Cold and Flu Season: 4 Signs You Need Emergency Care

Your chances of getting sick increase as cold and flu season approaches. Even though most cold and flu cases resolve without any long-term complications, you may experience some problems that require urgent medical attention if you end up getting sick. If you catch a cold or the flu, here are four signs that may indicate that you need emergency care.

You may experience some difficulty breathing if you’re congested from a cold or flu, but more severe breathing problems should be brought to a doctor’s attention immediately. Your illness might have progressed to pneumonia or another serious type of lung infection if breathing difficulties are persistent. Without prompt treatment, the bacteria in your lungs could grow larger and spread to your bloodstream, resulting in further complications. In the most severe cases, ventilator failure could occur.

Sensations of pain or pressure in the chest sometimes indicate a more serious problem. According to WebMD, cold or flu viral infections sometimes cause inflammation of the heart muscle, which is a condition known as myocarditis. If you have a chronic medical condition such as asthma, diabetes or congestive heart failure, any pain or pressure in the chest might mean that your case of the cold or flu has worsened your condition.

Fevers often occur when the body is trying to fight off an infection, but the body’s temperature sometimes has trouble normalizing when the infection is severe. A fever that lasts for more than two days is considered a medical emergency. You should also go to an emergency center like Emergency Care Dynamics if your body temperature rises to more than 104 degrees F. Without the necessary treatment, you’re likely to experience severe dehydration and possible brain or other organ damage.

Continuous episodes of vomiting should be investigated by a health care professional right away. This is especially true if repeated regurgitation is occurring even if your stomach is empty of food. Repeated vomiting is known to cause damage to the stomach and esophagus. Water and electrolyte levels within your body may also become depleted with persistent vomiting. Regurgitating continuously is also bad for your dental health and could erode tooth enamel.

If you happen to be one of the unfortunate ones to get the cold or flu this season, you should be aware of the signs of more serious health problems. Recognizing these signs and getting the prompt care that you need can help you get on the road to recovery sooner.