Medication
Oct 15, 2021 · Prescription medications called “antiviral drugs” can be used to treat flu illness. What to do if you get sick Stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. Caring for Someone Sick Find tips to care for others who are sick with flu illness. Additional Resources About Flu About This Flu Season Prevent Flu
Self-care
If you get flu, antiviral drugs are a treatment option. Your doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs to treat your flu illness. Should I still get a flu vaccine? Yes. Antiviral drugs are not a substitute for getting a flu vaccine. While flu vaccines can vary in how they work, flu vaccination is the first and best way to prevent influenza. You should receive flu vaccine every year.
Nutrition
If you’re searching the web for flu treatment, you probably aren’t feeling too well now. Learn about how to treat the flu.
What is the best remedy for the flu?
The flu treatment you should take depends on your symptoms. For example, if you have nasal or sinus congestion, then a decongestant can be helpful. Decongestants come in …
What is the worst symptom of the flu?
Treatment & Care. Need flu treatment? Learn more about flu treatments and ways to care for your flu symptoms at home. Also, discover what to do if …
What are the best medications to treat the flu?
Feb 14, 2018 · Certain of these "alternative" flu therapies, such as dietary supplements, are even being recommended by some pharmacists, according to news accounts. More people are also donning surgical or...
What to do when you notice early flu symptoms?
10 Home Remedies for the Flu 1. Drink up. The flu can leave you dehydrated, especially if have vomiting or diarrhea. So be sure to get enough fluids. 2. Sip some soup. For generations, caring parents have been serving chicken soup to kids with colds and flu. But was mom... 3. …
What is the best treatment for flu?
Antiviral drugs can help treat flu illness: Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics. Flu antivirals are prescription medicines (pills, liquid, intravenous solution, or an inhaled powder) and are not available over the counter. Antiviral drugs can make illness milder and shorten the time you are sick.
How do doctors treat the flu?
Usually, you'll need nothing more than rest and plenty of fluids to treat the flu. But if you have a severe infection or are at higher risk of complications, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug to treat the flu.Nov 1, 2021
What is the fastest way to cure flu?
In this ArticleStay home and get plenty of rest.Drink plenty of fluids.Treat aches and fever.Take care of your cough.Sit in a steamy bathroom.Run the humidifier.Try a lozenge.Get salty.More items...•Dec 23, 2020
How is Covid flu treated?
Whether you have flu or COVID-19 with mild symptoms, there are ways you can manage your symptoms at home:Hydrate. Be sure to drink plenty of liquids, such as water, juice and warm soups, to prevent dehydration. ... Rest. Catch up on your sleep to help your immune system fight off the infection.Medicate.Dec 6, 2021
Does the flu go away by itself?
If you have influenza, you can expect the illness to go away on its own in about 7 to 10 days. In the meantime, you can take steps to feel better: Get extra rest. Extra rest can help you feel better.
What happens if flu is not treated?
In some people, especially those at high risk, the flu may lead to complications that are more serious. Inflammation in the small lung airways with infection, known as pneumonia, is a serious flu-related complication. Pneumonia can be life threatening in high-risk individuals or if left untreated.
How long does flu last?
For most healthy people, the flu is an uncomfortable but short-term illness that resolves itself as the immune system fights it off. Symptoms usually appear from one to four days after exposure to the virus, and they last five to seven days.
How do you stop the flu before it starts?
If you notice that you're experiencing signs of the flu, follow these tips:Wash. your hands frequently. ... Cover. coughs and sneezes with your arm. ... Eat. healthy to boost your immune. ... Drink. lots of fluids, especially water, tea, ... Purchase. the essentials, such as tissues, ... Alert. your workplace. ... Stay. home and rest.
How long are you contagious with the flu?
When Flu Spreads Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. Children and some people with weakened immune systems may pass the virus for longer than 7 days.Aug 27, 2018
How long does the Covid cough last?
When does a cough happen in COVID-19? Coughing tends to come a few days into the illness, although it can be there from the start, and usually lasts for an average of four or five days.Mar 18, 2021
How long are you contagious with coronavirus?
If you've tested positive for COVID-19 If you have COVID-19, you can pass on the virus to other people for up to 10 days from when your infection starts. Many people will no longer be infectious to others after 5 days.
How long is COVID-19 contagious for?
Most people with COVID-19 are no longer contagious 5 days after they first have symptoms and have been fever-free for at least three days.Apr 1, 2022
How to help a person with the flu?
If you do come down with the flu, these measures may help ease your symptoms: Drink plenty of liquids. Choose water, juice and warm soups to prevent dehydration. Rest. Get more sleep to help your immune system fight infection. You may need to change your activity level, depending on your symptoms.
What to take for achiness from influenza?
Consider pain relievers. Use an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), to combat the achiness associated with influenza.
How long should you stay home with a fever?
