Is headache a flu symptom?
Question: Is headache a flu symptom?
Answer:
Headache is indeed one of the common symptoms of influenza, or flu. While not everyone with the flu will experience headaches, they frequently occur alongside other telltale flu symptoms like fever, body aches, and fatigue. The headaches associated with flu tend to be more severe than typical tension headaches and often feel like intense pressure or throbbing pain, particularly in the forehead and temples.
The reason flu causes headaches is closely tied to the body’s inflammatory response to the viral infection. When the influenza virus invades, the immune system releases chemicals called cytokines that trigger inflammation throughout the body.
This inflammatory response, combined with fever and sinus congestion that often accompany flu, can lead to significant head pain that may persist for several days during the illness.
Unlike a common cold, which rarely causes severe headaches, flu-related headaches typically come on suddenly and can be quite intense. These headaches usually begin during the early stages of flu infection, along with other symptoms like sudden fever, chills, and muscle aches.
While over-the-counter pain relievers can help manage the discomfort, the headache typically won’t fully resolve until the body fights off the flu virus, which usually takes about a week.
