to tell which one is making you sick:

• Fever. It can last 3 or 4 days with the flu; it’s rare with a cold.
• Aches. They might be severe with the flu; they’re mild with a cold.
• Chills. You’re likely to have them with the flu, but they’re rare with a cold.
• Fatigue. This is common with the flu and happens sometimes with a cold.
• Sneezing. You’re more likely to have this with a cold than with the flu.
• Cough and chest discomfort. This is common with both but tends to be severe with the flu.
• Stuffy nose. This sometimes happens with the flu but is common with a cold.
• Sore throat. This can be common with the flu but is more likely with a cold.
• Headache. This is common when you have the flu but rare with a cold.

In most cases, the best things to do when you have the flu are:

• Rest at home.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Avoid contact with other people.

Your doctor might give you prescription medications called antiviral drugs if you’re at higher risk of complications, such as if you:

• Are very sick or have other medical conditions
• Are younger than 2 or older than 65
• Have a weak immune system
• Are pregnant
• Are a Native American or an Alaska Native

These medicines — baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza), oseltamivir (Tamiflu), peramivir (Rapivab), and zanamivir (Relenza) — work best when you take them 48 hours or less after your symptoms start. Antivirals can decrease the severity and duration of illness and may prevent serious complications related to the flu.

People who are otherwise healthy don’t usually have serious problems from the flu.

Flu complications include:

• Pneumonia
• Sinus infection (sinusitis)
• Ear infection
• Inflamed bronchial tubes in your lungs (bronchitis)
• Asthma flare-ups
• Heart inflammation (myocarditis)
• Brain inflammation (encephalitis)
• Muscle problems
• Chronic heart disease flare-ups
• Organ failure

Seasonal flu follows a pattern, starting in the fall and ending in the spring. The first sign is often a sudden rise in the number of school-age children sick at home. This is soon followed by more illness in other groups, including parents.

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Got Watery Eyes with a Cold? Here’s What to Do

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Watery eyes can be a bit of an obstacle when you’re trying to appear pulled together despite having a cold. So, what helps watery eyes with a common cold? With our top tips and tricks below, you’ll be able to get on with your day-to-day life. Sniffing and watery eyes often accompany each other, so we’ll also go through what to do when your cold brings both of them to the party.

What helps watery eyes with a common cold?

Watery eyes are a symptom of colds. And a remedy for watery eyes during a cold like the ones below, along with the right supplies, will help you cope with the waterworks. These tips specifically help watery eyes with a cold:

• Cleaning. Keeping your eyes clean with a gentle wash helps to remove any debris or irritants, which is also helpful when you’re suffering from allergies.
• Cold compress. Cool temperatures can, ironically, relieve this symptom of the common cold. A watery eyes home remedy to ease heat and prickliness involves placing a cool, clean flannel over your eyes for as long as necessary.
• Massage. A gentle eyelids massage could pep up the natural functions of your eyes during a cold. This method helps by stimulating the oil glands in your eyelids.
• Be prepared. When you have watery eyes with a common cold, it’s important to have the right kit with you when you’re out and about. That includes a quality pack of soft tissues, to help wipe your eyes whenever the need arises.

Those are the specifics on how to help watery eyes with a cold, but what about when you’re dealing with both sniffing and watery eyes? Watery eyes with a cold demand some slightly different approaches.

How to help watery eyes and a cold – at once!

It’s common to experience a runny nose and tearful eyes at the same time, so here are some general tips to deal with these sorts of cold symptoms:

• Rest. Your immune system will be busy expending energy on getting rid of the virus that has caused your sniffing and watery eyes, so by getting lots of rest you’ll help remove the virus more quickly.
• Stay hydrated. Sipping water regularly and eating clear chicken broth will help your mucus to thin and therefore drain faster from your nose. It will also help restore those fluids that have been lost due to your runny nose and watery eyes.
• Use a warm compress. The warmth of a damp, clean flannel over your nose and eyes can help soothe watery eyes. With a runny nose, it can help ease congestion.

With these tips you can help deal with your watery eyes that’re a symptom of a cold. Common cold reactions often include runny eyes with a cold, but you’ll be one step ahead of that pesky pair with these approaches.

If your symptoms don’t improve within a few weeks, we recommend seeing a doctor.

