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Do Your Cold Or Flu Symptoms Say ‘Go To the Doctor?’

Deciding whether or not to make a trip to see your doctor when you have cold or flu symptoms can sometimes seem confusing.

While with most cases of a cold or the flu, you don’t need to see a doctor, there are some symptoms that are a definite reason to call your physician, according to the American Academy of Family Physician (AAFP).

For children, the AAFP recommends calling a doctor if symptoms include:

• Abdominal pain
• Bluish skin tone
• Chronic medical concern that gets worse
• Earache or ear drainage
• Fever of 103 degrees or a fever that lasts more than three days
• Symptoms that improve, then come back with a fever and worse cough
• Irritability, excessive tiredness, or seizures
• Symptoms that last more than 10 days
• Trouble breathing or wheezing
• Vomiting

For adults, the AAFP says to call a doctor if symptoms include:

• Chest pain or pressure
• Confusion or disorientation
• Fainting or feeling faint
• Fever of 102 or above with achiness and fatigue
• Severe sinus pain in the face and forehead
• Symptoms that last more than 10 days or get worse
• Trouble breathing
• Very swollen neck or jaw glands
• Vomiting that is severe or persists

Battling a cold or the flu can be a challenge with the typical symptoms, but when the symptoms last a long time or get more severe, like those listed here, it’s important to let your doctor step in.

Source: American Academy of Family Physicians