Did you know that seasonal influenza is still the most common viral infection in the US? Every year billions of cases of seasonal influenza with 3 to 5 million severe cases. Seasonal influenza is a contagious infectious disease that affects your respiratory/digestive system and causes coughs, sneezes, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, etc. There is no cure for the flu, however, most people recover on their own with home remedies and OTC medications. Learn 7 strategies to manage your seasonal influenza symptoms to improve your recovery time in this article. Log on to www.doralhw.org for a consultation.

7 Ways to Manage Seasonal Influenza

Here are some of the best ways to keep yourself healthy during seasonal influenza, including:

1. Stay hydrated:

When you get infected, one of the most important things you should do is drink plenty of water because flu can easily lead to dehydration due to its symptoms whether you get the respiratory flu or the stomach flu.

Water keeps your nose, mouth, and throat moist which helps your body get rid of built-up mucus and phlegm. You can also get dehydrated even when you drink and eat normally, especially due to diarrhea and fever, as these symptoms lead to water loss.

Beside water, you can stay hydrated by consuming plenty of:

• Coconut water
• Herbal tea
• Fresh juice
• Soup
• Broth
• Sport drinks

To know if you’re drinking enough water and liquids look at these signs:

• You urinate regularly or frequently.
• The color of urine is almost clear or pale yellow.

If your urine color is deep yellow to amber color, then you may be dehydrated. Staying hydrated is also helpful to prevent smoking because it can irritate your nose, throat, and lungs when you smoke.

• Plenty of rest:

Rest is another crucial aspect of fast recovery, especially when you have the flu. Take plenty of sleep as it boosts your immune system to fight off the flu virus from the body. You should cancel your usual routine to prioritize your sleep for fast recovery.

When you become ill, you should stay at home and rest, especially for the first 24 hours.

• Take some broth:

A warm chicken or beef bone soup is a good way to stay hydrated and warm when you have colds and flu. It also helps you loosen and break up your nose and sinus congestion. Additionally, bone broth is high in protein and minerals like sodium and potassium which is an effective way to replenish these nutrients while you have the flu and protein helps in rebuilding immune cells.

A published study showed that chicken broth may reduce your symptoms of upper tract infections like the flu. However, not all doctors agree with the soup’s apparent benefits.

You can try ready-made soup varieties for yourself if you find it beneficial in your case, just look for low-sodium ones. The best way to benefit from broth is to make your broth by boiling chicken or beef bones. You can also freeze some portions of broth in the freezer for future use.

• Avoid contact with others:

If you have the flu, you must take preventive measures to lower the risk of people around you getting caught from you. It may be difficult for you, as you must stay home with your family and household members, putting them at risk of getting sick. The flu viruses spread commonly through airborne droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs. So, you need to take certain steps to protect them as best you can:

• Maintain your distance or stay in your room.
• Don’t share your commonly used objects, food, or drinks.
• Wash your hands frequently, especially before and after using the bathroom, eating food or drinking fluids, touching commonly used surfaces, etc.
• Cover your mouth with a tissue or inner elbow when you are about to sneeze or cough.
• To kill the flu germs around your house, disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects such as countertops, doorknobs, or remote controls.
•  Lower your body temperature:

A fever can cause a temporary rise in the body’s temperature which is a hallmark symptom of the flu. It may make you feel weaker, low on energy, hot and sweaty, and cause shivers in your body to generate more heat to fight the virus.

To manage your fever symptoms, you can rest and drink plenty of fluids or take a fever reducer like acetaminophen to reduce your fever symptoms. Acetaminophen can lower your pain, and help you manage your headaches and muscle aches which often accompany fever during the flu. You can use any of these 3 acetaminophens that are found in over-the-counter medications to relieve your flu symptoms, including – DayQuil, NyQuil, and more.

• Use a humidifier:

The flu virus can survive longer in dry indoor air, which increases the risk of the virus spreading in your home. Colder, outdoor temperatures usually have lower humidity in the air. Indoor air usually gets dry from heating and air conditioning use. So, keep breathing moist air, and use a humidifier to add humidity in your home and workplace to reduce flu viruses in the air. Make sure you clean it often to keep it free from mold and mildew.

When you breathe moist air, it also eases your nasal congestion and sore throat pain. You can also indulge in a steamy shower several times a day or just turn on the shower and sit in the bathroom for a few minutes, inhaling the steam.

• Try nasal irrigation:

To ease stuffiness and post-nasal drip or to lower the risk of getting a sinus infection, some doctors recommend nasal irrigation, a personal hygiene practice to flush out mucus and debris from your nose and sinuses.

To do this practice, you can buy a ‘Neti pot’ in health/food stores and drugstores or go with a saline squeeze bottle. You need to pour salt water into one nostril and let it run out the other to clear out your nasal passages. You can also buy a pre-made solution or make it by mixing salt with lukewarm sterile or distilled water.

If you get the flu, you may not need to see a doctor. Stay home until your symptoms improve. Follow the above-mentioned strategies to improve your flu symptoms and for faster recovery. Most people recover from the flu within a week or two, however, some people are at risk of developing complications like pneumonia.

So, if your symptoms don’t improve with home remedies or OTC medications, visit your healthcare provider to get treatment to improve your condition and keep others around you safe from the infection.

Don’t suffer from the flu or any other infectious disease, get help from our infectious disease doctor who can treat your condition professionally and provide you with tips on how to prevent infections. They listen to your concerns and treat you accordingly and give tips on how to stay safe from infectious diseases. Call us on +1-347-384-5690. If you need any information on infections, log on to www.doralhw.org  to get a consultation. We have the best doctors that can help you and improve your quality of life!