Swine Flu and Conjunctivitis

RedWeasel, RN · Jul 26, 2009

I have said this before but with my sinus inf and then probable strep-(and possible start of pneumonia according to a NP I work with before I started a stronger ATB) 3 weeks ago, my eyes would run like they were crying but they never got mucus=y. My throat tho eventualy had two huge white patches in the back of my throat-seems like it goes where it wants to settle! I half imagined that I would end up with pink eye! Then the green junk I coughed up-anyone know what bacteria that is? Pseudomonas? I had bright yellow junk from my sinuses at first then the neon green. Never had 3+ infections at the same time! So this thing (if that is what I had) is pretty potent. What I had found a vulnerability and decided to settle there. The bacterial infs are gone, but I still feel fatigued and coughing-if I had a virus-this is the part that seems to be lingering.

RuRnurse? · Jul 28, 2009

One of the signs of a "new" infectious agent is that it causes many symptoms, the body has no 'memory' of it, can't fight it effectively, so it runs amock. Why not the eyes? They are mucousy membranes, warm, moist, the perfect home.

General malaise with no acute illness? Also a sign, as the body tries to mount a defense but doesn't quite get there. It's trying, but enough of the little buggers survive to re-attack.

Meanwhile, the poor slob who has it isn't quite sick enough to stay home, so off to work they go, feeling crappy, and spreading their new found friends to others.

The good news is that viruses, like bacteria, have no interest in killing off their hosts. They need them to survive. So, after the big die-off, they usually settle down and create lesser illnesses.

This, of course, is of no help to the ones that die off in the first wave or two.

indigo girl · Jul 28, 2009

It is true that you can test positive and be asymptomatic with this virus. And, we know as well that some cases in Mexico were afebrile. This does help the virus to infect more people as these cases don't feel very sick, and it would not be known that they are infected if they were not tested. There are many case histories of this in the literature of the various influenza viruses. Even seasonal flu is known to cause these types of cases.

I did elect to stay home with my nasty eye infection because these can be contagious. My unit gave me more time off as well. I just felt generally lousy. At the time I remember wondering why this could make me feel so run down...

I will never know if it was the flu virus without getting tested for antibodies which is not going to happen.

ebuss · Aug 3, 2009

In April, I had what seemed like a severe flu accompanied by the most alarming conjunctivitis I've ever experienced. I awoke to eyes so crusted over that I had to rinse them in warm water for a few minutes in order to open them. I also experienced night sweats, loss of appetite, aches and pains, and probably the worst cough I've ever had in my life. My throat was intensely painful, and I was so worried by my condition that I went to the the doctor twice. Weirdly (and I've heard this has been happening in some swine flu cases), I didn't have a fever, so the docs. brushed it all off as a really bad cold. I was told to simply wait it out, even though I knew that this was not just a typical virus. This all happened in early April, so no one knew to test me for swine flu. My baby seemed to catch a milder case of it (I was breastfeeding, so I think my antibodies helped keep it at bay in his case), and all he really experienced was a little conjunctivitis and some malaise. I'm convinced, however, that I had swine flu, because a few weeks later a dozen or so confirmed cases had sprung up in the town I'd visited over Easter. All in all, I was very sick for about a week and suffered from the cough for a few months. I would love to know if I did, indeed, have swine flu so that I wouldn't have to worry about catching it anymore.

indigo girl · Aug 3, 2009

Where do you live? That would be interesting to know.

We do not hear much in the news about conjunctivitis however, it is well known to occur with some influenzas. I was not so sick as you although the conjunctivitis was distresssing. I have never experienced this before in my life. I just remember sitting in the urgent care center and thinking, why do I feel so sick? It's only conjunctivitis...

ebuss · Aug 4, 2009

I live in Grand Forks, ND. I'm pretty sure I contracted the virus in Minot, ND, though. My body was definitely confused by it. I could tell right away that it was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. If it was swine flu, I think I must've had a moderate to severe case, b/c I keep reading about people who experienced only mild symptoms, like sore throat and stuffy nose. Like they say: everyone responds to it differently. The conjunctivitis was probably the most disturbing part, though. I couldn't believe I had to suffer through that on top of everything else!

oramar · Aug 4, 2009

About that fever thing. A lot of people take medication that suppresses fever at home and by the time they get to doctors or ER they are no longer febrile. I remember I would not medicate my children for fever before taking them to doctor because it always seemed I would not be believed if the kid was not febrile right then.

