How Do You Stay Healthy in Winter?
The flu is a typical viral illness that affects the respiratory system. Most flu cases are easily treatable at home. However, some cases may escalate into severe complications requiring immediate medical attention. This is especially common in babies and young children, older adults, those with underlying medical issues, and pregnant women. Keep reading to find out how to treat the flu in Essex.
How to treat the flu at home
Having the flu is generally a really unpleasant experience. Here are some recommendations to help you recover quickly:
Stay at home
Your body needs time and energy to fight off the flu virus, so you should postpone your regularly scheduled activities.
Keep hydrated to treat the flu
Sweating is a sign of high body temperature, which is one symptom of the flu. Furthermore, you might be having episodes of vomiting or diarrhoea. Your body needs a lot of fluids to combat the disease and replace lost fluids.
Get plenty of rest
Sleep is the best medicine for your body to fight the flu. Get up a bit later and go to bed earlier than usual. You can take naps during the day to give your body more time to rest.
Eat healthy foods
Despite the desire to drown your sorrow with a scoop of ice cream or a bag of crisps, your body also needs healthy foods to recover from the illness.
Add moisture to the air
Your symptoms might get worse if the air is dry. By adding moisture to the air, a humidifier or vaporiser can help with relieving congestion.
Take over-the-counter medications to treat the flu in Essex
There are probably hundreds of different choices in the flu and cold section of your local pharmacy. Some medications cure just one flu symptom at a time, like nasal congestion, while others treat several flu symptoms at once.
Flu symptoms
Some of the typical symptoms of the flu include:
– Fever of 38C (100.4F) or above
– Tiredness and weakness
– A dry, chesty cough
– A headache
– General aches and pain
Cold-like symptoms, like a runny or clogged nose, a sore throat and sneezing can also be brought on by the flu, although they usually don’t last as long as your other symptoms.
You may need to stay in bed and rest until you feel better if you have the flu. This is because you will likely feel very fatigued.
How do I stop myself from getting the flu?
Although there is no complete cure for the flu, the following advice may be useful:
– Get a flu jab for protection
– Refrain from making close contact with anyone who appears to be sick from the flu.
– Every once in a while, wash your hands for 20 seconds.
– Dry your hands with a fresh towel.
– To prevent infection, avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes and nose.
– Cough or sneeze into your sleeve.
– Always wear a mask when going outside, especially to avoid the risk of COVID-19.
– When hand washing is not possible, use a hand sanitiser with 60% alcohol.
– If you have a flu-like sickness, stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.
– Disinfect and clean any objects and surfaces that may have flu germs on them.
– Consult with your pharmacist or doctor before using any herbs or supplements.
– Avoid smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke.
How long does the flu last?
In most cases, the flu symptoms appear a few days after the infection. Within a week or so, you should start to feel considerably better, though you might continue to feel fatigued for much longer.
Usually, you’re most contagious on the first day your symptoms appear and during the following 3 to 7 days. Children and others with weakened immune systems could spread germs for a longer period of time.
The majority of people will recover completely and won’t have any additional issues, but the elderly and those who have some long-term health conditions are more likely to encounter a severe case of the flu or develop severe complications, like a chest infection.
How do you catch the flu?
The flu virus is trapped in the countless microscopic droplets that are expelled from the mouth and nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Usually, these droplets can spread up to 6 feet away. They hang suspended in the air for a while before settling on the surface, where the virus survives for up to 24 hours.
Flu can be contracted by anybody who breathes in the droplets. By touching the areas where the droplets have landed, you can get the virus on your hands and touch your nose or mouth afterwards.
How to treat the flu in Essex
Book your jab with G.M. Graham Pharmacies to get protected today. You can also visit us for the best remedies to treat the flu in Essex.
This post was written on behalf of G.M. Graham Pharmacies by Pharmacy Mentor