Logo: NC Department of Health and Human Services
Logo: Immunize North Carolina
 Header: NC Immunization Branch

Link: Home Page
Link: Immunization Information in Spanish
Link: About the Immunization Branch
Link: Adult Immunization Information
Link: Kid's Club
Link: NC immunization links
Link: North Carolina Immunization Registry
Link: NC Immunization News and Events
Link: North Carolina Immunization Branch Newsletter
LInk: Immunization Information for Parents
Link: Providers' Page
Link: Immunization Information for Child Care, Schools and College Entrance
Link: Site Map
Link: Contact the Immunization Branch
Link: Email the Immunization Branch
Link: Disclaimer
Header: Flu Information

The flu is a deadly disease affecting thousands of adults each year. Adults 50 years of age and older need to receive their flu shot each year in order to be protected from this disease. More than 36,000 adults die each year because of the flu and complications related to the flu.

Flu Frequently Asked Questions

 
 


Logo: NC Division of Public Health
Link: N.C. Women's and Children's Health Web Site

Icon: Question Should all people with flu-like symptoms be tested for the flu?

Icon: Answer Not necessarily. Typical flu symptoms include fever, body aches, tiredness, cough, and sometimes a sore throat and runny nose. However, these can be symptoms of many diseases, and it can be difficult to tell if you have the flu or another illness by looking at just the symptoms.

There are several different kinds of tests to tell if you have the flu. Most involve having your throat or nose swabbed. This means that the infected area will be wiped with an absorbent material which will then be sent to a laboratory to be tested. This type of test needs to be done in the first 3 to 4 days of your illness.

These flu tests are not 100 percent accurate. Because the tests are sometimes incorrectly negative or incorrectly positive, they should not be done on all patients. These tests are most useful when a doctor needs the results to help with diagnosis and treatment decisions.

Top

Icon: QuestionHow do I know if I have a cold or the flu?

Icon: Answer Influenza (flu) and a cold are both respiratory (breathing) infections caused by viruses. Some of the symptoms are similar, and it can sometimes be difficult to tell if you have the flu or a very bad cold. The flu can cause more serious illness than a common cold.

Top

Icon: Question What can I do to protect myself against the flu?

Icon: AnswerBy far, the single best way to prevent the flu is for individuals, especially people at high risk for serious complications from the flu, to get a vaccination each fall. However, there are other good health habits that can help prevent the flu. These are:

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
  • If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick;
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing;
  • Wash your hands often; and
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Top

Icon: QuestionWhat are the symptoms of the flu?

Icon: Answer Influenza is a respiratory illness. Symptoms of flu include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle aches. Children can have additional gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, but these symptoms are uncommon in adults. Although the term "stomach flu" is sometimes used to describe vomiting, nausea or diarrhea, these illnesses are caused by certain other viruses, bacteria or possibly parasties, and are rarely related to influenza.

Top

Icon: QuestionHow do I tell the difference between a cold and the flu?

Symptoms

Cold

Flu
Fever
 rare in adults and older children; can be as high as 102°F in infants and small children usually 102°F, but can go up to 104°F and usually lasts 3 to 4 days
Headache
 rare sudden onset - can be severe
Muscle aches
 mild usual, and often severe
Tiredness & Weakness
 mild can last two or more weeks
Extreme exhaustion
 never sudden onset - can be severe
Runny nose
 often sometimes
Sneezing
 often sometimes
Sore throat
 often sometimes
Cough
 mild hacking cough usual, can become severe

Top

Icon: Question When is the typical flu season?

Icon: Answer In the United States, the flu season can range from October through April. During the past 15 flu seasons (from 1991-2006), months with the heaviest flu activity (peak months) occurred in December in 2 years, January in 5 years, February in 6 years, and March in 2 years.

Top

Icon: Question Who needs to get a flu shot each year?

These people should get the flu shot:

  • Adults 50 years old and older
  • Residents of nursing homes
  • Children 6-59 months old
  • People of any age with chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, etc.
  • Pregnant women
  • Healthcare workers who take care of patients.
  • Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications
  • Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)
  • Anyone wishing to decrease their risk of illness

Top
 

 

Last Updated: January 14, 2008

The purpose of this web site is both educational and informative.
Personal medical advice should be sought from your local health department or physician.

 Disclaimer
Email webmaster