- With Mayo Clinic internist
James M. Steckelberg, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
James M. Steckelberg, M.D.
James Steckelberg, M.D.
Dr. James Steckelberg is a consultant in the Division of Infectious Diseases and a professor of medicine at Mayo Medical School.
A native of Fremont, Neb., Dr. Steckelberg was a Rhodes Scholar and graduated from the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine as a resident in internal medicine and a fellow in infectious diseases, and is board certified in both. He is the former director of the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory at Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Steckelberg belongs to numerous professional organizations. He is a founding member of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society and a fellow of the American College of Physicians and of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. He has served on many Mayo Clinic committees and is a member of the Department of Medicine Leadership Committee and of the executive committee of the Division of Infectious Diseases. He also served on the editorial boards of "Mayo Clinic Proceedings" and "Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy" and has been an editorial reviewer for more than a dozen publications.
Dr. Steckelberg's research interests include experimental models of infection, epidemiology of infection, and antimicrobial resistance and therapy of bacterial infections.
Definition (1)
- What's the difference between H1N1 flu and influenza A?
Symptoms (1)
- Flu symptoms: Self-care for the flu
Treatments and drugs (1)
- Flu and pregnancy: Is antiviral medication safe?
Prevention (5)
- Flu vaccine: Safe for people with egg allergy?
- Flu mask: Should I wear one?
- Fluzone High-Dose: What distinguishes it from other flu vaccines?
- see all in Prevention
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Question
Flu symptoms: Self-care for the flu
How do I know if I've caught the flu? Should I go to the doctor?
Answer
from James M. Steckelberg, M.D.
Flu symptoms typically begin one or two days after your exposure to the virus, and may seem to hit you suddenly. Among healthy people, flu symptoms vary in severity. Flu symptoms include:
- Fever, sometimes rising above 103 F (39.4 C)
- Chills
- Muscle aches
- Loss of appetite
- Extreme fatigue
- Eye redness and burning
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Dry cough
- Sore throat
Flu symptoms can make you feel awful, but if you're basically healthy and you're not pregnant, take care of yourself at home rather than going to your doctor. Try these remedies:
- Take acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) to reduce fever and muscle aches. Don't give products containing aspirin to children or young adults, as these drugs may cause Reye's syndrome.
- Drink clear fluids, such as water, broth or sports drinks.
- Rest as long as you continue to feel tired, and sleep as much as you can.
Flu and pregnancy: Is antiviral medication safe?
- Flu symptoms. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.flu.gov/individualfamily/about/symptoms/index.html. Accessed Nov. 11, 2010.
- Questions and answers: H1N1 flu and you. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/freeresources/2009-10/pdf/h1n1andyou.pdf. Accessed Nov. 11, 2010.
- Treanor JJ. Uncomplicated influenza. In: Mandel GL, et al., eds. Mandel, Douglas and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00165-X--s0155&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00165-X--s0160&uniqId=226264340-3#4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00165-X--s0160. Accessed Nov. 11, 2010.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Prevention and control of influenza with vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2010. MMWR Early Release. 2010;59:1. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr59e0729.pdf. Accessed Nov. 11, 2010.
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