How Do I Tell My Doctor I Think I Have Swine Flu Without Sounding Silly?
Dr. Schaffner answers the question: 'Telling My Doctor I Have Swine Flu?'
May 27, 2009 -- Question: do I tell my doctor I think I have swine flu without sounding silly?
Answer: I don't think you should think about sounding silly if you have an illness and need to call your physician or other healthcare provider. Be assured doctors everywhere are aware of swine influenza, know that from time to time -- although it's a relatively mild disease by and large -- from time to time it can be serious.
So you just go ahead and call your physician or other healthcare provider and this is particularly true if you're one of those persons who has an underlying illness -- diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, some sort of immunocompromise, anything that might predispose to the complications of influenza. Those folks, if you're one of those, you should call your health care provider right away, as soon as that fever starts, and have a conversation about what to do next.
