Urgent Care for Flu

Flu or influenza is a common cold that usually lasts one week and sometimes longer. Symptoms include fever, chills, aches, fatigue, coughing, sore throat, headache, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, vomiting, and diarrhea. Most people recover without treatment within about seven days. However, complications can include pneumonia, ear infections, sinusitis, bronchitis, dehydration, blood clots, heart problems, and death. A vaccine is available to help prevent the flu. Each season, it protects against three viruses. If you don’t receive it each year, you’re advised to get vaccinated because there is no cure once someone becomes sick. You can protect yourself by washing your hands frequently, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, avoiding close contact with ill people, and getting the flu shot.

Symptoms of Flu

The flu shares many symptoms with colds. Both colds and flu can make you feel run down and tired. You might cough and sneeze often. Your nose might be stuffy. And you might have a sore throat, headache, body aches, chills, and fatigue. But there are some important differences between the flu and the common cold. Although each person’s symptoms may vary slightly, both usually cause coughing, congestion, fever, and fatigue. The biggest difference is how intense and long-lasting the symptoms are. Flu symptoms progress much faster than those of a cold, and they tend to be more severe and last longer. Cold symptoms come on slowly over several days and go away without treatment. In contrast, flu symptoms progress rapidly and usually don’t let up unless you take medicine. Common flu symptoms include:

• Coughing
• Congestion
• Fever
• Headache

How long does the flu last?

Unlike a cold, which usually goes away within a day or two, the flu may linger much longer. It could even hang around for weeks or months. And while most people recover from the flu quickly, there are some things you can do to make a recovery easier. Here are five tips for easing the pain of flu season:

1. Get plenty of rest. Try getting more sleep if you feel like you’re constantly fighting off a fever. Your body needs downtime to heal itself, so don’t worry about watching TV or doing mindless activities. Instead, spend quality time with loved ones, curl up under blankets, and enjoy a good book.
2. Take care of yourself. When you’re sick, neglecting your diet and exercise routine is easy. But staying healthy during the flu season requires extra effort. Try eating vitamin C-rich foods such as oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, kale, and tomatoes. You’ll find many recipes online that incorporate those ingredients into dishes like smoothies, soups, salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes.
3. Keep your hands clean. Washing your hands often helps prevent germs from spreading throughout your home, and washing them regularly reduces the risk of picking up the flu virus. To keep your hands feeling soft and moisturized, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
4. Stay hydrated. Water is essential for keeping your immune system strong. Drink eight glasses daily, and add lemon slices or cucumber slices to your water to help boost your immunity.
5. Please don’t overdo it. While taking antibiotics won’t cure the flu, they can shorten the duration of your illness. However, many doctors recommend against taking antibiotics unless you’ve been diagnosed with strep throat or another bacterial infection. Antibiotics aren’t effective against viruses so they won’t treat the flu. They can cause side effects like diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, headaches, and stomach cramps. Talk to your doctor to see whether antibiotic treatment is right for you.

How to treat the flu

The CDC says that the best way to avoid catching influenza is by getting vaccinated every year. Three types of vaccines are available: Influenza A virus, Influenza B virus, and Flumist nasal spray. If you don’t want to get a shot, there are other ways to protect yourself. “Wash your hands often with soap and water,” the CDC advises. “If soap and water aren’t available, use hand sanitizer.” Also, cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. And finally, make sure you’re up to date on shots. The CDC recommends everyone aged six months and older get one dose of each type of vaccine annually. For children younger than six months old, it’s recommended they receive two doses of each vaccine.

Are there medicines to treat the flu?

Yes. There are medications your doctor may prescribe for treatment. They work well and help you feel better sooner. You might even avoid getting sicker. But antivirals don’t cure influenza. They slow it down. And while they’re helpful, they aren’t always necessary. Talk to your doctor about whether antivirals are right for you.

When to seek urgent care for Flu

Before the onset of COVID, it was advisable to wait a few days before getting tested for the flu. But now that we are dealing with a pandemic, it is important to know whether you have COVID-19. You should see your doctor immediately if you have flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches and chills, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea. Even though there are some similarities between COVID-19 and the flu, there are differences that you should know about. For example, people with COVID-19 often experience shortness of breath, while those with influenza do not. Also, people with COVID tend to feel better within two weeks, while those with influenza usually recover within one week. Knowing what has caused your illness helps you know how to mitigate the spread and how best to deal with your illness. You can get tested for COVID-19 at most urgent care clinics like Zappy Health.