If you have the flu, you may have a fever, you will likely have a cough, a sore throat, a runny nose, aches, headaches, chills, fatigue and maybe diarrhea and vomiting.

But just because you have the flu, does not mean you should go to the hospital.

However, there are certain symptoms that should prompt you to get up and head to the emergency room, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

There have been 3,884 reported flu cases in Lehigh and Northampton counties since October and more than 47,000 statewide. Of those, 91 cases were fatal, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The health department estimates that about 600,000 to 2.4 million Pennsylvanians will get the flu this year and 120 to 2,000 will die.

So if you do have certain symptoms, you should go to the emergency room, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

For adults, emergency-level symptoms include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, severe or persistent vomiting or flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with a fever and a more severe cough.

In children, fast breathing or trouble breathing, bluish skin color, not drinking enough fluids, not waking up or not interacting with others, being too irritable to be held, a fever with a rash, or, like in adults, flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with a fever and a more severe cough.

And infants should be brought to the emergency room if they are unable to eat, have trouble breathing, fewer wet diapers than normal or no tears when crying.

Someone with those symptoms, should go to an emergency room, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

If someone is sick with flu symptoms and is at high risk of flu complications, they should contact a health care provider for advice. The CDC warns that if someone goes to the emergency room who does not have the flu, they may end up leaving the hospital with an influenza infection.

Groups with high risk for flu complications include children under 5-years-old, particularly under 2-years-old, adults over 65, pregnant women and woman up to two weeks postpartum, residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, and Native Americans and Alaskan natives, according to the CDC.

Certain medical conditions can also lead to flu complications, including asthma, neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions, chronic lung disease, heart disease, disorders of the blood, endocrine system, kidneys, liver and metabolic system, those with a weakened immune system due to disease or medication, people under 19-years-old who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and people with extreme obesity — those with a body mass index of 40 or more.

Flu complications include pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus and ear infections. Asthma sufferers may experience more frequent attacks and heart problems may worsen.

matt.coughlin@mcall.com

Twitter @coughlinreports

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