<s>[INST] Hi...i think i may have the flu. i have had a sore throat, cough, headache off and on, periods of shortness of breath....after a coughing spell i had almost like nerve pain going down both arms that scared me. what do you think i should do? thank you so much. Deborah [/INST] Hello Deborah!My name is Dr. Aida and I am glad to attend you on Healthcaremagic! Your symptoms could be related to a sinus infection or upper airway infection. The nerve pain in your arms which is triggered by coughing is not typical of an infection. For this reason, I recommend consulting with your doctor for a physical exam and some tests : a complete blood count, PCR, sedimentation rate and a sinus X ray study.Performing a cervical spine X ray study is necessary to examine your spine for possible chronic degenerations or any bulging disc which could lead to irradiating pain in both arms. Anyway, a cervical spine MRI study would give more information in this regard. You should discuss with your doctor on the above issues. Kind regards! </s>