Are You Sick?

When to Call for Flu

Care Advice

What You Should Know about Flu (Influenza):

• Flu symptoms include cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever. Some people also get muscle aches, headache, fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting (but never as the only symptom). During flu season, if you have these symptoms, you probably have the flu.
• Most people know if they have flu. It may occur in the workplace. It's also in the news. You don't need any special tests when you think you have the flu.
• If you develop a complication of the flu, then call your doctor. Examples are an earache or trouble breathing. These problems are covered in the "What to Do" section.
• For healthy people, the symptoms of influenza are like those of a bad cold.
• With flu, the onset is more sudden. The symptoms are more severe. Feeling very sick for the first 3 days is common.
• The treatment of flu depends on you main symptoms. It is no different from treatment used for other viral colds and coughs.
• Bed rest is not needed, but you should not try to keep up with a tough exercise routine.
• Most people with flu don't need to see their doctor.
• Here is some care advice that should help.

Runny Nose with Lots of Discharge: Blow the Nose

• The nasal mucus and discharge are washing germs out of the nose and sinuses.
• Blowing the nose is all that's needed. Blow your nose and throw the tissues into the trash. Wash your hands after blowing your nose. Use hand sanitizer if washing is not an option at the time.
• Put petroleum jelly on the skin under the nose. Wash the skin first with warm water. This will help to protect the nostrils from any redness.

Nasal Saline to Open a Blocked Nose:

• Use saline (salt water) nose spray to loosen up the dried mucus. If you don't have saline, you can use a few drops of water. Use distilled water, bottled water or cooled boiled tap water.
• Step 1: put 3 drops in each nostril.
• Step 2: blow each nostril out while closing off the other nostril. Then, do the other side.
• Step 3: repeat nose drops and blowing until the discharge is clear.
• How Often. Do nasal saline rinses when you can't breathe through the nose.
• Saline nose drops or spray can be bought in any drugstore. No prescription is needed.
• Reason for nose drops: blowing alone can't remove dried or sticky mucus.
• Other option: use a warm shower to loosen mucus. Breathe in the moist air, then blow each nostril.

Medicines for Flu:

• Cold Medicines. Don't take any drugstore cold or cough medicines. They are not helpful. They can't remove dried mucus from the nose. Nasal saline works best.
• Allergy Medicines. They are not helpful, unless you also have nasal allergies. They can also help an allergic cough.
• No Antibiotics. Antibiotics are not helpful for flu. Antibiotics may be used if you get an ear or sinus infection or pneumonia.

Homemade Cough Medicine:

• Goal: decrease the irritation or tickle in the throat that causes a dry cough.
• Drink warm clear fluids to treat the cough. Examples are tea, apple juice and lemonade.
• You can also use honey, as needed. It works as a homemade cough medicine. It can thin the secretions and loosen the cough. If you don't have any honey, you can use corn syrup.
• Cough Drops can decrease the tickle in the throat. If you don't have any, you can use hard candy.

Sore Throat Pain Relief:

• You can sip warm fluids such as tea, chicken broth or apple juice. Some people prefer cold foods such as popsicles or ice cream.
• You can also suck on hard candy or lollipops. Butterscotch seems to help.
• You can also gargle. Use warm water with a little table salt added. A liquid antacid can be added instead of salt. Use Mylanta or the store brand. No prescription is needed.
• Medicated throat sprays or lozenges are generally not helpful.

Fluids - Drink More:

• Try to drink lots of fluids.
• Goal: keep well-hydrated.
• It also will thin out the mucus discharge from the nose.
• It also loosens up any phlegm in the lungs. Then it's easier to cough up.

Fever Medicine:

• For fevers above 102° F (39° C), take an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
• Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
• Use as needed, but do not take more than the dosage listed on the package. If you are not sure what to take, ask your doctor or a pharmacist.
• Note: for lower fevers, fever meds are not needed. Reason: fevers turn on your body's immune system. Fever helps fight the infection.
• Exception: if you also have pain, treat it.
• For all fevers: stay well-hydrated. Drink lots of cold fluids.

Pain Medicine:

• For muscle aches or headaches, take an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
• Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
• Use as needed, but do not take more than the dosage listed on the package. If you are not sure what to take, ask your doctor or a pharmacist.

Prescription Antiviral Drugs for Influenza:

• Antiviral drugs (such as Tamiflu) are sometimes used to treat the flu. They work best if started within 48 hours of when flu symptoms start. After 48 hours of symptoms, starting the drug is usually not helpful.
• Experts recommend antiviral drugs be used for any patient with severe symptoms. They also recommend the drugs for High-Risk patients. See that list in Causes and Background Information.
• If you have a chronic disease and get the flu, call your doctor. The doctor will decide if you need a prescription.
• Most healthy people with flu do not need an antiviral drug.
• Their benefits are limited. They reduce the time you are sick by 1 to 1 ½ days. They reduce the severity of symptoms, but do not make them go away completely.
• Side effects: nausea and vomiting can occur on Tamiflu.
• Also, it is not used to prevent flu. Reason: you would need to take the medicine every day for months.

Return to Work or Other Activities:

• Spread is rapid and the virus is easily passed to others.
• The time it takes to get the flu after contact is about 2 days.
• You can return to work after the fever is gone for 24 hours.
• You should feel well enough to do normal activities.

What to Expect:

• Influenza causes a cough that lasts 2 to 3 weeks.
• Sometimes you will cough up lots of phlegm (mucus). The mucus can be gray, yellow or green. This is normal.
• Coughing up mucus is very important. It helps protect the lungs from pneumonia.
• You want to help a productive cough, not turn it off.
• The fever lasts 2 to 3 days.
• The runny nose lasts 7 to 14 days.

Prevention: How to Protect Yourself from Getting Sick:

• Wash hands often with soap and water.
• Alcohol-based hand cleaners also work well.
• Avoid touching the eyes, nose or mouth. Germs on the hands can spread this way.
• Try to avoid crowded places in flu season and close contact with sick people.
• Avoid ERs and urgent care clinics if you don't need to go. These are places where you are more likely to be exposed to flu.

Prevention: How to Protect Others - Stay Home When Sick:

• Cover the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash hands often with soap and water. After coughing or sneezing are important times.
• Throw used tissues into the trash right away.
• Limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Stay home from work or school for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone (CDC).

Flu Shot and Prevention:

• Getting a flu shot is the best way to protect yourself and your family from flu.
• Influenza vaccines are strongly advised for all people over 6 months of age.
• The shot most often prevents the disease.
• Even if you get the flu, the shot helps to reduce the symptoms.
• A new flu shot is needed every year. Reason: flu viruses keep changing.
• After the flu shot, it takes 2 weeks to fully protect from flu. But then, the protection lasts for the full flu season. An antiviral medicine only protects from flu while taking it.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Trouble breathing occurs
• Retractions (pulling in between the ribs) occur
• Dehydration occurs
• Earache or sinus pain occurs
• Fever lasts more than 3 days or goes above 104° F (40° C)
• Fever had gone away but has now come back
• Symptoms start to get worse after 5 days
• Runny nose lasts more than 14 days
• Cough lasts more than 3 weeks
• You think you need to be seen
• Your symptoms get worse

Remember! Contact your doctor if you or your child develop any "Contact Your Doctor" symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.