Flu season and living with HIV

October 2008     View PDF     En español

What are the symptoms?

Many people talk about having the flu when in reality it’s just a cold. (The term stomach flu is somewhat inaccurate because the flu virus doesn’t affect the stomach, though some people may feel it does.) Both illnesses are caused by viruses. Here are some ways to help tell the difference between them.

Colds tend to be less severe than the flu, come on slowly and last only a few days, usually less than a week. Common symptoms are sore throat, sneezing, coughing, runny nose and congestion. Older children and adults rarely get more than a mild fever, if at all.

Flu symptoms usually come on suddenly. They may include a high fever, body aches, extreme fatigue, headache, cough, sore throat and chills. Symptoms start to develop from one to four days after being infected with the virus and often last 1–2 weeks or longer. Headaches may appear at the start of a fever. Stomach problems are rare, but they may occur in young children.

Since the flu can lead to other respiratory illnesses like pneumonia, it’s important to seek medical help if your symptoms become worse. This includes having an extremely high fever, a fever lasting more than three days, trouble breathing, symptoms that do not improve or become worse, or a severe headache or stiff neck. Also, if your mucus (the fluid from your nose or chest) becomes bloody or changes color, this may indicate a new condition that needs to be looked at.