Symptoms of Swine Flu: Why Do Muscles Ache With the Flu?

By Jake Reed

The flu or influenza is a seasonal infectious disease. Some of the more common symptoms are fevers and a hacking cough. It can be spread through the air or by bodily contact. One of the first symptoms associated with the flu are muscle aches that are caused by a loss of fluids. Every year, a few hundred thousand people die from this affliction.

Time Frame
The incubation for the flue is one to three days for most people. This is about the time the initial symptoms such as a fever and muscle pain begin. This is also the period where an individual is most contagious. As the infection progresses, muscle aches can become more severe as the level of dehydration increases. The infection can last anywhere from 2 to 10 days.

Features
As the infection gains momentum in your body, you lose hydration. The body's initial attack against invaders is to heat up and attempt to purge them. This causes your water levels to drop. The first part of the body to suffer from a lack of water are the muscles. This leads to that aching pain commonly associated with the flue. As the dehydration progress, other symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea ensue.

Misconceptions
While the flu is more active during cold months, low temperatures do not actually cause the infection. In fact during warmer months, it's easier to dehydrate yourself, which is one of the causes of muscle aches. Another misconception involves the classification of the flu. People tend to call stomach aches and colds the "flu." In actuality, the flu is a viral respiratory illness.

Prevention/Solution
There is a vaccination you can get to help prevent being infected with the flu. People who are most at risk such as the elderly and chronically ill are encouraged to get such. Another way to protect yourself from influenza is to maintain a high standard of hygiene. Washing your hands goes a long way in prevention. For those already infected and suffering from muscle aches, it is recommended that you keep yourself hydrated with as many fluids as possible.

Warning
During the flu season, muscles pain is usually a sign that you have been infected. Instead of just relieving the pain, its advised that you see a doctor. This way you can prevent the infection from becoming progressively worse. Given its ability to mutate and become stronger, the influenza is not to be taken lightly. One contacted, there is no immediate cure so preventive measures are the best way to fight it.