●     bluish skin or lips

●     severe dehydration (in children, you can check for dehydration based on how wet the inside of the mouth is)

●     dizziness or confusion

●     recurring fever or breakthrough fever that isn’t managed by antipyretics

Ride it Out or Take Medication?

While you may be tempted to head for the medicine chest at the first sign of illness, consider the symptoms carefully before attempting to suppress them. A low-grade fever (below 100.4) may be worth dealing with, without intervention. Likewise, a dry, hacking cough may be appropriate to treat with a cough suppressant. But a wet, productive cough that produces a lot of mucus is ridding the body of infection and may be worth coping with (especially if you aren’t leaving home).

These early warning signs may mean that it’s time to decide whether or not to go to school, work or to engage in our regular social activities. Some factors to consider when determining whether it’s time to stay home.

You’re sicker than you think.

In the first six to 12 hours of illness, symptoms may stay relatively mild or they may become markedly worse, and it’s hard to gauge which way your body will react to your illness until you’re already away from the house. While some symptoms, like fever, can typically be managed with acetaminophen or a similar fever reducer, others, like weakness and confusion or nausea and upset stomach may leave us in a bind if they strike while we’re away from the house.