With flu season in full swing, it’s inevitable that you too may experience the unpleasant side effects a cold or a flu can cause, if you haven’t already! Feeling ill and rundown is never a pleasant experience, but coupled with the ever approaching winter chill, it can often make for a miserable time. Unfortunately, a cold or a flu isn’t something a private GP can treat as, unless unexpected complications arise, it simply needs to run its course.
However, this doesn’t mean that you have to suffer through it. Here at Broadgate GP, our team of experienced medical practitioners have come together to put together our top five tips for helping you ease your flu symptoms at home!
What Does Flu Look Like?
If you’ve never had a flu before or you aren’t completely sure what the symptoms of flu look like, it can seem like a common cold, with similar side effects such as a sore throat, runny nose, and sneezing. However, a common cold tends to develop slowly, while the flu comes on quite suddenly and symptoms are more intense.
Some of the symptoms of the flu may include:
- Aching muscles
- Headache
- Persistent dry cough
- Sweats and cold chills
- Shortness of breath
- Fever
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Painful eyes
- Sore throat
- Weakness or tiredness
- Diarrhoea and vomiting
Even if you aren’t experiencing these symptoms and you believe you are simply suffering from a cold, our handy guide can also help to make you feel better!
Our Top 5 Tips for Feeling Better with the Flu
Looking for ways to help yourself feel better while dealing with the flu at home? You can stop searching! Check out our guide below to uncover five tips for giving yourself some much needed relief!
Drink Plenty of Fluids
The flu can leave you with dehydration, especially if you have been sweating a lot or suffering with diarrhoea or vomiting. This is why it’s important to drink plenty of fluids while you are ill. Good old fashioned water is always best, but for something with a bit more flavour orange juice is a good option as it also provides your body with some much needed vitamin C. While you can drink herbal teas with honey, we recommend staying away from highly caffeinated drinks like coffee or energy drinks, as they act as a diuretic and can make symptoms of dehydration worse. You will know if you are receiving enough fluids by looking at your urine, as it should be very pale or even colourless if you are properly hydrated.
Take a Lazy Day
Aching muscles and joints or even feelings of tiredness or weakness is a good indication that you need to rest. While you may not be able to sleep through the duration of your flu, having a good amount of nighttime sleep and rest during the day is one of the best ways to speed up your recovery. Resting could be something as simple as relaxing on the sofa binge watching your favourite TV series or having a movie marathon, or even reading if your flu hasn’t left your head feeling too foggy.
Inhale Moist Air
You can ease nasal congestion by inhaling moist, warm air. If you have a steam vaporizer or humidifier in your home, that’s a great way to inhale that needed moisture. If you don’t, however, there are other things you can do without having to visit your local spa and taking a dip in their steam room. For example, having frequent hot showers will build up steam in the bathroom that you will naturally breathe in, or you can use a pan of boiling water to sit down on a comfortable surface and ease congestion that way.
Soup For Comfort
A hearty chicken soup is the go to choice for providing some comfort during the worst days of a flu, but is this more than tasty comfort food? There have been many studies that suggest chicken soup can help with the symptoms of respiratory tract infections, including the flu. While there’s still some debate about it, it’s undeniable that the warmth from soup can provide humidity to inhale and can soothe a sore throat with the texture. Not just tasty comfort food after all!
Pain Relief
There are many ways to ease pain caused by your flu, such as over the counter medication that is specifically designed to ease cold and flu symptoms. However, you can also get a hold of many different types of lozenges, cough drops, or hard sweets that can prevent coughing or have numbing effects to help with a sore throat. For sinus relief, apply a hot compress on the forehead and nose to help with short term effects. Managing pain when ill is instrumental in recovery.
For more information, get in touch with Broadgate GP today!
Whether you’re looking for help or advice for dealing with your cold or flu, Broadgate GP are here for you! A reputable private GP, we’re on hand to offer guidance and provide even more expert advice for dealing with your cold or flu. We also provide workplace flu vaccines so you can guarantee that your employees are protected in time for the worst of the season, get in touch today to arrange your session now!
If you would like to know more about the flu and how you can make yourself as comfortable as possible during illness, check out our blog! We have dozens of informative articles available, including How to Prepare for Hayfever and Flu Seasons and The Importance Of Flu Vaccinations.
