It’s flu season again, and you wake up with a headache, a sore throat, and a fever. You can barely drag yourself out of bed to cancel all the plans you had for the day. Let’s take a look at some common flu symptoms and what you can do to treat them:
Fever. Your temperature is above normal, and you feel shivering cold. Try taking a fever reducing medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Get back in bed and rest. Remember to keep drinking fluids.
Runny nose and sneezing. Keep tissues handy! Try an antihistamine, but know that they can make you feel drowsy.
Congestion. You have a clogged feeling in your nose and sinuses. Use a vaporizer or humidifier to loosen the congestion. A decongestant medication can also help clear your nasal and sinus passages. Be careful of medications that treat more than one thing. For instance, some decongestants also contain acetaminophen for pain or fevers. Don’t double dose!
Cough. A vaporizer can also help reduce coughing. Warm drinks such as tea with honey can soothe a cough naturally. You could also try taking a cough suppressant medication.
Sore Throat. Suck on a lozenge, sip warm tea with honey, or eat something cold, like a popsicle. Mix some salt with warm water and use it as a gargle. These things can all help ease sore throat pain.
Achy Muscles. Take a pain reliever, and then take a warm bath to ease those sore muscles.
Headache. Pain reliever medication will also help a headache. Try resting in a darkened room with a warm compress on your forehead.
Exhaustion. Your body is fighting the flu. It needs rest. Take a nap, if you can.
Most flu symptoms can be treated at home. However, if symptoms become severe, do not hesitate to visit M.D. Express Urgent Care to get the proper treatment for a quick recovery. Our 5 Convenient locations and hours of 9am – 9 pm every day mean there is always someone available to treat you!
