Found this article at the same link Quispy mentioned. Very interesting.
http://www.thetreeofliberty.com/vb/show ... hp?t=63834
Ask The Doc: How Exactly Can Flu Kill A Healthy Person?
The tragic death of an otherwise completely-healthy nine-year-old Concord girl has brutally reminded us all of the swine flu. We all send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the little girl. It seems incomprehensible, with the state of modern medical technology, that such a thing could happen. But each year many people die from the flu - and most of us probably assume that those afflicted are only the very elderly or chronically ill. The swine flu news coverage has reminded us that even healthy people can die from flu.
With all this increased flu awareness, more than one loyal Doc Gurley reader asks what many people may be wondering, "But how exactly do you die from the flu?" It's true - in our frenzied nationwide swine flu coverage, that essential bit of information was often left out. And counting on what you already know can be a mistake.
Many of us have years of personal flu experience under our belts - and even more mega-hours of commercials drilled into our heads with flu descriptions of "sniffling, sneezing, runny nose." Sadly, none of this prepares us for the real deal.
See, the "flu" we usually get is actually a cold. Flu season burns through communities and thousands upon thousands are affected, but still we, as a people, often lump flu and colds together into one mucousy glob.
Flu, in contrast to a cold, is the kind of sickness where people who've had it say, with a smug glance, "oh believe me, you'll know if you get it." Flu is often described as initially making you feel as though you'd been hit by a bus - a whole body ache that not many other things can cause.
Swine flu, in contrast, is often described as NOT causing the whole-body ache.
Regular flu also often has a fever - and not just any fever, but a high fever over 101 degrees.
Swine flu, also in contrast, has been documented in people without much, or even any, fever.
Regular flu can cause runny nose and coughing - and even progress until you're coughing up green and yellow sputum. Swine flu can do the same.
Swine flu also seems to have a more common gastrointestinal phase where you get nauseated or even puke, with maybe some diarrhea.
So we've got coughing, snot, maybe some aches, maybe some fever, maybe some puking. But still - how does it get so bad that you die?
Whether it's regular flu or swine flu, any illness that progresses rapidly can kill you. So maybe you've had one day of the aches, a low grade temp and a little nausea - but if you progress in that one day from a wee bit of nausea to puking constantly, having watery diarrhea, and getting dizzy when you stand, you've got to get help soon. The younger or older you are, and if you take certain medications, the more dangerous these gastrointestinal symptoms are.
And that cough? You'll often read that if you aren't better in three days, you should be seen. But, in fact, any illness that makes you feel short of breath means you need a prompt evaluation. With children, difficulty breathing can be harder to assess, especially if your child is not old enough to talk - listlessness and rapid breathing may be your only possible symptoms, so keep in close touch with your pediatrician. However annoying or expensive it seems, shortness of breath means a trip to the doctor - even if your symptoms have existed for only a day or even mere hours. Because if you can't breathe, you can't live.
Finally, there are two little-known flu facts to keep in mind as we continue to monitor the evolution of swine flu. First, flu of all kinds causes your body to pump out flu-fighting glycoproteins (called cytokines) and special immune cells. This physiologic response is very specific to viruses. Unfortunately, the unintended consequence of your body's eager flu reaction is that it can leave you very susceptible to bacterial infections.
Kind of like rushing all your body's troops off to battle invaders on the Western front, while leaving your Eastern territory completely unguarded. In practical terms, this means that you have to keep watch, even after flu symptoms seem to get better. A new fever, a worse cough, a sudden bad headache, a strange rash - all of these can mean wicked bacteria have invaded and are running relatively unchecked while your body is still focused on the flu (swine or otherwise). Sometimes it's only after a normally healthy person gets overwhelmingly sick with a bacterial infection that healthcare providers realize a prior flu infection might be part of the problem.
Second, another little discussed side effect of battling the flu is post-flu depression. Those flu-fighting cytokines seem to induce it (which is why people undergoing treatment for hepatitis C also have to guard against depression as a side effect of treatment). Agatha Christie even wrote a lovely Miss Marple novel where Miss Marple is depressed for months after surviving the Great Flu epidemic and can't seem to find her zest for life again. While post-flu depression is not likely to be lethal, it can have an impact on your ability to get back into life, and can cause you to wonder if something is still seriously wrong with you.
Bottom line: If something that feels like the flu is burning through your friends/famly/social group, be sure to watch yourself and others for rapidly progressing symptoms, an inability to keep fluids down (or in!), any shortness of breath, and any "new" symptoms after 4-5 days. A good medical evaluation will go a long way towards both reassuring you and getting you appropriate, prompt treatment, if indicated. And if you've cruised through a flu-like infection relatively safely, watch out for symptoms of lingering depression - nurture yourself, and get mental health help if you need it.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/...entry_id=41223
by chiggerbit » Thu May 28, 2009 6:51 pm 
:glasses: 
