Flu Season
All articles in Flu Season
The flu is highly contagious and caused by influenza viruses. Kids—and adults—most often catch the flu in winter. In healthy kids, symptoms are mild. But very young children or kids with chronic conditions can have complications. The best way to protect your child is with a flu shot.
Flu season this year brings the risk of both the flu (influenza virus) and COVID-19 (coronavirus). Similar symptoms include fever and cough. One difference is that with COVID-19 some people lose their sense of taste and smell.
Flu season peaks between December and February. It’s important, especially this year during the COVID-19 pandemic, to get your flu shot and follow other ways to prevent the flu.
Ear infections are extremely common infections in kids although adults get them, too. They can be caused by a bacteria, virus, or fungus, and can be very painful, causing ear and head pain. Treatment options may or may not include taking antibiotics.
Everyone experiences body aches sometimes, often after exercising or from a viral or bacterial infection. But persistent aches may be a sign of something more serious, like fibromyalgia, that must be treated by your doctor.
The common cold is a frequent and regular viral infection of the nose and throat. Conditions are usually harmless and symptoms resolve within two weeks.
When fever spikes, it’s always a sign that something isn’t right. Likely reasons include that you’re fighting off a virus, flu or other infection, but there are also other possibilities. Here, how to treat fever at home and when to get medical attention.
An acute upper respiratory infection (URI) is any infection of the nose or throat, which are part of the body’s upper respiratory system. URIs cause the common cold and tend to be relatively mild infections.
There are plenty of possible causes for your sore throat. Figure out what may be causing yours and how to find relief.
Gastroenteritis (the stomach flu) and influenza (the flu) have different causes, and mostly different symptoms. But both can usually be treated at home—and a lot of the same precautions can keep you from getting either “flu” in the first place.
In asthma, the airways of your lungs overreact to various triggers, causing coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness. The flu can act as one of those triggers—and that can make your asthma symptoms worse. Learn how to treat them both.
Rotavirus causes severe, watery diarrhea and vomiting, most commonly in infants and young children. It’s a gastrointestinal virus, and is highly contagious, though milder in older children and adults.
Influenza, or the flu, is a respiratory illness caused by a virus. It causes muscle aches, headache, fever, sore throat and makes you feel tired. Most people recover on their own.
Body chills are a frequent symptom of common infections or viruses, such as the flu. They can also be a sign of common conditions, such as menopause. Here, how to treat chills at home and when to get medical attention.
Strep throat is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the throat and tonsils, and needs to be treated with antibiotics. Strep is common in children, causing pain and redness in the throat, and often a fever. But adults can get it too.
Congestion can be more than just a stuffy nose—and a sign of a lot of different conditions. Here are the 6 most common reasons you might feel congested and the best way to treat it.
Pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs due to an infection. Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses. Many symptoms overlap. If you get pneumonia from the flu, it can be serious, particularly if you are immunocompromised.
You’re tired, you have a headache, a sore throat, and you’re sneezing. Is it a cold? Or is it the flu? Learn how to differentiate between these illnesses.