How do I know if it’s swine flu? That’s the obvious question people around the country are asking themselves the moment they experience a cough, sniffle or body ache.
Swine flu can only be confirmed by a lab test. But I spoke with infectious disease expert Dr. Dan Hinthorn, director of the division of infectious disease at the University of Kansas about what distinguishes the symptoms of swine flu from regular flu.
“We’d all like to know the exact answer,’’ he explained. “The symptoms are quite similar between regular flu and swine flu. Influenza ordinarily is a respiratory illness with fever, headache, sore throat, nasal stuffiness and cough. And body aches are real common. You go to bed and feel terrible. The difference may be that some of the people who have had swine flu have diarrhea or vomiting. That’s unusual except in children. Adults usually don’t have diarrhea with flu. It may well be that that could be a marker, but it’s not clear yet.’’
