what is the best course of treatment for the flu

Medication

Oct 15, 2021 · When used for treatment, antiviral drugs can lessen symptoms and shorten the time you are sick by 1 or 2 days. They also can prevent serious flu complications, like pneumonia. For people at higher risk of serious flu complications, treatment with antiviral drugs can mean the difference between milder or more serious illness possibly resulting in a hospital stay.

Self-care

Aug 31, 2021 · To treat flu, oseltamivir or inhaled zanamivir are usually prescribed for 5 days, or one dose of intravenous peramivir or oral Baloxavir for 1 day. Oseltamivir treatment is given to hospitalized patients, and some patients might be treated for more than 5 days. Top of Page What are the possible side effects of antiviral drugs?

Nutrition

Dec 09, 2021 · You should drink plenty of liquids. If vomiting is a problem, try sipping small amounts of clear liquids. Most adults with viral gastroenteritis can replace fluids and electrolytes with liquids such as water fruit juices sports drinks broths Eating saltine crackers can also help replace electrolytes.

What are the best home remedies for the flu?

May 19, 2021 · There's no cure for the flu, but getting a flu shot every year can lower your risk of getting sick. What is it? From October to May, we're all at …

What are the best medications to treat the flu?

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. So are fruit juices...

How can I treat the flu naturally at home?

Jul 29, 2018 · Antivirals for treating the flu Even though antibiotics aren’t effective against the flu, there are antiviral medications that your doctor can prescribe within a …

What is the best over the counter flu relief?

Oct 01, 2020 · Treating flu If you get the flu, you should get rest and drink plenty of fluids. Take pain relievers to lower your fever and relieve the aches, such as: acetaminophen (Tylenol) ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) naproxen (Aleve)

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

What is the most effective medicine for flu?

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).Dec 15, 2020

What will the doctor do for 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

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 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.

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.

Can amantadine cause nausea?

Antiviral medication side effects may include nausea and vomiting. These side effects may be lessened if the drug is taken with food. Most circulating strains of influenza have become resistant to amantadine and rimantadine (Flumadine), which are older antiviral drugs that are no longer recommended.

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 ...

Can PCR be done in the hospital?

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is becoming more common in many hospitals and labs. This test may be done while you're in your doctor's office or in the hospital. PCR testing is more sensitive than other tests and may be able to identify the influenza strain. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it's possible to have a test to diagnose both ...

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.

How long does zanamivir last?

To treat flu, oseltamivir or inhaled zanamivir are usually prescribed for 5 days, or one dose of intravenous peramivir or oral Baloxavir for 1 day. Oseltamivir treatment is given to hospitalized patients, and some patients might be treated for more than 5 days. Top of Page.

How often is zanamivir given?

Oseltamivir and zanamivir are given twice a day for 5 days. Peramivir is given once intravenously by a health care provider and is approved for early treatment of flu in people 2 years and older. Baloxavir is a pill given as a single dose by mouth and is approved for early treatment of flu in people 12 years and older.

What is the best antiviral for the flu?

What antiviral drugs are recommended this flu season? 1 oseltamivir phosphate (available as a generic version or under the trade name Tamiflu®), 2 zanamivir (trade name Relenza®) 3 peramivir (trade name Rapivab®), and 4 baloxavir marboxil (trade name Xofluza®).

How long should you take antiviral medication for a child?

For treatment, influenza antiviral drugs should ideally be started within 2 days after becoming sick and taken for 5 days.

What are the symptoms of the flu?

Flu signs and symptoms can include feeling feverish or having a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Your doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs to treat your flu illness.

What is the CDC's recommendation for treating a flu?

CDC recommends prompt treatment for people who have flu infection or suspected flu infection and who are at high risk of serious flu complications, such as people with asthma, diabetes (including gestational diabetes), or heart disease.

Can you take baloxavir with oseltamivir?

Baloxavir is approved for early treatment of flu in people 12 years and older. If your child’s health care provider prescribes oseltamivir capsules for your child and your child cannot swallow capsules, the prescribed capsules may be opened, mixed with a thick sweetened liquid, and given that way. Learn more here.

What are the symptoms of influenza?

When Flu Is an Emergency. Influenza is diagnosed on the basis of symptoms that include fever, headache, muscle aches, and respiratory symptoms. COVID-19 has similar symptoms and its important not to confuse the two.Your doctor may take a nasal or throat culture or blood test to help tell if you have the flu or a COVID-19 infection.

What to drink for flu?

Drinking ginger tea several times a day may bring relief for flu sufferers. Herbs including elderflower, myrrh, willow bark, rose hips, honeysuckle flowers, and boneset have also been suggested for relief from the many symptoms that accompany the flu. Acupuncture.

