If you think that you might have the flu, don’t head to the emergency room at the first sign of fever.

Emergency departments were created to handle emergencies – heart attacks, strokes, severe trauma, and other life-threatening emergencies. No matter how awful it feels, the flu typically doesn’t fall into this category – unless you are in a high-risk category for complications. This includes children younger than 2, adults over 65, women who are pregnant or anyone with certain chronic health conditions.