Acting correctly if you have the flu: When should you go to the doctor?
If a child has the flu and as a parent you have already taken numerous measures and are still waiting for improvement, a bacterial infection may be behind the flu. We reveal here in which cases you should definitely pay a visit to the doctor with your child if you have the flu.
The flu differs from a cold in terms of course and severity. While a cold creeps up with a slight sniffle, cough or fatigue, flu is characterized above all by the sudden and sudden onset of the disease. The flu initially brings with it severe headaches and aching limbs, usually high fever up to 39°C and can progress to complications much faster than the common cold .
If you have already taken measures against the child’s flu, paid attention to bed rest, high humidity, sufficient fluid intake and have used home remedies for flu , but there is still no improvement in sight, you should not hesitate and consult a doctor.
Children should definitely see a doctor if they have the flu if…
- … numerous measures have already been taken, but the symptoms have not decreased after two days and there is simply no improvement in sight.
- … symptoms such as severe earache, high fever , dizziness and chills are present. These side effects can indicate a purulent middle ear infection caused by bacteria in the ear. Middle ear infections are particularly common in babies and children.
- … you have symptoms such as green or yellow phlegm, hoarseness or severe chest pain. All of these side effects can indicate bronchitis.
- … symptoms such as severe coughing or shortness of breath are present. These side effects can indicate bronchitis or pneumonia.
- … there is pain in the form of a feeling of pressure in the area of the forehead, cheeks, upper jaw or eyes. These can be the signs of a sinus infection .
- … there are white deposits on the tonsils. These deposits can indicate tonsillitis.
- … high fever of 39°C to 40.9°C. This can indicate further bacterial infections.
- … the child does not want to drink. In combination with a fever , this can be very dangerous because there is a risk of dehydration if the fluid loss caused by the fever is not compensated.
Who should always go to the doctor with the flu?
There are certain groups of people who should always see a doctor if they have the flu. This is the case, for example, for people with weakened immune systems, people who are in contact with people who are at risk, and people for whom the flu could be particularly difficult. These include in particular:
- Elderly people over 60 years
- pregnant women
- parents of babies
- Children, adolescents and adults with an increased health risk as a result of an underlying disease. These underlying diseases can be, for example, lung, heart, liver or kidney diseases, but also metabolic diseases such as diabetes, immune deficiency and neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
- Medical staff
A doctor can also explain to what extent vaccination makes sense. In our article ” How the flu vaccination protects ” we have summarized all the important facts about the vaccination.