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What Causes Fever, Headache, Body Aches And Cough?

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Posted on Mon, 14 Mar 2016
Twitter Mon, 14 Mar 2016 Answered on
Twitter Thu, 26 May 2016 Last reviewed on
Question : I have a fever, headache, body aches, cough that I have had since Saturday. Need to get on a plane Monday evening. I am out of town. Should i go to urgent care?
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Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (30 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
it depends...

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

your symptoms sound a lot like influenza. Other infections may cause these symptoms too (upper and lower respiratory tract infections). Of course a visit to the doctor would probably clarify the diagnosis, which is very important regarding treatment, so this is the recommended next step.

A reasonable alternative would be to wait it out and only visit the ER if you have "red flag" signs/symptoms like:
- shortness of breath
- pleuritic pain
- very high fever, particularly if an abrupt worsening of the fever occurred or rigor is present
- faintness


You haven't mentioned any medical history so I guess you're healthy otherwise. If you're not then this would be an additional reason to visit the ER sooner.

I hope you find my comments helpful!
You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information.

Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3815 Questions

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What Causes Fever, Headache, Body Aches And Cough?

Brief Answer: it depends... Detailed Answer: Hello, your symptoms sound a lot like influenza. Other infections may cause these symptoms too (upper and lower respiratory tract infections). Of course a visit to the doctor would probably clarify the diagnosis, which is very important regarding treatment, so this is the recommended next step. A reasonable alternative would be to wait it out and only visit the ER if you have "red flag" signs/symptoms like: - shortness of breath - pleuritic pain - very high fever, particularly if an abrupt worsening of the fever occurred or rigor is present - faintness You haven't mentioned any medical history so I guess you're healthy otherwise. If you're not then this would be an additional reason to visit the ER sooner. I hope you find my comments helpful! You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information. Kind Regards!