Flu season is about to be in full swing, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that over six percent of all patients so far that have visited the hospital for flu are children. As a result, parents should be watching out for typical symptoms.

Common symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, and runny nose. But there’s one symptom that you probably don’t know about. Brodi Willard, a Nebraska nurse and mom is warning parents after this symptom happened to her own child.

She says her son came home from school with hives. She tried all the remedies she knew, but nothing worked. She finally called the pediatrician who said two other kids with the same symptom had tested positive for influenza that day.

Willard took her son to the pediatrician and sure enough, he had influenza B. He had no other symptoms and his mom was in shock. Willard’s warning has been shared over 167,000 times helping her raise awareness.

Although hives can be a symptom of many viruses, it will typically only last for a few days. In some cases it can last six weeks or more, or may be life-threatening if accompanied by swelling of the throat or tongue.

Willard says it is important to know that hives can be a sign of the flu so kids can get tested and not spread it. The flu is highly contagious and can cause serious complications like pneumonia and inflammation of the heart or brain.

Be sure to share this story with your family and friends so we can be aware and take steps to protect our children.