Do you need to see a doctor for flu?

Update: 10/12/09See the Self Assessment Tool at the Flu.Gov website to help determine if you may have Swine Flu [Link below in related links section].

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if you have symptoms of the flu, you should seek medical attention for emergency care if you experience any of these warning signs, especially if you have underlying medical conditions causing increased risk (see below for list of high risk conditions):

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

* Fast breathing or trouble breathing

* Bluish or gray skin color

* Not drinking enough fluids

* Severe, persistent vomiting

* Not waking up or not interacting

* Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held

* Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

* Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

* Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen

* Sudden dizziness

* Confusion

* Severe or persistent vomiting that doesn't go away

* Flu-like symptoms that improve, but then come back again with a fever or worsening of cough

CDC Definition of High Risk Persons:

"Persons at increased risk of severe illness from influenza (i.e. high-risk persons) include those groups at higher risk for severe illness from seasonal influenza, including: children younger than 5 years old; persons aged 65 years or older; children and adolescents (younger than 18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection; pregnant women; adults and children who have pulmonary, including Asthma, cardiovascular, hepatic, hematological, neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders, such as Diabetes; adults and children who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV); and, residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities."

"... we want to make sure that people who have these underlying conditions, or family member who care for such people, remain vigilant about these warning signs emerging. It's often best to consult or at least initially by phone or email, with a health care provider. That's probably a better strategy than going to an emergency room, but we do think that these warning signs can help people differentiate a cough or cold or respiratory symptoms without warning signs, from the type of signs that might lead you to want to attempt medical, to seek help from a medical provider. "

July 13, 2009 the World Health Organization has added people with morbid obesity to the list of people at higher risk of morbidity and mortality from Novel H1N1. See the related question below, "Is obesity a risk factor for morbidity and mortality with Novel H1N1 - Swine Flu?"

In the UK:Use the UK's Symptom Assessment Tool. See link below.

The main thing with flu is that you DON'T want to go to the GP, you only risk passing it on to the vulnerable who visit the GP such as the young and people with underlying medical conditions.

If flu persists for more than 7 days you should ring your GP, apart from that get plenty of rest and liquids.

You may have the flu if you have some or all of these symptoms:

• fever *
• cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• body aches
• headache
• chills
• fatigue
• sometimes diarrhea and vomiting

*It's important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.