When a Viral Illness Becomes an Emergency
Colds, flu, and other viral illnesses tend to run rampant during the winter months. Most of the time, in healthy adults, the body will knock out a viral illness after 1-2 weeks of rest and proper nutrition. However, there are a few cases of when a viral illness becomes an emergency, and you may need to seek medical care.
Difficulty Breathing
“One of the key things we want to see people for is if they are experiencing shortness of breath or difficulty breathing,” said Dr. Sarah Vermillion, emergency room physician at McLaren Greater Lansing. “If you check your oxygen at home and it’s less than 95%, we want to see you.”
There are many viruses that can affect your breathing or lead to viral pneumonia. These can include:
Chest Pain or a Higher-than-Normal Heart Rate
If you feel like your heart is racing or have pain in your chest, this would be a reason to visit the emergency department. There are several factors that increase your heart rate like fever, dehydration, and stress or anxiety, which all come along with a virus. However, symptoms like chest pain or a high heart rate could also be something more serious, like heart disease.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), a normal resting heart rate for healthy adults is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm), but when considering if you should go to the ER, you should base that decision on what a normal heart rate is for you, and if you are experiencing other symptoms like dizziness or fainting.
Uncontrollable Temperature
“An uncontrollable temperature is when you’re having high fevers and they’re not responsive to Tylenol or ibuprofen,” said Dr. Vermillion. “We consider a normal temperature to be 100.4, but we start to get concerned when temperatures start to reach 104, especially if they aren’t responding to medicine or other methods to help you cool down like removing blankets and warm clothing.”
Altered Mental Status
“If the patient is having altered mental status, not acting like their normal self, or if they have neck stiffness, these can all be signs of an emergency,” said Dr. Vermillion.
Viral infections are a common cause of vertigo, which makes people feel like they are spinning and can cause imbalance, dizziness, or nausea. Many viral infections like flu, COVID-19, herpes viruses, and ear infections can lead to vertigo. If you are falling or have an inability to stand or walk, are saying things that don’t make sense, have confusion or disorientation, or feel dizzy, like you are spinning, you might want to consider getting checked out.
Severe Dehydration
Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu) has been making its rounds this year. This virus specifically can lead to dehydration, which can be life-threatening to infants, young children, or those with chronic heath conditions.
“Concerning symptoms of dehydration would be if the patient is unable to keep anything down including water and medications, passing little or no urine, vomiting for more than 48 hours without improvement, or if there is blood in the vomit,” said Dr. Vermillion.
It’s always best to error on the side of caution. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms we talked about, it’s best to call your primary care provider or seek urgent or emergency care.
To learn more about the emergency department at McLaren Greater Lansing, or to view the wait times and even check in online, click here.
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