When is Your Flu Severe Enough to Require a Hospital Stay?

Recognizing the signs of severe flu symptoms that may need emergency care can protect you from serious health conditions.

During the cold and flu season, symptoms like fever, cough, and runny nose are common and often cause little concern. However, while the flu is a familiar illness, it has the potential to lead to life-threatening complications. In some cases, flu symptoms can escalate rapidly, requiring not just a visit but even a stay at the hospital.

For most healthy individuals, a flu diagnosis is not typically an emergency. However, certain groups—such as those over 65, pregnant women, or individuals with chronic conditions or weakened immune systems—are at higher risk of severe complications. For these individuals, the flu can become life-threatening, requiring immediate medical attention.

But do you need to visit the emergency room if you’re otherwise healthy and still feel extremely unwell?

When to Go to the Hospital for the Flu

If you have the flu, you’re likely experiencing common symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, and body aches. However, if your symptoms feel unusually severe, worsen, or significantly impact your ability to function, it may be time to visit the emergency room.

Here are some key warning signs that indicate a need for immediate medical attention:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with a fever and a worse cough
• Symptoms of an ear or sinus infection, such as severe pain, swelling, or discharge

Why May Your Hospital Visit Turn into a Longer Stay?

Severe flu symptoms can cause significant responses in the body, such as lung inflammation, which makes breathing difficult, or severe dehydration that requires intravenous (IV) fluids. Additionally, the flu can worsen chronic health conditions or even trigger new illnesses.

Some of the most common medical conditions that can result from the flu include:

• Pneumonia: An infection of the lungs that can cause difficulty breathing due to fluid or pus filling the air sacs.
• Bronchitis: Another type of lung infection that occurs when the bronchial tubes become inflamed.
• Inflammation of the heart, brain, or muscles: Viral infections can lead to inflammation of the heart (myocarditis), brain (encephalitis), or muscle tissues (myositis, rhabdomyolysis).
• Sepsis: A life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to infection begins to damage vital organs.

Experiencing any of these conditions while dealing with the flu may require extended hospital care. Professional medical attention can help reduce the risk of complications and address any new conditions that may arise from severe flu symptoms.

More Than Just an Emergency Room

At Topeka ER & Hospital, we are more than just an emergency room—we’re a place where patients receive concierge-level, personalized, and attentive care, 24/7, around the clock. Our dedicated team of expert physicians and staff is committed to ensuring your comfort and well-being during your time with us, whether it’s a short visit or a longer stay.

If you’re experiencing severe flu symptoms and need immediate care, we’re here for you. Our facility is open 24/7, every day of the year—even on holidays. From closely monitoring breathing and oxygen levels to administering IV fluids, we’re ready to help you and your loved ones recover and feel better as quickly as possible.

Disclaimer: As a service to our readers, Topeka ER & Hospital and Nutex Health state no content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.