Everyone is on the lookout this year for signs of colds and the flu since we live and work in such confined spaces. However when in doubt don't assume you've got the flu, leave that diagnosis to the experts.
When you walk into the door at Patient First at Green Spring station they arm you with the essentials.....face masks, tissues, and hand sanitizer.
Internist Dr. Paul Wu says they've seen lots of sick people...but not everyone has the flu.
"I hear all the time my sinuses are full. My head is going to pop open. My nose is runny, I'm coughing. I have a sore throat. I have aches."
While many of those seem like flu-like symptoms......Patient first reports seeing more fall allergy patients than just about anything as of late.
"Allergies don't usually have the fever and the muscle aches. It usually has a lot of sneezing. A lot of runny noses and watery eyes."
"If your sick go see the doctor because they can tease out whether this is the common cold or the flu or allergies.
When in doubt protect yourself with good hand washing. Hand sanitizer and avoid sharing cups and utensils.
Shoot me an email if you've heard about something in your community. With what's going around I'm Kelly Swoope ABC 2 news.
