Sudden or Excessive Fatigue
If you’re burning the midnight oil to meet a deadline, you will probably find yourself feeling worn out and run down. But there’s a difference between being tired and the extreme fatigue that signals the onset of illnesses like the flu. If you start feeling tired and weak and find that this feeling interferes with your normal daily activities, it may be a warning sign that your body is preparing itself to fight off an illness.
Body Aches or Chills
Body aches and chills are other notable distinctions between allergies or a cold and the onset of the flu or other illness. Body aches signaling illness can happen anywhere in, especially in the head, neck, shoulders and legs. Chills either can accompany body aches or develop after the body begins to experience pain. If you’re experiencing sniffles or sore throats with body soreness or chills, it can mean that you are coming down with more than just a simple cold.
Cough
A persistent cough is an indication of illness, especially if you don’t suffer from any other cough-causing ailments (such as asthma, COPD or allergies). A cough that brings up phlegm or mucus or is accompanied by wheezing or a feeling of chest tightness can be an early warning sign of the flu or other respiratory problem. Contact your doctor if you notice that the color of your phlegm has changed from being clear to having a green or brown color. It can indicate that you’re coming down with bronchitis or another illness that requires medical attention.
Fever
Fever, or pyrexia, is almost always a warning sign that your body is trying to fight off an infection. Our body elevates its temperature to combat the source of the infection, whether it’s bacterial or viral. Many physicians advise that if your temperature isn’t serious (above 100.4), it’s probably best to let your body manage its own temperature, because it’s likely been effective in neutralizing the invading bodies. However, if your fever climbs higher than 100.4, you should begin monitoring it and take an antipyretic, such as Tylenol.
Gastrointestinal Problems
Not all early illness symptoms happen in the head, throat and chest. Some illnesses can cause you to develop diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain or vomiting. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these symptoms are more prevalent in children than adults. If you or your child begins developing these symptoms, it’s important to have electrolytes on hand, such as energy drinks or Pedialyte, to help prevent or manage dehydration, which can be a serious problem for young children.
Emergency Symptoms
Some illnesses like the flu are progressive, and symptoms tend to get worse before you heal. Even if your spouse or child is recovering from a mild illness, your body may not be in the same shape to fight it, and you may get a more serious reaction to the same illness. If you develop any of the following symptoms, you should seek emergency medical attention:
● chest pain
● difficulty breathing
● 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.
Not only can these symptoms make for an embarrassing scene at school or the office, but they also can leave you at risk trying to get yourself home. It may be difficult or unwise for you to drive or you may not feel well enough to stand on a hot, crowded subway platform or bus station. Waiting until you know you’re too sick to keep going is unwise. Experts advise that you make the call to stay home or head home while you’re still well enough to do so safely.
You owe it to your classmates and coworkers.
Sure, it may be tempting to send your child to school with a cold, especially if you have an important meeting or presentation. And when you’re working on a deadline, you may think you’re well enough to power through the day and meet your deadlines. But you may expose classmates or coworkers unnecessarily to illness, which will result in more lost hours, and you may wind up having to leave work anyway. Your absence could be prolonged if you or your child’s condition gets worse or you need to get a doctor’s note to send him or her back to school.