Updated December 04, 2014.

Even when you don't consider the bird flu or a possible pandemic flu strain, flu symptoms can be severe and the flu is a bad virus. According to the CDC, the flu can 'cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death.'

In fact, 170 children died during the 2012-2013 flu season.

Still, a lot of illnesses and symptoms get blamed on the flu, especially during the winter, that likely are caused by other viral illnesses or other conditions.

If you consider that only 5 to 20 percent of people get the flu each year, and they typically get it just once, then every cough, cold, ache, pain, and fever, can't be caused by the flu.

Flu Symptoms

Understanding what typical flu symptoms are in children can help you figure out if your child is sick with the flu. Flu symptoms usually include a sudden onset of:

• high fever, although not everyone with the flu has a fever
• muscle aches and pains
• weakness and tiredness
• headache
• dry cough
• sore throat
• stuffy or runny nose
• nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (least common flu symptoms)

Keep in mind that many other viral illness can cause cold or 'flu-like symptoms,' although flu symptoms are usually more intense than regular cold symptoms. However, sometimes the only way that you can tell the difference between a cold and the flu is by doing a flu test. This can be important because flu medicines, like Tamiflu, can help to decrease the severity of flu symptoms and help your high risk child get better sooner.
 

<sub>Sources:

CDC. Flu Symptoms & Severity. August 12, 2010. Accessed February 2011.</sub>