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Strep Throat, Flu. COVID-19, or Allergies-Which is it?

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Let’s face it: Being sick is never fun or convenient. However, this time of year, being sick is even more challenging because diagnosing the specific illness isn’t always easy. From Strep Throat to the Flu, to COVID-19, or just everyday allergies, knowing what is keeping you down and how to treat it properly requires assistance.

In our latest blog article, we’ve put together an insightful resource to help you become more familiar with your illness, such as determining what it is and the best way to recover from it. Take a look!

What’s Got You Down?

As mentioned above, myriad illnesses often share similar symptoms, making it difficult to determine what is causing you to suffer and how to heal from it. In particular, Strep Throat, the Flu, COVID-19, and common allergies can all appear as one another. As such, we’ve broken down each ailment to offer you a better understanding.

Signs and symptoms of Strep Throat can include:

  • Throat pain that usually comes on quickly
  • Painful swallowing
  • Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus
  • Tiny red spots on the area at the back of the roof of the mouth (soft or hard palate)
  • Swollen, tender lymph nodes in your neck
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Rash
  • Nausea or vomiting, especially in younger children
  • Body aches

Strep Throat is treated with antibiotics and rest. 

People who have Flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

  • Fever or feeling feverish/chills
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue (tiredness)

Some people may also experience nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The Flu is treated with antiviral medications and supportive care. 

Possible COVID-19 symptoms include:

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms.

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea 

Difference between Flu and COVID-19:

Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2, and Flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses. You cannot tell the difference between Flu and COVID-19 by symptoms alone because some of the symptoms are the same. 

What are common seasonal allergy symptoms?

  • Congestion
  • Sneezing
  • Itchy eyes, nose, and throat
  • Runny nose and eyes
  • Post nasal drip (drainage in the throat)
  • Fatigue
  • Coughing

Allergies are treated with antihistamines, decongestants, and other medications. 

The only way to accurately diagnose and treat an illness is to see a healthcare provider, like Victoria ER. Our skilled, professional, and friendly team can conveniently test for Strep Throat, Flu, and COVID-19. Victoria ER 24-Hour Emergency Center is dedicated to providing our local community with access to fast and accurate testing at our facility 24/7. We offer 15 Minute Rapid COVID-19/FLU/STREP Testing & 2 Hour RT-PCR COVID-19 Testing with same-day results. 

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Get Ready for Cold & Flu Season with Our Doctors

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The holidays are a time for family, friends and food.

But with all the twinkling lights and gingerbread houses, there are also some pretty serious viruses, like the flu, making their way through our homes.

Hear from Dr. Joseph Hathorn, one of our board certified emergency physicians, about common flu myths, home remedies and how to tell if your cough might be something more serious.

Q: What’s a common misconception about the flu?

A: One common misconception is that you can get the flu from the flu vaccine itself. This is simply not the case. The vaccine is made of the inactivated flu virus and because of this you cannot get an infection from it. If you get sick after getting the shot, it is most likely because the vaccine did not have time to provide full immunity and you may have caught the common cold.

Influenza is a dangerous infection, which can lead to hospitalization, and even death. The CDC estimates that there’s been as many as 700,000 flu-related hospitalizations since 2010. Don’t risk catching the flu when you could be sitting around a crackling fire with loved ones. Get vaccinated and protect your health and the health of those around you.

Wondering where to get your vaccine? Pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens and even some grocery stores give immunizations. View this link to find where you can get vaccinated.

Q: How do I know if I have the flu or if it’s just a cold?

A: The flu generally comes with more serious and debilitating symptoms. Patients who have the flu tend to run a high fever whereas patients who have the common cold may have a low-grade fever or no fever at all. Patients with the flu also tend to experience body aches to the point where they are unable or unwilling to move.

You may also experience these symptoms:

 

    • Chills and headaches
    • Dehydration
    • Fatigue
    • Loss of appetite
    • Nausea
Q: What’s the best preventative measure against flu?

A: The best way to protect yourself during flu season is to receive the flu vaccine and to practice regular, vigorous handwashing.

Check out our guide on handwashing.

Q: What’s an at home remedy I can try during the flu season?

A: While there is no “proven” home remedy for the flu, some believe in the power of chicken soup and hot lemon tea. These “remedies” are soothing and comforting but will not directly affect the flu virus. The best thing to do at home is to take Ibuprofen and Tylenol for fever and body aches. You also want to make sure to drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest.

Now that you’ve heard from our physician, let us know how you fortify your body during flu season!

Nutex Health, Inc. supports you and your family’s health. Come visit Victoria Emergency Center or any one of our concierge-level freestanding facilities for the emergency care you deserve, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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3 Tips you’ve Never Tried to Prevent Cold & The Flu

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For most of us, hygiene is a natural part of everyday life – we wash our hands, we cover our coughs, and we wipe down surfaces – but that doesn’t mean we don’t come into contact with nasty, even dangerous, wintertime germs.

While we try our hardest to stay healthy, even the best of us can get run down during wintertime by a cold or even the flu. Keep reading to learn how you can start feeling better in no time during the colder months.

Don’t go crazy with nasal rinses or salt gargles.  

While it might seem like you’re ridding your body of germs, overdoing it with nasal rinses and salt gargles may end up doing more harm than good. For example, tap water, which may be completely acceptable to drink, can be dangerous to use for a nasal rinse. Tiny, microscopic germs that live in tap water are essentially given a one-way ticket into the most vulnerable parts of your body.

Don’t throw out your Neti Pots just yet, though. Physicians recommend you simply boil tap water and allow it to cool to room temperature before using it, or use bottled/filtered water for your nasal rinse. And before you use a salt gargle, check with your physician to ensure this is a safe treatment for your illness. A salt gargle could alleviate symptoms in one case and exasperate them in another.

Try a couple herbal remedies

While herbal remedies can’t replace prescription drugs when it comes to treating viruses and infections, they certainly can support our immune systems and encourage our bodies to fight illness. If you’re under the weather, try cooking with certain spices and herbs, like turmeric, garlic and ginger. Turmeric is one the most powerful anti-inflammatory herbs and is found commonly in Asian dishes, like a warming soup to beat the flu. Garlic has antibacterial properties and ginger supercharges your immune system. Just stay away from any extremely spicy foods – you don’t want to irritate your stomach when you’re already under the weather.

Go old-school

Try boiling water and adding in a couple drops of essentials oils like peppermint or eucalyptus. Remove the pot from the stove and cover your head with a dishtowel while you inhale deeply, positioned over the pot. Make sure the steam isn’t too hot by hovering your hand over the pot for a moment – it can burn you just as badly as the boiling water. It’s an easy and quick method of alleviating some uncomfortable symptoms, like clogged sinuses that accompany the flu. If you’re stressed, add a drop of lavender for a nerve-soothing affect.

Don’t want to risk burning yourself? Take a warm bath and add a couple of drops to the water. Just don’t overdo it – you might end up giving yourself a headache in addition to your cold.

We want our entire community to have a fun, safe and healthy holiday season, and that means taking care of yourself. Let us know how you decompress and rest during this hectic time of year and give your body a break!

Have a cough? Fever? Sweats? You might have the flu, but check out this link to see if it’s a run-of-the-mill cold or something more serious.

Nutex Health, Inc. supports you and your family’s health. Come visit Victoria Emergency Center or any one of our concierge-level freestanding facilities for the emergency care you deserve, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.