Should I go to a doctor or is it just the flu?

[Anonymous]

I got two hours sleep last night because I was tossing and turning and sweating until 5 am. I'm not even in the slightest bit tired.
I woke up three days ago feeling fine, aside from waking up with my whole right side of face sore and tender, but felt terrible by the afternoon. It started with a dry cough, sometimes a bit of flem. Then really bad headaches. The muscle aches are crazy. My fingers, wrists, back and legs really hurt. This morning, my mouth was so dry and no amount of water is fixing it. I'm also super dizzy and it's difficult to focus on anything if I move my head around too much.
Should I see a doctor? I'm on normal cold and flu tablets and the daytime ones work wonders.

[meowcow]

Most doctors do not recommend a patient see a doctor if they think they have a cold or flu. The exception is if you are very young (toddler) or old (60+), where the flu may be lethal in some cases. The reason why they don't want to see teenagers and adults is because there is very little they can do for you. The cold and flu is caused by a virus, and there is no cure. All they can do is tell you to keep hydrated and rest - and you don't need a doctor to tell you that.

Whatever they prescribe you, it is not intended to help you fight off the cold or flu. It is intended to reduce your symptoms and make you feel better. But you will be sick for the same length of time. Rather than see the doctor, you can simply go to the store and buy over-the-counter medication like Tylenol or ibuprofen to relieve your muscle/bone chills and headaches.

However, if your illness is indeed a flu (which is more severe than a cold), you should always have someone regularly check up on you. The reason is that there's always a slim chance that you're sick with something much more severe and lethal - but the symptoms may appear similar to the flu. If your symptoms progress more severely than what you think a flu should be, then you should go to the hospital emergency room, rather than a family doctor. A family doctor is not equipped to handle a very severe illness or infection, and will probably assume it's a flu and make you go home. A hospital will be more thorough and run some tests and monitor you before sending you home.

Although if you live in the US, keep in mind the cost of the hospital bill.

[Anonymous]

you should see a doctor just in case. better safe than sorry you know.

[Anonymous]

Yes you should see a doctor. Sounds serious