Swine Flu: Should You Self-Diagnose?

With the swine flu all over the news, many people may be concerned about catching it and are curious about the symptoms. Some may even want to self-diagnose, but is that the correct action?

For those who don't have very severe symptoms, self-diagnosis might be a good idea. Just make sure to look at the symptoms and possibly clarify with your doctor to make sure it's nothing worse. Here are some symptoms from the Centers for Disease Control:

- Similar to flu

- Fever
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Stuffy nose
- Body aches
- Headaches
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting

Here are some symptoms that the CDC says on their Web site that adults should be more concerned about:

- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

My friend Tenae recently got the swine flu and is now recovered, so I decided to ask her a few questions about her experience. She said she never went to the doctor but knew she had swine flu because some of her mother's middle school students went to Mexico and came back with the swine flu (possibly not confirmed) and got her mother sick, who in turn got her sick. Here is a Q&A with Tenae, who did a self-diagnosis:

Q: When did you get the swine flu?
A: It was some time in May (the beginning).

Q: How long did it last?
A: It lasted like a good two, two and a half weeks.

Q: What were the symptoms?
A: I didn't have any symptoms until the day I had it. I just woke up one day and I had it.

Q: What were some of the side effects of the swine flu?
A: Chills, cold sweats.

Q: How do the swine flu and regular flu compare?
A: It was pretty much like almost having the [regular] flu but it was 10 times worse. When I had the [regular] flu as a kid, it lasted for two weeks.

Q: What were some of the symptoms of the regular flu?
A: Really bad sore throat, upset stomach, then the flu a few days later [paraphrased].

Q: Why do you think you got the swine flu?
A: It's just probably because of our neighborhood and we both work with kids. (she couldn't go to work for a few days because of that).

Q: How did you recover from the swine flu?
A: I just slept a lot and drank fluids. I did take some Advil and stuff. Maybe Robitussin. (she didn't go to the doctor because she said she already knew what was wrong). After a while, I went back to dance (ballet) and I still kinda had it. (She said she thought she might have given it to another dancer and the dance instructor, though they only had it for a few days).

Q: Did you get anyone else sick?
A: A lot of the kids were getting sick. They started getting sick when I started getting better. I went back to work when I thought I was a little better. (from her daycare job - she said most of the kids who got sick were Hispanic and started coughing and having chills. She recommended that they stay away from her and go home if they were sick).

For those who think they have the swine flu, it is probably best to go to the doctor and talk over some options for recovery. Also, if you have to go to work, you should probably wear a mask to cover your nose and mouth so you can try not to get others infected. Try to keep a safe distance from others. Also, use antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer.

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/sick.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/qa.htm

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• Flu