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Influenza and acute respiratory viral infections – Argun Hospital 1

Colds (ARVI, acute respiratory infections) and influenza are infectious diseases that are caused by viruses. They differ from each other in symptoms, as well as in violation of the functions of certain organs.

Acute respiratory infections mainly affect the upper respiratory tract, ie the nose and pharynx. Symptoms of these diseases include runny nose, watery eyes, weakness, headache, sore throat. Respiratory diseases occur more often in the cold season, but can also be observed in the spring and summer months. SARS last in most cases from 5 to 10 days. Early treatment of such diseases leads to a reduction in symptoms and promotes a rapid recovery.

A completely different picture is observed with influenza infections, which develop mainly in the winter months. Influenza affects not only the respiratory tract, but the entire body. The disease occurs suddenly and is characterized by more severe symptoms. This is, first of all, a high temperature, often accompanied by a feeling of cold up to severe chills. In addition, there is a headache, pain in the joints, muscles and back, a feeling of weakness, aches all over the body, severe weakness. Acute symptoms occur most often within a week. Residual effects – weakness, loss of strength can persist for several more weeks.

Influenza weakens the body and reduces resistance to other diseases. It is especially dangerous for young children, the elderly and people suffering from chronic diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory systems, diabetes mellitus and immune disorders.

There are several types of infection: adenovirus, rhinovirus, coronavirus, metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial, parainfluenza. The diagnosis is established by symptoms and epidemiological situation. Treatment necessarily includes antiviral therapy, analgesics, antibacterial agents. With an increase in temperature of more than 38º, it is recommended to use antipyretic drugs.

The source of the spread of viruses in SARS and influenza is sick people . The main route of transmission is airborne . Viruses accumulate and multiply on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. Together with droplets of saliva, sputum and mucus, when coughing, sneezing and talking, the patient releases the influenza virus, which spreads over a distance of 1.5 to 3 meters. The influenza virus enters the body of a healthy person through the mucous membrane of the nose, pharynx, larynx, bronchi. A contact route of infection is possible when a person touches objects contaminated with a virus or a patient with his hands, and then touches his eyes, nose, mouth. When infected with the influenza virus, the disease manifests itself after 12 – 72 hours from the moment of infection. The disease begins suddenly. When infected with viruses that cause SARS, the incubation period (the time from contact with the patient to the first signs of the disease) is shorter, and the symptoms appear gradually.

At the heart of predisposition to colds and flu lies primarily the weakening of the body’s own defenses.

There are several universal tips on how to stimulate the body’s defenses , which allows to some extent prevent colds and flu in adults and children:

– eat healthy and vitamin-rich food, more fresh vegetables and fruits, dairy products;

– drink more fluids: water, fruit juices, tea up to 2 liters per day;

– Reduce your alcohol intake and refrain from smoking, including passive smoking;

– Rinse nose daily with saline solution or use saline spray to moisten nasal mucosa;

– systematic hardening increases the body’s resistance to infectious diseases. It should be noted that hardening procedures should be started and regular sports activities (including health-improving gymnastics) should be started in the summer period against the background of good health, and not during the period of rising morbidity;

– avoid hypothermia and overheating;

– Ventilate and humidify the air in your living quarters and at work.

Thus, in order to avoid the occurrence of colds, it is necessary to maintain immunity, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and pay attention to preventive measures aimed at preventing the risk of a cold. When the first symptoms of a cold appear, you should immediately consult a doctor and do not prescribe medications yourself!

why children and adults experience pain with influenza and fever, how to relieve it

During a cold, weakness, aches, runny nose, cough, and fever often occur. These symptoms have long become habitual, and pain in the eyes occurs less frequently. Why such a symptom occurs, we understand in the article.

Why eyes hurt with the flu

Influenza is an acute viral disease ¹ . The causative agent of influenza infects the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract (primarily the trachea) and causes inflammation. As a result of the work of the immune system and the destruction of viruses, a large amount of toxins can enter the blood, so the patient develops symptoms of intoxication:

● increase in body temperature;

● weakness;

● were in the muscles and joints;

● headache ² .

One of the hallmarks of flu intoxication is soreness when moving the eyeballs, which may be accompanied by photophobia and lacrimation. The patient has redness of the eyes because toxins enter the organs of vision and oculomotor muscles through a well-developed vascular network ¹ .

Many people think that the eyes hurt at elevated temperatures. In fact, both pain and fever are due to intoxication, which is why they are often associated. In addition to pain, during a fever, a feeling of heat and dryness appears in the eyes. These symptoms develop due to dilation of blood vessels.