KristiePDX · Aug 4, 2009

On the 15th, I had what I would call the cold from hell. RAPID (I mean over the course of 3-4 hours) onset of extream fatigue, compleatly blocked sinuses, runny nose, spastic cough, difficulty moving air, crusty/watery eyes, completly lost my voice, completley lost my appatite, and a HA. Never had the fever or sore throat. The cough later became VERY productive. My respiratory tract became so sore I felt like I had razors coming out my anterior and posterior chest.

I stayed in bed for 4 days, and then spent the next three on the couch.

After a week, (assuming I had a cold) I went back to work. The cough proceeded for another week and a half. It is still kinda there now to this day.

I am not they type to get colds. I have a kicken immune system. I have not had any illnesses for a year and a half (and that was a 2 day GI bug).

I think that since I am pregnant, my immune system is not what it should be. And we did have swine flu Pts recently. Now I am wondering/hoping if that is what I really had. I dont want to get it this winter when I am in my third trimester. (due date january 26th)

edit:

Forgot to mention that my family also had a "cold" but to a MUCH lesser extent than I did (husband, 9yo, 18month old)

indigo girl · Feb 2, 2010

Tropism and Innate Host Responses of the 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Virus in ex Vivo and in Vitro Cultures of Human Conjunctiva and Respiratory Tract

http://ajp.amjpathol.org/cgi/content/abstract/ajpath.2010.091087v1

Keep those goggles and face shields handy in case the swine flu returns.

Abstract
The novel pandemic influenza H1N1 (H1N1pdm) virus of swine origin causes mild disease but occasionally leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome and death. It is important to understand the pathogenesis of this new disease in humans. We compared the virus tropism and host-responses elicited by pandemic H1N1pdm and seasonal H1N1 influenza viruses in ex vivo cultures of human conjunctiva, nasopharynx, bronchus, and lung, as well as in vitro cultures of human nasopharyngeal, bronchial, and alveolar epithelial cells. We found comparable replication and host-responses in seasonal and pandemic H1N1 viruses. However, pandemic H1N1pdm virus differs from seasonal H1N1 influenza virus in its ability to replicate in human conjunctiva, suggesting subtle differences in its receptor-binding profile and highlighting the potential role of the conjunctiva as an additional route of infection with H1N1pdm. A greater viral replication competence in bronchial epithelium at 33°C may also contribute to the slight increase in virulence of the pandemic influenza virus. In contrast with highly pathogenic influenza H5N1 virus, pandemic H1N1pdm does not differ from seasonal influenza virus in its intrinsic capacity for cytokine dysregulation. Collectively, these results suggest that pandemic H1N1pdm virus differs in modest but subtle ways from seasonal H1N1 virus in its intrinsic virulence for humans, which is in accord with the epidemiology of the pandemic to date. These findings are therefore relevant for understanding transmission and therapy.

(hat tip to Avian Flu Diary)

costrow · Feb 27, 2010

I have been sick for about 2 weeks. It started with exhaustion - tight chest (thought I was going to have a stroke actually) - & had on and off dizzy episodes out of nowhere at work - home - I had a fever (around 99 so not so high) I wasn't really ill (what I consider ill) so I went about my regular life. Went to New York for a week. While there had off and on episodes of nausea and chills/sweating and would be fine within a few minutes or about an hour. Usually was precipitated by steam heat in my apt bldg. I came home and the next day woke up with:

chest congestion, total laryngitis (total), a horrible sore throat (like a strep), and a tickle that was causing some coughing with alot of just air expulsion. Within about 24 hrs. I was sick as a dog.. My chest was so tight and I had a dry hacking painful cough. I started self medicating with day and nyquil and motrin which seemed to help a little with the cough so I could at least sleep. I decided against going to the doctor again because I figured it was flu and maybe H1n1. Read up with it online and it seemed to have all my symptoms. I have a very low grade fever so this hasn't been significant.

Today - day 6 of the outright flu or 13 with everything else I started to cough less and the sore throat isn't as bad. Still there though. I now have a wicked headache with bloody mucus and a few hours ago developed conjunctivitis in my right eye. Started and got really bad in about 5 minutes. My nasal cavity is very stuff and nothing seems to open my airway. I thought I could tough it out but not going to happen. I guess it is good I waited a week because I would have paid for a doctor and would have needed a recheck to get pink eye medication. I caught conjunctivitis from my daughter when she was a baby over 20 years ago and it came back over and over for several years every time I got exhausted. It just stayed in my system. Hope this isn't what happens this time. I think I must have h1n1 from my list of symptoms. I did not get a shot since I wasn't in a risk group and they were low in the area and I didn't want to get 2 h1n1 shots and a seasonal flu. Will rethink this next year. Wasn't a great idea.