6 Flu Complications to Be Aware of If You Start Feeling Super Sick

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Dehydration is considered an emergency if you’re feeling really weak, dizzy, confused, or seeing a large amount of blood in your mucus or vomit. At that point, drinking enough fluids to make up the difference may be tough if not impossible, according to Dr. Smith, so the best solution is to go to the emergency room and receive IV fluids ASAP.

5. Worsening of chronic conditions

One of the ways your body fights pesky viruses is through inflammation, which, in short, is your immune system’s way of trying to protect you against infection or injury. When a bug, like the flu virus, makes its rude entrance into your system, certain immune cells activate to fend it off and minimize its spread, Dr. Gates explains. This inflammatory response is what fuels fever, chills, fatigue, and other signs of illness—you know, those core symptoms that most viral and bacterial infections have in common.

While this immune response can be effective, it can potentially worsen chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and heart disease, Dr. Gates says. For example, the strain the flu puts on the heart can be life-threatening for people with cardiovascular disease. “Asthma causes the narrowing of the airways, and the flu can make breathing even harder” and even trigger asthma attacks, Dr. Gates says. As for diabetes, viral infections encourage the body to release higher levels of certain hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which can counter your cells’ ability to use insulin and can ultimately lead to ketoacidosis, a dangerous complication in which high levels of acids called ketones build up in the blood.

On the other hand, having a chronic condition can make recovering from the flu even tougher, adds Dr. Smith. If a person has a neuromuscular disorder that makes it difficult for them to cough, for example, their condition “would prevent them from being able to clear the viral mucus from the lungs,” he says.

How it’s treated: This largely depends on the underlying condition, but generally if you have a chronic condition and notice flu symptoms coming on, it’s important to seek advice from a physician as soon as you can, according to Dr. Gates.

6. Neurological Issues

In rare but severe cases, the flu virus can trigger inflammation in the brain, known as encephalitis, which may affect your ability to be awake, think, concentrate, remember, and even control certain muscles, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. It may even lead to seizures. Unfortunately, sometimes these complications can lead to permanent brain damage and disability. (It’s a scary possibility, we know.)

Neurological issues from the flu are rare, and children with underlying chronic neurological conditions (like epilepsy and cerebral palsy) tend to be the most vulnerable.

How it’s treated: Physicians treat neurological issues based on the root cause, which could mean prescribing an antiviral to help with the flu. In the case of seizures, MDs may also suggest using anticonvulsants.

Who’s the most susceptible to flu complications?

While anyone can develop a flu complication, people who fall into the below categories generally face the highest risk:

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