Up until the last several years, I always thought the flu was vomiting and diarrhea, and when flu epidemics or swine flu were being discussed, that's what I thought it was all about. I was, admittedly, pretty ignorant. I have since learned that what I commonly called "the flu" in my youth was actually the "stomach flu", which is absolutely not the same as influenza (aka the "real" flu).
Stomach flu can be caused by viruses, bacteria, food poisoning, etc. It leads to vomiting and/or diarrhea.
The flu (aka influenza) presents similar to a cold with fever, fatigue, and respiratory congestion. Most of the time it's like a really severe cold, but sometimes it can lead to pneumonia. This is not the same thing, at all, as the stomach flu. The flu vaccine is for the influenza virus and not the stomach flu.
So, when you respond to questions about whether you've had the flu, do you think of the stomach flu or influenza? How many of you have stated or thought that you've never had the flu (or not recently), but you have had a severe cold? I can think of 1 or 2 severe colds I've had in the last 2 decades that on reconsideration of the above information might have been the flu. How about you?
My purpose in writing this is I see so folks saying they never had the flu (generally while they are talking about how bad or unnecessary the flu shot is). Then I saw one of the respondents in another flu shot thread talk about how the flu was just vomiting and diarrhea and went on to say she's anti-flu shot and the docs are all in cahoots with the drug companies to make money off of vaccines. Aargh. This post was mostly for providing factual information to counter some of the misinformation and ignorance out there. Like I said, I used to be one of the ignorant and didn't know the stomach flu wasn't the flu until the last few years. And I'm really old and should have known better. :-)
Since so many folks think the flu is the stomach flu, I think a number of folks could have had a milder form of influenza without realizing it. From what I've read, influenza can vary a lot in severity. It can be like a really bad cold or it can be much worse (as evidenced by some of your anecdotes). It sounds like it's the stronger bouts of influenza that send folks running for the vaccines the following year.
Thanks for the answers. Your stories of having the flu make me even more satisfied that most of my family has gotten their flu shots already this year, and my hubby will as soon as he can.
Yes, I know the difference now. I got the 'real' flu last year and was ill for 9 days with 7 days of fever, chills, body aches, etc. Missed a whole work week; could barely get out of bed. BTW, last year I didn't get the flu shot. You can bet I've already gotten one this year :)
Yeah... the stomach "flu" actually comes from a homophone; flux, which was the common usage for dysentery (see the correlation?), as well vomiting illnesses. Which is pronounced the same way that influenza is shortened. Floo OR flucks. But more commonly, floo.
So you've actually been using the right word verbally, just not mentally. :)
Flux = Body Flux or Dysentery
Flu = Influenza
I had the real flu when I was in my mid-20's... went I finally went to the doctor my fever was 104.5 and I honestly thought I could be dying I felt so terrible.
Since that year, I get the flu shot.
I NEVER want to be that sick again, or for my children to have to be that ill. I missed a week of work (and had no benefits at the time - so it was unpaid) and it was very disruptive. I also lost about 8 lbs' - which at the time was not something I needed to do... and I felt weak, sick for 3 full weeks after.
J.
Had the real flu once...10 days of hell...I wanted to die from the body aches alone...high fevers...cough...runny nose...could not get out of bed, had to crawl to the bathroom I was so weak. My teeth hurt, my hair hurt...it was the worst!!
I tested positive along with my 2 yr old a few years ago with the swine flu. We did not vomit or have diarrhea but I will tell you I absolutely thought I would die and if the babies eyes were open she was crying in pain. O my it was awful. My body hurt so much it hurt to sit on the toilet to pee! We both took tamiflu and finally got better. I don't wish that on anyone! I've always thought they were different, vomiting is a "bug". The utter hell we went through a few years ago is "the flu". That's my opinion.
I've had a few respiratory bouts that were definitely the real flu. I've only once that I can remember had viral gastroenteritis, or "stomach flu."
Back to the respiratory, or "real" flu, many people don't know that quite a few different flu viruses are active in any given year. Vaccine producers watch the trends carefully and project which three viral strains are most likely to cause serious epidemics, and those three go into that year's vaccine. The vaccines are not 100% effective, especially in the elderly or immune-compromised, but they do generally lessen the impact of the virus, and they do impart considerable "herd immunity," that is, if enough people in any population have had the vaccine, there are fewer cases of the illness being passed around to everybody else.
So vaccinated people can still get the flu, but have at least partial protection against the greatest threats in any given year. And I value that protection mightily, because I've had lifelong asthma, and recently have also become diabetic. The last two bouts of flu I contracted, though relatively mild themselves, required expensive treatment for secondary infections.
