17 Common Signs And Symptoms Of Influenza

5. Cough

Although coughing can be bothersome and painful, it is actually one of the body’s more useful protective reflexes. It is also one of the signals that you might very well be coming down with the flu in the first place. A cough is caused when there is a sudden burst of air that is pushed through your air passages in order to relieve itself of mucus, phlegm, fluids or other types of irritants that could be blocking a person’s airways or passages. Normally, coughs also occur when there is an overproduction of phlegm, which is caused by the influenza virus in this case. Much like sneezing, coughs contain tiny particles with the virus that are easily spread to others, which is how the sickness is also spread.