Damn flu...

AskWazzup

AskWazzup

Sonny, I Watched the Vault Bein' Built!
This is not a very traditional topic, but seeing as it's the weekend and the only working medical facilieties in my area only accept patients who are in critical condition (they don't do simple consulting), i thought i might as well ask around here.

My knowledge about influenza is rather limited, but it kind of got me worried that i have high fever (up to 38,5 C, or 100 F) for the fifth day in a row. I also cough pretty badly. So i was wondering if anyone else has anything else to share about this topic from his own experience, or from medical knowledge, because i'm not sure if my condition is normal, or should i start to worry?
 
Well, all i was doing was resting, up until now. This flu wouldn't bug me so much, if it would at least get a little better, but now the fever and all the other symptoms just don't want to loosen up for the fifth straight day. As far as i know high fever, when having flu, should dissappear after 2-3 days, which was the case when i was sick the last time. Maybe it's a different kind of flu?
 
Yeah, pneumonia would suck big time, since i still want to live. I wonder, how long does it take for pneumonia to get really bad (to the point where you will probably kick the bucket) when having flu :|
 
38,5°C iſn’t exactly high. Get up to 40°C, then we’re talking.
You might juſt have a bad, but ordinary cold.
Bedreſt, lots of tea (maybe with ſome honey) would be my advice.
Alſo, preſs out the juice of a lemon into a glaſs of hot water (not boiling, around 60°C is optimal), maybe add ſome ſugar if you like.
 
Get some Vitamin C in you. Squeeze fresh oranges, lemons, grapefruit, add honey/sugar. Drink a tall glass 1-2 every day.

Don't exert yourself - most people make the mistake of hopping out of bed as soon as the initial symptoms pass, but if you care about your health, you should really stay in bed for an extra day or two. I heard it can be bad for your heart/bones/joints to stress your organism too much during/immediately after a battle with the flu.

Also, sweating it out really helps. Warm clothes + bed = :ok:
That's probably the best tip - drink loads and sweat loads. As soon as your clothes are wet, change into new clothes, change bedsheets and sweat some more (make sure you drink loads of water too, obviously).

You'll be fine. Or you caught Captain Trips and we're all gonna die. :shrug:
 
Sweating? I have never heard this before and it sounds very suspicious. And after doing research, I would skip it. According to some sources, sweating has no effect on your cold, your flu, and the only effect it may have on your fever will be raising it. Skip it, it's not worth the effort.

Make an appointment with your doctor. Until then, take some over the counter symptom relievers, get rest and drink, keep yourself hydrated.
 
Sweating is good. Not talking loads here, just a healthy amount. Gets rid of toxins. But you have to replenish water (duh).

It's part of staying in bed and should be done. If you're up in your chair, chatting on the forums, you will not get better very quickly at all...
 
Influenza is a virus. You won't sweat it out. You're not likely to get rid of much else than excess heat through sweating either for that matter, try peeing instead.

Influenza also varies in duration and symptoms, from strain to strain and from person to person. It's not always easy to know for sure if it's Influenza or a bad case of the common cold. Don't try to judge on duration alone.

And finally, don't ask for medical advice on gaming forums :p The health care system of your country likely has a site with information about common illnesses, or at least it should have.
 
Dead Guy said:
And finally, don't ask for medical advice on gaming forums :p The health care system of your country likely has a site with information about common illnesses, or at least it should have.
Click to expand...

Yeah it does, and on every one of them the information that's provided differs, sometimes even to the point where i start to ask myself all these questions and thus come to ask for advice on a gaming forum :D.

I hate it when i'm not informed on something that's happening to me. I have to know enough to feel comfortable in my capability to control the situation at hand, that is why i try to get as many opinions as i can and then deduct, which ones are useful, which ones are not.

Dead Guy said:
Influenza is a virus. You won't sweat it out. You're not likely to get rid of much else than excess heat through sweating either for that matter, try peeing instead.
Click to expand...

Well, it's actually pretty helpful when you want to drop the fever down for an hour or two.
 
Yeah, obviously. It's also pretty convenient when you're in southern Japan in august.

I guess the misconception that sweating helps you get well might come from that very fact. Fever is a part of the immune response against invading micro organisms. When the infection is removed, your thermostat (hypothalamus) is set back to it's original value and you sweat in response to that, to get your body temperature back to 37C. Shortly after you sweat heavily your fever is gone and you feel all better, and so you might think sweating was the cause of you getting better.
 
AskWazzup said:
Yeah, pneumonia would suck big time, since i still want to live. I wonder, how long does it take for pneumonia to get really bad (to the point where you will probably kick the bucket) when having flu :|
Click to expand...

Well pneumonia is not lethal unless you're elderly/of weak constitution/already sick with some other disease. I had a pretty bad case when I was in the military and it cured, I did recieve some medication through an IV (see avatar image, lol).
 
One time after leg surgery i was drinking loads of water. Had to piss all the time! But my leg was broken, so after a few days i took to pissing in poland spring bottles.

Hopped up on a Vikodin induced stupor, and somewhat delerious from lack of sleep, i took 3 full gulps of piss before realizing i was drinking piss. Hahah. It was like drinking saliva. The burps were just the icing on the cake. Wonderbar!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top