What is the best drink to drink to get electrolytes?

While their sugar content is high, sports drinks that contain electrolytes are also an option. For most people, plain water is usually best or a broth type of soup. It's likely you won't feel like doing much activity, so getting extra rest is fine. Some over-the-counter medicines may make you feel better.

How to lower blood pressure and temperature?

Acupuncture. Raised body temperature, respiration, pulse, and blood pressure may be lowered through acupuncture treatment in some cases of severe colds and flu. The World Health Organization supports the use of acupuncture for respiratory and infectious complications of the flu.

What to do if you have the flu?

If you have the flu, doctors usually advise eating nourishing food, resting, and, most importantly, drinking plenty of fluids. Fever causes you to lose a lot of fluid, so you need to replace what is lost by drinking more. If you're not eating, then taking your fluid in the form of soup may be a good idea.

Is Zanamivir an asthma pill?

Zanamivir is inhaled like an asthma medication. Tamiflu and Xofluza are taken as pills and Rapivab is given in one intravenous dose. Secondary infections may also need to be treated. If you find that your symptoms aren't clearing up or seem to be worsening, you may have a secondary infection.

Does ginseng help with the flu?

One trial of ginseng suggested that it may enhance the effect of the flu vaccine, but more research is needed. There are some studies to suggest that Echinacea may enhance your immune system, but evidence is mixed on its ability to treat or prevent the flu.

How to treat viral gastroenteritis?

You can treat viral gastroenteritis by replacing lost fluids and electrolytes to prevent dehydration. In some cases, over-the-counter medicines may help relieve your symptoms. Research shows that following a restricted diet does not help treat viral gastroenteritis.

What to give a child with viral gastroenteritis?

If your child has viral gastroenteritis, you should give your child an oral rehydration solution —such as Pedialyte, Naturalyte, Infalyte, and CeraLyte—as directed to replace lost fluids and electrolytes. Oral rehydration solutions are liquids that contain glucose and electrolytes. Talk with a doctor about giving these solutions to your infant.

How long should you wait to eat if you have gastroenteritis?

If you have viral gastroenteritis, avoid handling and preparing food for others while you are sick and for 2 days after your symptoms stop. 7 People who have viral gastroenteritis may spread the virus to any food they handle, especially if they do not thoroughly wash their hands.

Do probiotics help with viral gastroenteritis?

to treat viral gastroenteritis. Antibiotics don’t work for viral infections. In some cases, your doctor may recommend probiotics. NIH external link. . Probiotics are live microbes, most often bacteria, that are like the ones you normally have in your digestive tract.

Can contaminated water spread a virus?

Contaminated water may also spread a virus to foods before they are harvested. For example, contaminated fruits, vegetables, and oysters have been linked to norovirus outbreaks. Wash fruits and vegetables before using them, and thoroughly cook oysters and other shellfish. 7 Find tips to help keep food safe.

Can you vomit after eating?

When you have viral gastroenteritis, you may vomit after you eat or lose your appetite for a short time. When your appetite returns, you can most often go back to eating your normal diet, even if you still have diarrhea. Find tips on what to eat when you have viral gastroenteritis.

Can you give a child over the counter medicine?

If you have bloody diarrhea or fever—signs of infections with bacteria or parasites —don’t use over-the-counter medicines to treat diarrhea. See a doctor for treatment.

Causes

The flu spreads through tiny respiratory droplets that escape someone's mouth or nose when they sneeze, cough, talk, or laugh. If a droplet ends up in your nose or mouth, you can become infected.

Diagnosis

If there's a flu outbreak where you live, your doctor may only need to examine you and hear about your symptoms before diagnosing you. They can also order a test to confirm you're sick with a strain of the flu. Two of the most common tests include:

Treatment

Most people don't need medical treatment for the flu—your immune system should be able to fight off the influenza virus without help.

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 .

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.

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.

Where can I buy a neti pot?

You can buy a neti pot in health food stores and drugstores, or opt for a saline squeeze bottle.

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.

Is urine yellow or yellow?

Your urine should be pale yellow, almost colorless. How about drinking alcohol? No way. “When you have the flu, the last thing you want to do is drink alcohol,” says William Schaffner, MD, chairman of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn.

How effective are antiviral medications?

When started within the first couple days of illness, antiviral medications can be effective. They may lessen symptoms and decrease the time of illness. The seasonal influenza vaccine is also an effective means of preventing becoming ill with the flu in the first place.

