Swine Flu Symptoms in Adults

Swine flu refers to swine influenza or the viral infection caused by any of the several types of swine influenza virus. Presently, the term is more commonly used for the H1N1 swine flu virus. This influenza virus spreads quite rapidly from human to human, unlike other swine flu viruses. The other types of swine flu viruses usually do not infect human, as they rarely get transmitted from pigs to human. Only people who used to have direct contact with pigs were observed to get swine flu in the past. But, H1N1 virus is a new swine flu virus and it contains the genetic material of swine, bird and human influenza virus. H1N1 is an influenza A virus. Swine flu can produce a number of symptoms in both adults and children. The most common swine flu symptoms in adults, along with those who fall in the risk zone for getting this viral infection are explained below.

Adults Who Are in the High Risk Group

For many individuals, swine flu appears to be a mild illness, just like seasonal flu. But, it has been observed that the elderly and the adults with certain underlying diseases can have a higher risk of getting infected with H1N1 virus and developing the serious complications associated with this illness. The adults who are at higher risk to get serious swine flu infection are

• Pregnant women
• People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other chronic lung diseases
• Individuals with asthma
• People with heart, kidney and liver disease
• Individuals suffering from diabetes and neurological diseases
• People with weakened immune system, either due to an illness or treatment for an underlying condition such as, chemotherapy
• People aged 65 years or older

Symptoms of Swine flu in Adults

H1N1 symptoms in adults and children are more or less similar. However, compared to healthy adults, swine flu symptoms in children can be more serious in nature, as they are more likely to experience the complications. The symptoms of H1N1 in adults are also quite similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu. These symptoms can be broadly classified into two categories, the early symptoms and the serious symptoms. The early swine flu symptoms in adults are usually mild. They are

• Sudden fever
• Sore throat
• Chills
• Muscle aches
• Runny and stuffy nose
• Cough
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting and diarrhea (in some instances)

If this viral infection is left untreated, then it can progress and gradually produce the serious symptoms of complications. Following are the serious swine flu symptoms in adults:

• Fast breathing
• Shortness of Breath or breathing difficulty
• High grade fever
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• A hacking cough
• Chest pain or pressure in the chest due to coughing
• Dizziness and confusion
• Flu like symptoms improve for a while, but then return with fever and a worse cough (sign of pneumonia)

Swine flu symptoms in adults with asthma and those with diabetes, lung, heart, kidney, liver and neurological diseases are more likely to be serious in nature. Therefore, these people should be more careful to recognize the symptoms early, and seek immediate medical attention.

Usually, the healthy adults are more likely to get the mild form of the illness. But, this does not mean that the condition should be left untreated. To avoid the serious complications, people should seek medical attention, if they observe any of the usual flu symptoms. It is also important to take certain precautions for swine flu prevention. The H1N1 virus spreads through direct contact with the respiratory secretion of the infected individual. In other words, contact with the droplets of cough or sneeze can transmit the virus from one individual to another. Therefore, maintaining good personal hygiene is a must for the prevention of the spread of swine flu virus. Washing your hands frequently, as well as covering the nose and the mouth while sneezing and coughing are some of the basic preventive measures. Wearing mask can be considered safe if you are coming in direct contact with the affected person, but you need to change the mask in a regular basis as it can be contaminated.

Recognizing the swine flu symptoms in adults at the earliest is the most crucial part to ensure proper treatment and avoid the serious complications associated with this viral infection. In general, it is quite difficult to differentiate the symptoms of H1N1 swine flu from the common human flu symptoms. Therefore, on observing any kind of flu like symptoms, one should immediately contact his or her physician. Individuals infected with this influenza virus can be contagious a day or two before the development of symptoms and up to seven days from the time the symptoms appear. Therefore, it is better to stay away from individuals exhibiting flu like symptoms. Similarly, if you experience any of the swine flu symptoms, you should stay at home and get immediate treatment. Usual treatment for swine flu involves the administration of anti-viral medications like Tamiflu and Relenza along with antibiotics. Antibiotics are used to treat secondary infections or complications. Flu vaccines for this communicable health condition are also available for both children and adults.