Discomfort in the organs of vision can appear not only because of the flu. Intoxication with fever and discomfort in the eyes accompanies many infections (adenovirus, coronavirus, and others). It just happens more often with the flu ¹ .

Pain in the eyes is more common at the very beginning of the disease and, with proper treatment, disappears after 2-3 days ² .

Why eyes hurt with colds

A cold is considered to be a condition accompanied by a runny nose, sore throat, fever and general weakness. However, officially, there is no such diagnosis. Under the common cold, most often mean an acute respiratory viral infection – SARS ³ . That is, the basis of the disease, as in the case of influenza, is infection of the body with respiratory viruses with signs of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract.

If you experience discomfort in the eyes, you should consult a doctor.

Diagnostics

Most often, no specific tests are required: the doctor will make a diagnosis based on a general examination and anamnesis of the disease. If the infection is severe, PCR diagnostics may be prescribed. It will help to determine the type of pathogen and start the right treatment in time.

To identify complications, the doctor may recommend a general and biochemical blood test, as well as write a referral for additional instrumental studies ³ .

Seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of the following symptoms:

● Only one eye hurts;

● decreased visual acuity;

● spots, flies, a feeling of veil or fog appeared in the field of view;

● pain in the eyes is accompanied by a feeling of nausea and dizziness;

● increased heart rate, increased excitability.

These symptoms may be signs of a serious illness.

First aid before going to the doctor

An antipyretic such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can be taken to relieve pain and reduce fever.

Before using any drug, read the instructions or consult your doctor.

Treatment

To get rid of the pain in the eyes, you need to treat the underlying disease. For influenza and SARS, treatment is prescribed by a doctor. It usually includes ³ :

1. Antiviral therapy. Drugs will help the body get rid of the pathogen, and recovery will come faster.

Direct acting antivirals include Nobasit ^® Forte ⁵ . Its active ingredient (enisamia iodide) is unique in having an additional anti-inflammatory effect comparable in strength to Ibuprofen ⁴ . Enisamia iodide is able not only to reduce by 3 times the severity of symptoms of body intoxication in influenza and acute respiratory viral infections, such as fever, muscle pain, headache already starting from the second day of taking ⁵ *, but also to reduce local manifestations of a cold – pain in throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, sneezing ⁵

2. Symptomatic therapy. It is aimed at reducing the severity of the clinical symptoms of the disease and is prescribed to alleviate the patient’s condition, for example, antipyretic and analgesic drugs, vasoconstrictor drops in the nose.
3. Drink plenty of water. It will help to remove metabolic products and reduce the severity of intoxication.

Briefly about the main

➢ Pain in the eyes occurs as a result of intoxication. Therefore, most often it occurs with influenza, which is often accompanied by an intoxication syndrome, and less often with SARS caused by other respiratory viruses.

➢ The pain in the eyes is not directly related to fever. But fever can exacerbate poor health and add a feeling of heat and dryness in the eyes to unpleasant symptoms.

➢ When pain occurs in the eyes, it is important to consult a doctor in time to find out the cause of the symptom.

➢ To combat the cause of the disease of a viral nature, it is recommended to use direct antiviral drugs, for example, Nobasit ^®
Forte ⁶

➢ To alleviate the general condition of the patient, you can take an antipyretic and / or anti-inflammatory drug (paracetamol or ibuprofen), and use vasoconstrictor drugs for a runny nose

➢ Pain in the eyes due to fever is not treated separately. It goes along with the underlying disease.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

¹ Clinical recommendations of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation “Influenza in adults”, 2022.

² Nekhaev S.G., Badakva T.L. Analysis of clinical symptoms, laboratory and instrumental data in different periods of influenza patients // Bulletin of new medical technologies. Electronic edition. 2019.No. 3. Publication 3-9. DOI: 10.24411/2075-4094-2019-16408.

³ Clinical recommendations of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation “Acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) in adults”, 2021.

⁴ Zyryanov S.K., Butranova O.I., Gaidai D.S., Kryshen K.L. Pharmacotherapy of acute respiratory infections caused by influenza viruses. Therapeutic archive. 2021; 93(1): 114–124. DOI: 10.26442/00403660.2021.01.200551

⁵ Lioznov D.A. Karnaukhova E.Yu.