TRURO – Feeling like you’ve been hit by a truck?
Chances are, you have contracted the H1N1 virus, considering that is one of the primary symptoms of the only flu strain that has so far been identified in the province this fall.
“I’ve had some patients describe it to me,  they felt like they got hit by a truck or a train,” said local family physician Dr. Ryan Sommers, of those who have been diagnosed with the painful and discomforting virus.
“The older group, they tend to describe it as just being wonked ... they just feel terrible, they don’t feel like eating.”
In addition to a loss of appetite, H1N1 also is accompanied by a prolonged, high fever and “almost always,” a dry cough, he said.
And unlike a regular cold, which is slower in taking affect, the symptoms of H1N1 take hold in a hurry.
“The fever usually comes on right away and is usually 38 degrees Celsius (104 F) or above.”
“So, the biggest challenge we’ve had, is people coming in, they have the sensation of being warm but they don’t have a thermometer at home to check it,” Sommers said.
“So what I’ve been telling people is that their best friend in a time like this is a thermometer. And that can really confirm yes or no if you have a fever.”
Extreme muscle and joint pain are other flu symptoms, hence the description by patients of being hit by a large vehicle. And other complications that can follow the virus, is a bacterial infection that can leave sufferers with shortness of breath and very sore lungs.
“Nothing that just lasts a few seconds or tweaks of chest pain (as when you cough),” he said. “This is outright, every time you breathe in and out, chest pain.”
One of the “biggest challenges” the medical community faces in diagnosing the disease are the overlapping symptoms between a common cold and a flu, he said. In about 30 to 40 per cent of cases, H1N1 sufferers will experience a sore throat and sometimes a runny nose.
However, vomiting or diarrhea are not common flu symptoms except in young children, generally under five years old. And headaches and general aches and pains of a common cold are much more mild than with a flu, especially the H1N1 strain.
“We can’t really say that nasal discretions or a runny nose are a big hallmark of the flu but we know people with a common cold are more likely to have the runny nose and a lot of nasal discharge. And those with a common cold will also maintain a regular appetite.
“The appetite in someone with the outright flu, they just feel worn out, they feel very tired from all the muscle aches and pains and they just have no desire to eat,” Sommers said.
For anyone experiencing sustained fever (several days) above 38 degrees C after using such over-the-counter drugs as Tylenol, Ibuprofen or Advil and/or severe prolonged chest pain should see a doctor, Sommers said.
Otherwise, one of the key recommendations is to “self isolate” yourself.
“Stay at home, be careful about hand-washing or sharing utensils or toys.”
Those who have been confirmed to have had the H1N1 virus should not have to worry about contracting it again because the body should have built up an immunity to it.
But even if you have been sick, unless you have been confirmed via a nasal swab taken by a doctor to have had the disease,
Sommers recommends you get vaccinated nonetheless.
“There’s always a chance that it might not be the H1N1 virus,” he said. “So we’re encouraging people to get the shot just for that extra protection.”

hsullivan@trurodaily.com