Flu symptoms and when to seek medical care

Symptoms of the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu are the same:

Fever of 100 degrees or higher Cough or sore throat Body aches Headache

Chills Fatigue In some cases, diarrhea and vomiting

Flu symptoms can be treated at home. Click on these links for information on caring for a sick person in your home and using antiviral drugs.

Laboratory testing for H1N1 is only available at state and specialty laboratories and is currently NOT recommended for most people with flu-like illness.

If you are sick with a flu-like illness, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone, except to get medical care or for other necessities. Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine. Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.

When to seek emergency care

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• 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

SMDC's emergency rooms are located at St. Mary's Medical Center, 400 E. Third St., Duluth, Minn.; St. Mary's Hospital of Superior, 3500 Tower Ave., Superior, Wis.; and Pine Medical Center, 109 Court Ave. S., Sandstone, Minn.

Non-emergency medical care
If your symptoms don't improve, please call your primary care physician. If you don't have a physician, you can come to our Urgent Care Department, which is located on the third floor of SMDC Medical Center's Duluth Clinic Third Street Building, 407 E. Third St., Duluth. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Another option for SMDC patients is to call Nurse-On-Line. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can call (218) 786-3110 or (800) 714-4646. Our nurses can help you determine whether you need to be seen by healthcare provider.

Note: If you have influenza-like symptoms and come to one of SMDC's facilities for evaluation, you will be asked to wear a surgical mask.