To help control the spread of influenza in your community, stay home and keep sick children home until fever has been gone for 24 hours. Avoid being around other people until you're feeling better, unless you're getting medical care. If you do need to leave your home and get medical care, wear a face mask.
Can you take zanamivir with asthma?
Oseltamivir is an oral medication. Zanamivir is inhaled through a device similar to an asthma inhaler and shouldn't be used by anyone with certain chronic respiratory problems, such as asthma and lung disease.
Do you need to be tested for influenza?
During times when influenza is widespread, you may not need to be tested for influenza. Your doctor may diagnose you based on your signs and symptoms. In some cases, your doctor may suggest that you be tested for influenza. He or she may use various tests to diagnose influenza. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is becoming more common in many ...
Which treatments should I take for flu symptoms?
The flu treatment you should take depends on your symptoms. For example, if you have nasal or sinus congestion, then a decongestant can be helpful.
Which treatment should I use for nasal congestion?
If you need immediate relief for swollen, congested nasal passages, you may get relief with an over-the-counter decongestant nasal spray. It is important to stop using decongestant nasal sprays after three days to avoid the development of rebound congestion.
Is it safe to take a decongestant if I have high blood pressure?
Decongestants can increase blood pressure and heart rate. Pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine are oral decongestants commonly available in over-the-counter products. Check with your doctor or pharmacist about safety.
Which flu treatment works best for my cough?
An occasional cough may clear the lung of pollutants and excess phlegm. A persistent cough should be diagnosed and treated specifically. On the pharmacy shelf, you'll find numerous cough medicines with various combinations of decongestants, antihistamines, analgesics/antipyretics, cough suppressants, and expectorants.
Which flu treatment should I take to lower my fever and body aches?
Children under 19 should avoid aspirin. Acetaminophen ( Tylenol) or medicines like ibuprofen ( Advil, Motrin) and naproxen ( Aleve) are over-the-counter options for fever and pain relief. Each medication has risks. Check with your doctor or pharmacist as to which medication may be suitable for you.
Which flu treatment is best for my sore throat?
Drinking lots of fluids and using salt water gargles (made by combining a cup of warm water and a teaspoon of salt) can often be helpful for easing the pain of a sore throat. Over-the-counter pain relievers and medicated lozenges and gargles can also temporarily soothe a sore throat.
Is an antiviral drug a commonly used flu treatment?
Antiviral flu drugs are taken to decrease the severity and duration of flu symptoms. In some cases they may be used to prevent flu. They include baloxavir marboxil ( Xofluza ), oseltamivir ( Tamiflu ), peramivir ( Rapivab ), or zanamivir ( Relenza ).
What is the best medicine for flu?
Elderberry (which comes in liquid, tablet, gummy, and tea form and is said by some to ease congestion; elderberries are shown at top) and the homeopathic product Oscillococcinum, which is marketed to “temporarily relieve flu-like symptoms,” appear to be in high demand—selling out in some stores.
What are some alternative flu treatments?
Certain of these "alternative" flu therapies, such as dietary supplements, are even being recommended by some pharmacists, according to news accounts. More people are also donning surgical or respiratory masks to keep flu germs at bay. And some are getting prescriptions for steroids and antibiotics if they do come down with the virus.
Can antibiotics cause a fever?
If you’re running a high fever and feel miserable, you may be tempted to ask your doctor for antibiotics. But these only work for bacterial infections—not viral infections like the flu. And using the medications unnecessarily can contribute to an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria and bacterial infections that are hard or impossible to cure, Lipman says.
Can antibiotics help with strep throat?
Secondary infections such as strep throat may be treated with antibiotics, too, says pharmacist Heather Free. Some doctors may also prescribe steroids such as prednisone to stem symptoms like the cough that can occur due to inflammation from the flu virus.
How to cure the flu?
In many cases, however, simple home remedies may be all you need for relief of mild to moderate flu symptoms. Here are10 natural remedies for the flu: 1. Drink up . The flu can leave you dehydrated, especially if have vomiting or diarrhea. So be sure to get enough fluids. Water is fine.
How to fight infection?
Be a couch potato. Listen to your body. If it’s telling you not to exercise, don’t. If it’s urging you to spend all day in bed, do. Don't press on with daily chores even in the face of severe cold or flu symptoms. Rest is “another way of supporting the body’s ability to fight infection,” Blackwelder says.
What is the best medicine for a sore throat?
Cough drops, throat lozenges, and hard candy can be surprisingly effective at easing a cough or sore throat. Some doctors, including Kiefer, swear by lozenges containing slippery elm. Others recommend zinc lozenges to help shorten cold symptoms, though Schaffner is not convinced of their effectiveness.
How to get rid of sore throat and congestion?
Another is to use a steam vaporizer or a humidifier .
Does chicken soup help with the flu?
A study published in the journal Chest showed that chicken soup may help with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections like the flu. “I believe that chicken soup does help with symptoms,” says Reid B. Blackwelder, MD, professor of family medicine at East Tennessee State University in Kingsport.