[familyop]

"Maybe I should say that I only THINK I did not have a flu variant. Is there any information somewhere of how different 2017-2018 flu variants’ symptoms may differ?"

Not that I know of. I'm not a doctor but have paid attention to what some doctors say about it, have read some and have raised and sometimes taught a few kids, many kids, many young adults and soldiers (my own and others, schools, Army leadership schools, etc.). Participated in several crazy sports, too (noticed things about immunity in my younger days).

Flu symptoms generally and usually include fever, respiratory inflammation and all that go with those: chills, aches, headache, tiredness, runny nose, coughing,... Some flus are worse than others. An A-type flu can sometimes cause pneumonia. If I remember correctly, flus can also weaken the body somehow against a bacterium that can cause pneumonia.

Don't know if I'm exactly right on all of that, and there's probably much more info about pneumonia somewhere. If I remember correctly, pneumonia is more of a condition that can be caused by several kinds of organisms.

Vomiting is *not* often caused by an influenza, although maybe it can happen. Vomiting is probably most often caused by food poisoning. Any one of several other kinds of viruses (Norovirus, perhaps?) or one of many different kinds of bacteria can cause vomiting.

If there were vomiting, my first thought would be check hygiene, food handling or avoiding cruise ships. ;-)

Don't want to bother Mom MD, 'cause she's highly likely to be very busy most of the time, but she's pinged to this one. She knows.

[Paul R.]

Thanks - Agreed on the symptoms in general - I was really looking for specifics on flu variants. This last “bug” seemed unusual because it sort of “crept up” on me over a 2 week period: Slight lung congestion that then got somewhat worse one cold day I worked outdoors for a few hours. I was warmly clothed but breathing cold, dry air, and going “in and out” a lot — the moderate coughing that produced that evening lead to a sore throat which proceeded (as often with me) quickly into full bore head cold symptoms, the worst of which lasted only a day, but then I was left with worsening chest congestion, coughing if I attempted to talk, worsening and eventual extreme fatigue. I had one morning of mild (99.4 deg. max) fever and chills as the head cold symptoms were departing, and some 2-3 days of aches (not severe), but those last may have been as much from being in bed a lot as much as anything else.

About a day after the head cold mostly left, the chest coughing actually hurt in the area(s) of both my kidneys — don’t think I’ve ever felt anything quite like that. If it’d continued I’d have gone in to a clinic, but that mostly dissipated about a day later, too.

Several days after the head cold symptoms, I’m back to slight chest congestion, almost no cough, and otherwise feeling fairly good.

Pneumonia... is basically fluid in the lungs from whatever source — my Dad had lots of trouble with aspiration into his lungs toward the end. :-(

[Mom MD]

You are correct:, influenza is a respiratory Illness. It is not generally associated with vomiting although one can certainly cough until they vomit. The vomiting illness is correctly labeled gastroenteritis although both Illnesses are called “flu”.