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As flu season peaks, parents are on high alert for common symptoms like fever, chills, and fatigue. However, one nurse warns that flu can sometimes present in unexpected ways, making early diagnosis difficult.\n
The CDC reports that 202 children died from the flu in the 2023-2024 season, the highest since 2009-2010. They stress that flu is more dangerous than the common cold, urging vaccination and early treatment to reduce risks.\n
However, detecting the flu early can be challenging when symptoms don\u2019t follow the usual pattern.\n
Brodi Willard, a nurse and mother, was caught off guard when her young son came home from school covered in hives.\n
\u201cEvery time he would scratch, more would appear. We tried changing his clothes and giving him a bath, but nothing helped,\u201d Willard shared in a Facebook post, alongside a photo of Seb\u2019s hive-covered arm.\n
Concerned, she reached out to his pediatrician, only to learn that two other children had reported the same unusual reaction that day\u2014and both had tested positive for influenza.\n
\u201cI took him to the doctor this morning, and he tested POSITIVE for INFLUENZA B. He has had NO symptoms. No fever, no cough, and no runny nose. He only has hives.\u201d\n
The CDC identifies four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C, and D.\n
Among them, influenza A and B are the most common in humans, triggering seasonal flu outbreaks almost every winter.\n While influenza A can infect both humans and animals, influenza B is only found in people, which might explain why it hasn\u2019t caused pandemics like its counterpart.\n According to Healthline, during the 2022-2023 flu season, influenza A made up over 97% of reported cases, while influenza B accounted for just over 23% worldwide.\n Although less prevalent, influenza B is still highly contagious and, in severe cases, can lead to life-threatening complications.\n Common Symptoms of Influenza B:\n Respiratory Symptoms:\n Healthline cautions that flu-related respiratory issues can be severe and may lead to further health complications.\n However, Willard\u2019s son showed none of the typical symptoms. She urges parents to stay alert:\n \u201cPlease keep watch on your children. If they develop hives, please call your pediatrician. I have never heard of this symptom, but it is obviously something to be on the lookout for.\u201d\n Fortunately, after receiving Tamiflu, her son recovered quickly.\n \u201cHe\u2019s still playing and running around,\u201d she told NBC affiliate First Alert 6.\n She wasn\u2019t the only one taken aback by these unusual symptoms.\n One Facebook user shared her experience on Willard\u2019s viral post, which has been shared over 256,000 times: \u201cMy almost 4-year-old was diagnosed with influenza B yesterday. She woke up from her nap today with some welts on her face and wrist. I have never seen viral hives before! Of course, her temp spiked while she was napping, so I\u2019m sure that didn\u2019t help.\u201d\n Another commenter was equally surprised: \u201cI had influenza B over a week ago, no fever or body aches, and no hives\u2014just a terrible cold\u2026 crazy stuff.\u201d\n Someone else chimed in with a similar experience: \u201cWow, I had hives recently too and couldn\u2019t figure out why! Had a few headaches too and was sort of tired, nothing else though. How weird\u2014I hope I don\u2019t have it.\u201d\n Meanwhile, another user expressed her shock over the strange symptom: \u201cThat\u2019s so crazy! I\u2019ve never heard of that! I hope he feels better soon.\u201d\n \u201cThe best way for most people to reduce their risk from seasonal flu and its potentially serious complications is to get a flu vaccine every year,\u201d explains the FDA, emphasizing that flu vaccine production is a \u201cyear-round effort.\u201d\n Senior Epidemiologist Dr. Anne O\u2019Keefe from the Douglas Co. Health Department highlighted the need for annual updates. \u201cIt always changes slightly,\u201d she told First Alert 6. \u201cThat\u2019s why we have to have a new vaccine every year. We watch the changes happening in other parts of the world right before it gets here.\u201d\n As flu season reaches its peak, staying informed and proactive is crucial. Be aware of all symptoms\u2014even the unexpected ones\u2014and always prioritize your child\u2019s well-being.\n Did you know that hives can sometimes be a symptom of influenza? Let us know your thoughts, and don\u2019t forget to share this story to help spread awareness of lesser-known flu symptoms!\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As flu season peaks, parents are on high alert for common symptoms like fever, chills, and fatigue. However, one nurse warns that flu can sometimes present in unexpected ways, making early diagnosis difficult. The CDC reports that 202 children died from the flu in the 2023-2024 season, the highest since 2009-2010. They stress that flu …\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":99883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1441],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-and-tricks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99882"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99885,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99882\/revisions\/99885"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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“Crazy stuff”\n
Flu vaccines\n