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Most cases of the flu are mild enough that you can treat yourself at home without prescription medications.
It’s important you stay home and avoid contact with other people when you first notice flu symptoms.
You should also:
Drink plenty of fluids. This includes water, soup, and low-sugar flavored drinks.
Treat symptoms such as headache and fever with OTC medications.
Wash your hands to prevent spreading the virus to other surfaces or to other people in your house.
Cover your coughs and sneezes with tissues. Immediately dispose of those tissues.
If symptoms become worse, call your doctor. They may prescribe an antiviral medication. The sooner you take this medicine, the more effective it is. You should start treatment within 48 hours from when your symptoms start.
Contact your doctor as soon as symptoms appear if you’re at high risk for flu-related complications. These high-risk groups include:
Your doctor may test for the flu virus right away. They may also prescribe an antiviral medication to prevent complications.
The flu vaccine
While not exactly a treatment, a yearly flu shot is highly effective in helping people avoid the flu. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get a yearly flu shot.
The best time to be vaccinated is in October or November. This gives your body time to develop antibodies to the flu virus by peak flu season. In the United States, peak flu season is between December and February.
The flu vaccine is not for everyone. Consult your doctor when deciding whether or not members of your family should receive this vaccination.
It’s important you stay home and avoid contact with other people when you first notice flu symptoms.
You should also:
Treat symptoms such as headache and fever with OTC medications.
Wash your hands to prevent spreading the virus to other surfaces or to other people in your house.
Cover your coughs and sneezes with tissues. Immediately dispose of those tissues.
If symptoms become worse, call your doctor. They may prescribe an antiviral medication. The sooner you take this medicine, the more effective it is. You should start treatment within 48 hours from when your symptoms start.
Contact your doctor as soon as symptoms appear if you’re at high risk for flu-related complications. These high-risk groups include:
- people with weakened immune systems
- women who are pregnant
- people over age 65
- children under age 5
Your doctor may test for the flu virus right away. They may also prescribe an antiviral medication to prevent complications.
The flu vaccine
While not exactly a treatment, a yearly flu shot is highly effective in helping people avoid the flu. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get a yearly flu shot.
The best time to be vaccinated is in October or November. This gives your body time to develop antibodies to the flu virus by peak flu season. In the United States, peak flu season is between December and February.
The flu vaccine is not for everyone. Consult your doctor when deciding whether or not members of your family should receive this vaccination.
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