Why do antibiotics not help with headaches?

headache. Because flu is a viral illness, antibiotics won’t help to treat it. In the past, you may have been prescribed antibiotics when you had the flu. However, this was probably because your doctor suspected that you’d developed a secondary bacterial infection.

Why do antibiotics cause infections?

The bacteria begin to adapt and get stronger to resist the effects of the antibiotic and survive. When antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains develop, they can begin to spread and cause hard-to-treat infections. This is why taking unnecessary antibiotics for a viral infection can do more harm than good.

What is the purpose of antibiotics?

Antibiotics are drugs that are used to treat bacterial infections. In the late 1800s, researchers began to observe that some chemicals were effective in treating infections. Then, in 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered that a fungus called Penicillium notatum had contaminated one of his plated cultures of bacteria.

What are the effects of antibiotics on bacteria?

inhibiting the production of proteins within the bacterial cell. hampering the synthesis of bacterial nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections , but they aren’t effective against viruses.

What are the complications of the flu?

One of the possible complications from the flu is developing a secondary bacterial infection, including: ear infection. sinus infection. bacterial pneumonia. While a bacterial ear or sinus infection can be a mild complication, pneumonia is more serious and may require hospitalization.

What are the symptoms of the flu?

The illness caused by a flu virus can range from mild to severe and includes symptoms such as: 1 fever 2 chills 3 cough 4 runny or congested nose 5 sore throat 6 body aches and pains 7 tiredness or fatigue 8 headache

How to predict how long the flu will last?

To better predict how long the flu will last, take steps to reduce your risk of contracting the virus and experiencing severe symptoms. Consider the following steps, as suggested in the Harvard Special Report A Guide to Women's Health: Fifty and Forward. Get an annual flu vaccine. Wash your hands with soap and water before eating ...

How long does it take for a flu shot to show symptoms?

Symptoms usually appear from one to four days after exposure to the virus, and they last five to seven days. For people who've had a flu shot, the symptoms may last a shorter amount of time, or be less severe. For other people, the symptoms may last longer. Even when symptoms resolve, you may continue to feel fatigued.

What to take for fever and aches?

Take pain relievers to lower your fever and relieve the aches, such as: If you are at high risk of complications, and if it is early in the infection, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug for treating flu, such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu, generic versions).

What is considered a very young person?

the very young. people 65 or older. people with chronic illnesses, such as asthma, heart disease, HIV, or diabetes. pregnant women. people with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher.

What are the risks of the flu?

Some people are at increased risk for complications from influenza. These people include: 1 the very young 2 people 65 or older 3 people with chronic illnesses, such as asthma, heart disease, HIV, or diabetes 4 pregnant women 5 people with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher

Do smokers get the flu?

Smokers are more likely to get the flu than nonsmokers. These steps won't guarantee that you'll escape the flu this year, but they may help prevent it. And they may help reduce the amount of time the flu lasts if you do become infected with the virus. – By Heidi Godman. Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter.

How long has elderberry been used?

Elderberry has been used for hundreds of years in the treatment of colds and the flu. In one placebo-controlled study, people with the flu who consumed elderberry lozenges four times a day experienced a reduction in fever, headache, muscle aches, nasal congestion, and cough after 48 hours. In another study.

How to sleep with a stuffy nose?

It can be difficult to sleep with a stuffy nose and cough. Try these tips to breathe easier and have a better night’s sleep: 1 Use an extra pillow to prop up your head and ease sinus pressure. 2 Sleep with a humidifier or vaporizer in the room. 3 Take a hot bath or shower before bed.

What is the cold and flu aisle?

The cold and flu aisle of your local drug store is most likely packed with hundreds of different options. Some medications are used to deal with specific symptoms, like nasal congestion, while others treat many flu symptoms at once. Pain relievers help reduce a fever, headache, and body aches.

How to get rid of a stuffy nose and cough?

Go to bed earlier than usual and sleep in. You can also take a nap during the day to give your body more time to recover. Rest and sleep also reduces your risk of serious flu complications, like pneumonia. 4. Ease your breathing. It can be difficult to sleep with a stuffy nose and cough.

How to fight off the flu?

Stay home. Your body needs time and energy to fight off the flu virus, which means that your daily routine should be put on the backburner. You may be tempted to go grocery shopping or get ahead on laundry for the week, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice.

What is the best way to treat a sore throat?

Honey is a fairly common natural remedy for soothing a sore throat or cough. Mixing honey with tea is a great way to stay hydrated while also treating your flu symptoms.

How to prevent spreading the flu?

The flu can be dangerous for older adults and small children, so it’s vital that you avoid contact with others while you’re contagious. 2. Hydrate.