What is flu treatment that actually works? Since the flu is a viral infection, people who have it will have to deal with the symptoms until the virus leaves their system. This article will talk about how a person can best deal with the symptoms of flu and what they can do to shorten the time they will experience discomfort.
What is flu treatment that actually works? Since the flu is a viral infection, people who have it will have to deal with the symptoms until the virus leaves their system. This article will talk about how a person can best deal with the symptoms of flu and what they can do to shorten the time they will experience discomfort.
What is the flu?
The flu is caused by strains of the influenza viruses. They cause infection to various parts of the body, such as the lungs, nose, and throat. The flu is a highly contagious illness, however, symptoms can be treated. This respiratory illness usually goes away on its own after one to two weeks, and it can best be prevented by getting a flu vaccine every year.
What are the symptoms of the flu?
When a person has the flu, their symptoms may range from mild to severe. Not all the symptoms will be the same for each person that has the flu. Here is a list of possible symptoms that you can get if you suddenly come down with the flu.
Fever
This symptom does not occur in all people who suffer from the flu. People may also feel feverish, but not have an actual fever. For people that do have a fever, it may be accompanied by chills.
Cough and sore throat
Cough and sore throat are the two most common symptoms in a person with the flu.
Runny nose
Having a stuffy nose can also be one of the symptoms of the flu.
Body aches
Headaches, backaches and other types of muscle and body aches are fairly common for people who have the flu.
Fatigue
Fatigue or an intense feeling of tiredness can occur. This may partly be caused by the muscle aches and pains a person feels because of the virus. People may also not be getting enough sleep because of their other symptoms such as coughing and stuffy nose, which may also lead to the person feeling tired.
Diarrhea and vomiting
Diarrhea and vomiting are more common for children who get the flu. For adults, these symptoms are rarely present.
Flu treatment
There are many ways by which people can help relieve their flu symptoms. Flu treatment can be achieved by various types of antiviral drugs and home treatment methods. It is important to take note of what kind of symptoms you have and use treatment methods to target those symptoms specifically.
Nasal congestion
If you have a nasal congestion problem, a nasal decongestant will be helpful in the relief of a person’s symptoms. However, nasal decongestants tend to have the side-effect of raising a person’s blood pressure. If you have a condition relating to high blood pressure, consult your doctor before taking any of these medications.
Itching and sneezing
Antihistamines are useful to get rid of these symptoms, along with itchy or watery eyes. An antihistamine will also get rid of nasal discharge.
Body aches
Over-the-counter pain relief options are available, such as Advil or Tylenol that can be used to help a person get over the various aches and pains. However, people have to be cautious when they use these drugs, because if you take more than one type of medication. Drugs that help with the flu may have more than one ingredient, and there may be a chance of overdose if you do not take a closer inspection of all the active ingredients of the drugs.
Sore throat
For sore throat, a person can use a saltwater gargle to relieve a sore throat. Drinking warm water will help soothe a sore throat. Also, there are over-the-counter medications, such as lozenges that can help people get rid of their sore throat.
Taking medications for flu when pregnant
When a woman is pregnant, there are many restrictions when it comes to medications because of the growing baby inside. Usually, doctors will allow pregnant mothers to take paracetamol for fever, and tell them to increase fluids to alleviate the other flu symptoms. It is a good idea to consult your doctor if you are pregnant and have the flu. Doctors will recommend the best and most suitable flu treatment for pregnancy.
Antibiotics and flu
Many people wonder if antibiotics can be used to relieve flu symptoms. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, not viral ones. This being said, antibiotics cannot and should never be used in the treatment of the flu. The risk of developing resistance to antibiotics in the future is a real possibility. Antibiotic resistance puts your body at risk of the medications no longer working when you will really need them.
However, some people have flu infections and have a bacterial infection as a secondary infection that needs to be treated. This is the only time when doctors will prescribe antibiotics to treat the bacterial infection.
