With flu season fast approaching, we encourage everyone to get their yearly flu shot to help prevent coming down with the illness. But if you forget to, it’s important to know which symptoms to look out for, how to take care of yourself or your children when sick, and seven things you should avoid doing to not prolong the flu or make it worse.
PCCSF’s Dr. Allan Greissman spoke with Bustle and provided his insight on what to do when sick with the flu.
Getting the flu is no fun. But as summer winds down, it’s more and more likely. If you end up stuck with this bug, it’s important to watch out for things that make the flu worse, so you can be back to your best self as soon as possible. Some of these things, however, might not seem so obvious.
Of course, the first step should always be preventing the flu by getting vaccinated and understanding the signs of the flu if you’re at risk. Flu season has a tendency to come on strong, and it’s crucial to know the difference between a bad cold and a more serious illness.
“Sometimes it can be easy to confuse symptoms of the flu for symptoms of the common cold,” Dr. Emi Chiusano, MD, Area Medical Director at Med Express, tells Bustle. “However, look out for some big differences. Symptoms of the flu will come on quickly — more quickly than those of a cold [... and] keep an eye out for fever, severe body aches, exhaustion, cough and sore throat.” If you notice these symptoms, getting to the doctor as soon as possible is crucial.
Once you’ve been diagnosed, it’s time to stay home and rest. “It’s very important when you have the flu to drink plenty of liquids to stay hydrated and get plenty of sleep so that your body has time to fight the infection,” Dr. Allan Greissman, of Pediatric Critical Care of South Florida, tells Bustle. “[...] Not giving yourself a chance to get better will only hurt your own immune system’s ability to fight the flu.” Your body will thank you if you don’t do anything to exacerbate it, and you’ll be healthy much sooner.
Here are seven things you didn’t realize prolong the flu or make it worse, according to experts.
To read the full story, visit Bustle.