Added: Jess, thanks for reminding us of how awful the flu is! That's why I get a shot every year, to minimize my chances of catching it!!!
Original:
I've always been kind of picky about the name "flu", Kristin. It irritates me to hear someone say they had the flu yesterday, and here they stand beside me in the grocery store. I jump away from them and say "Why are you here?" with eyes wide, because I don't want to be near them. Then they proceed to tell me that they just had a little sore throat the day before and they feel just fine today. Grrr... I usually tell them that they didn't have the flu - they had a little sore throat. The flu is a full week of high fever, feeling absolutely terrible, and not being able to hardly get out of the bed. It's either the influenza type A or type B virus, and is extremely contagious. Contagious to the point of the doctor swabbing our noses in flu season so that we can tell the school if our child is out with flu, because the schools chart these statistics so they can decide whether or not to close the schools. (I'm not including Swine Flu in my remarks because people generally call it Swine Flu or H1N1.)
Anything that is not Influenza type A or B is a virus, and not the flu. (I'm not counting bacterial infections like strep.)
Generally, I usually hear someone say "stomach flu" if they have been throwing up. I usually don't ask for more info after that!
Great point to post about!!
Dawn
When I say that I have had "the flu" only once in my life, I mean real influenza, as in diagnosed by a doctor and felt like death. Influenza is relatively rare, meaning that every time we get "flu-like symptoms" (congestion, cough, fever, aches, and yes, vomiting and diarrhea) it is not necessarily "the flu." I wish people would stop tossing that term around so casually. It's an actual diagnosable illness - unless people have been so sick that they or someone in their family has gone to the doctor and has been diagnosed, they shouldn't run around telling people that they have the flu, because they probably don't. It's probably just a random virus.
I can say with certainty that I have had influenza once in my life and that my husband and children have never had it. We do not and will not vaccinate.
My understanding is that severe colds are nothing compared to the actual flu. Often the "real" flu is accompanied by stomach flu-type symptoms in addition to the severe cold symptoms.
I've often heard that when you have the flu you hope you will just die to get it over with.
It is a respiratory illness that usually comes with a high fever. (Adults 102 and up is high, kids is more like 103 and up). It is more severe than the average cold. I can honestly say that I don't usually get the flu, in fact I couldn't even tell you the last time I had a high fever. I did have a sinus infection last year, but I don't think it was related to the flu.
I have only ever been sick 1 time with what I think is the 'real flu'...it was the worst! Stomach flu fun+fever+chills+body aches+cold symptoms/congestion/coughing/snot+exhaustion! It sucked! It also swept threw my whole house in a matter of hours/1 day and we ALL had 'it' .....whatever 'it' was! That was in 2002 and none of is will ever forget it. UGH!
I actually knew this but didnt learn the difference till about 4 years ago. I got influenza while pregnant with my first child and it was the most miserable feeling i have ever had.
I have had the flu in my lifetime. I had Swine Flu a few years ago and I used Boiron's oscillococcinum. It's famous in France and now in the USA it is everywhere. I had Swine flu for a day when my neighbor brought the package to me. I used it and went to a class on Sunday. Then I went home, slept 11 hours and got up healthy.
The next day I called a friend who had missed work due to the flu and said to meet me at a certain Thai place where I ordered Tom Kha very spicey for both of us. We were well without relapses by nightfall.
I NEVER EVER have taken a flu shot. I eat organic food and I do yoga for the past 30 years. Organic I began eating at age 26. I hate to brag but if you do the same you will stop worrying about illnesses and future potential health problems.
Yeah, I know throwing up and diarrhea are not real influenza.
People just don't like to say diarrhea, rota-virus, botulism, salmonella and barfing.
(Euphemisms for 'throwing up' could take up a whole topic by itself.)
'Stomach flu' sounds neater and less gross/descriptive although some prefer to use the term 'food poisoning'.
Influenza means a temperature/fever, coughing, muscular aches and pains, and feeling super exhausted.
If I get a cold without the aches/pains and exhausted feeling, I don't think it's the real flu that I have.
I respond to flu questions based on symptoms listed, and know which to go by based on what is being discussed.
