What complications can the flu cause?
I heard a doctor mention a dangerous consequence of the flu. What exactly does that mean? What should I watch out for if someone close to me has the flu?
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For me, the flu usually goes away in a week or two, but I know that some people can have serious complications, especially if they ignore it or try to push through it while sick.
The most dangerous is pneumonia, which develops as a complication of the flu. There can also be heart problems (myocarditis), meningitis, otitis, or sinusitis. What to watch for: if after the flu your fever doesn't go down, you develop shortness of breath, chest pain, severe headache, or a high fever comes back - these are signs you need to see a doctor. The flu is especially dangerous for the elderly, young children, and people with chronic illnesses; they need to be more careful.
The key thing is not to ignore symptoms that don't go away or come back after what seems like improvement! Pneumonia is really the most dangerous one, but there are other nasty complications too: myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), otitis, sinusitis, bronchitis. I knew someone who once had the flu and powered through it, then got shortness of breath and chest pain - turned out their heart was damaged. Recovery took a long time!
Watch out for a fever that suddenly spikes after it's come down, for a cough that gets worse and has weird sounds to it, for labored breathing or pain when you breathe in. If anyone in your household is in a high-risk group - elderly people, kids under five, pregnant women, people with chronic conditions - you need to see a doctor right away, no questions asked.
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