These are the meaningful signs that you have flu, according to doctors

We are in the middle of the flu season; High flu levels are currently present in many parts of the United States. The virus tends to walk unbridled from October to the beginning of May, with flu activity that peaks from December to February.

How many people get flu every year in the US is unknown, given that many people recover at home without medical intervention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that since 2010 (excluding the flu season of 2020-2021) tens of millions of people in the country have been infected annually every year.

While we keep walking this winter, it is important to know the signs of the disease. Everyone who has been sick with it knows that it can be debilitating, unpleasant and downright scary. Below, doctors share the most common flu symptoms that they see this winter and how they come about:

The flu comes up faster than other viruses.

“In general, with the flu, the symptoms usually really occur suddenly,” said Dr. Sindhu Aderson, an immediate doctor at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.

Unlike a cold or covid-19, you probably don’t have a warning throttle throat for a day or two. Instead, you will probably be touched by problems out of the blue. And when comparing flu symptoms with a cold, a cold can “arrive slower with milder symptoms,” said Dr. S. Wesley Long, the medical director of diagnostic microbiology in the Hodist Hospital in Houston.

You will probably deal with fever, cough and sore throat.

“Flu symptoms are very difficult to distinguish from other breathing viruses that are now also circulating,” said Dr. Scott Roberts, a doctor of infectious diseases in Yale Medicine. This includes diseases such as Covid and respiratory syncyteel virus, or RSV.

With the flu you can expect the usual suspects.

“Some of the most common symptoms we see are fever or feel feverish, chills, cough, sore throat, runny nose,” said Aderson.

Pains and fatigue are common.

Muscle pain is common in people who are infected with the flu, Roberts noted. Headache can also be usual, Aderson said.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, it is more likely that your body pain would have the flu than with the cold – and the body pain associated with the flu are often worse.

Fatigue is also often reported. The exhaustion that you feel when you have flu is often more intense than the fatigue that goes with a cold, and it can also feel as a physical body weakness.

Symptoms can look a bit different in children.

“Some people will have vomiting and diarrhea, but that is generally more common in children than adults,” said Aderson.

Children can also be more picky than normal, according to the Mayo Clinic.

There are things you can do to protect yourself, such as making your flu shot.

“The best ways to protect against flu will also work for many other breathing viruses,” said Roberts. “These include washing hands, avoiding people who are sick, good ventilation, masking in risky settings.”

Furthermore, the flu shot is a great layer of protection – and it is also not too late in the season to get it.

“Although the flu point may not protect against infection, it can limit the severity of the symptoms and the duration of the disease,” said Long, and noted that the shot cannot give you the flu, which is a common misconception.

If you feel sick and suspect that it is flu, it is important to be tested and take care of yourself.

“If you think you have the flu, you have to be tested because there are medicines that can help shorten the disease,” Long said. “Flu firing agents are different from those used for COVID and will not work against the cold, so a positive test can be useful in guiding [treatment]. “

You can be tested on flu at a health care facility or you can pick up at home flu tests from pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens.

Those who come with flu this season must also drink many liquids, use medicines for annoying symptoms (such as Tylenol for fever) and get rest.

“If you get sick and are part of a risky population, which includes people who are immunocomromized, 65 years or older, or have chronic medical disorders, you should talk to your doctor,” Aderson said. “They can prescribe your flu medication and also ensure that you have no serious symptoms, such as breathing difficulties, dehydration or chest pain.”

Although many people recover well from the flu, it can be deadly. More than 36,000 people die every year in the US at the flu, and much more require hospitalization. If you have a high risk or one of the aforementioned serious symptoms, it is important that you warn your doctor so that you can get the treatment you need.This article originally appeared on Huffpost.