I always thought the flu was a bad cold with aches and chills and fevers along with it. I've gotten colds but never the aches, chills and fevers so I thought I've probably never had the flu. I've had the pukes but usually only once every 10 years unless I'm pregnant. =)
i handle the flu better than a cold, or severe cold. influenza causes body aches, high fevers. the cold has those bad symptoms, like congestion which i cannot stand. i never mix influenza with stomach flu. i mean how an you? :)
We look at each shot individually and decide what the risk / benefit ratio is. Doing this we have decided yes on most shots, but we never get the flu shot. It is the one shot that always seems to cause a reaction, and my son has a form of JRA, so every time he runs a fever he risks further joint damage. So not worth it for us, but I could care less if others choose to get it.
We have had both atomach flu and influenza here. Dont like either of tgeem. Stomach flu = lots of laundry puking for a few hours to 2keith days. Followed by diahrrea. Very very contagious. If one famiky member gets it we all get it. (Adults dont usually puke). We had inflenza. Went to visit granma in flirida. The grands had been suck still coughing.. 3 out of 4 of us got sick. My dauggters turned into a double ear infection
My hub got pneumonia. I got btonchitis. Influenza comes on so fast. You sre fine then u feel like u have been run over.
Updated
We have had both atomach flu and influenza here. Dont like either of tgeem. Stomach flu = lots of laundry puking for a few hours to 2keith days. Followed by diahrrea. Very very contagious. If one famiky member gets it we all get it. (Adults dont usually puke). We had inflenza. Went to visit granma in flirida. The grands had been suck still coughing.. 3 out of 4 of us got sick. My dauggters turned into a double ear infection
My hub got pneumonia. I got btonchitis. Influenza comes on so fast. You sre fine then u feel like u have been run over.
Updated
We have had both atomach flu and influenza here. Dont like either of tgeem. Stomach flu = lots of laundry puking for a few hours to 2keith days. Followed by diahrrea. Very very contagious. If one famiky member gets it we all get it. (Adults dont usually puke). We had inflenza. Went to visit granma in flirida. The grands had been suck still coughing.. 3 out of 4 of us got sick. My dauggters turned into a double ear infection
My hub got pneumonia. I got btonchitis. Influenza comes on so fast. You sre fine then u feel like u have been run over.
In our home we are very specific about illness. Having the flu means being diagnosed with influenza, not vomiting or diarrhea.
My daughter had a bad stomach bug two years ago. She has Type 1 diabetes and we were unable to keep her blood sugar up and rushed her to the ER. She was brought by ambulance to a large hospital with a great peds department. The Pediatrician on call tried to bully me by saying that I caused the vomiting and diarrhea by not getting her the flu shot. I stared him down until he finally recanted because anyone who has done any research knows that the flu shot doesn't keep random intestinal viruses at bay. I am still appalled that a respected medical doctor LIED to me to try to force me to get my child vaccinated.
I think that people who refuse the flu shot are smarter than you think. There are several experiences that I have had that don't support the flu shot and I certainly can't go on a medical doctors word about it. Twice I have caught potentially deadly mistakes by our various doctors and I refuse to blindly follow their advice.
I'm coming in late and am not seeing the other respondants. It's such a common misconception -I'm glad you brought it up. I got involved in a study about infectious disease a few years ago -in my late 30s -and had no idea that influenza was not the stomach flu. I think maybe I've only gotten influenza a few times -the real kind. It's mostly a risk to babies, young children and the elderly -unless you get an odd strain like with H1N1 -or what the world experienced in 1918-19, which killed mostly people in the prime of life.
Anyway - 36,000 people die of the flu every year. It's worth getting your children immunized, they are particularly at risk. If you are an adult who's not around babies -maybe you can skip. But I can't imagine how guilty I would feel if my child died as a result of the flu and I hadn't had him/her immunized.
never had influenza. never had a severe cold either or virus for that matter. When I was little my mom always called the pukes and diarrhea a virus so i've always called it the same thing.
When I say I have never had the flu, I mean bad influenza. Although, I've never really had the stomach flu, or a cold...I do refer to influenza.
I had the real flu and it was no fun. It went into pneumonia after a week and I was in bed for three (flat) coughing for three weeks. It took me almost 3 months a totally of 3 months to totally recover. no fun. And that was when I was young and healthy!
I have had the flu 2x in my life.
I got my first flu (doctor-diagnosed) after receiving the flu shot. The funny thing is, that growing up I never even had a severe cold. After getting the shot, I got the flu, and nearly every year now I get a severe cold at least once. When I get the shot, I always wind up more sick that year than usual, so I don't get the shot any more.
I don't care what doctors and researchers say. I don't get nearly as sick on the years I skip the shot. lol.
I also got the swine flu while I was pregnant. I was absolutely miserable and terrified! Luckily, it was a mild case and didn't affect my DD.
