January and February are peak flu season. My PCP just called me with my Flu culture results…. Bummer I have the flu, now what? What do you do after you come down with the flu?
- Rest, Rest, Rest!
- Stay home from school or work- the flu is a highly contagious virus, and your co-workers and/ or friends do not want what you have!
- Drink plenty of fluids. Gingerale, Juices and sports drinks are better than water because they give you the electrolytes and energy you need to help you fight the infection.
- You can alternate Tylenol with Advil or Aleve for fever and body aches as long as there is no reason you shouldn’t take any of these over the counter medications.
- Report high fevers, shortness of breath or any severe symptoms to your health practitioner immediately. If what you have is the flu you will likely feel lousy for as long as 7 to 10 days. If you have pneumonia, you need treatment by a health professional.
What about Antibiotics?
Antibiotics won’t help unless you develop a secondary bacterial infection. Seek medical care if you develop shortness of breath, or if you are coughing up dark green phlegm or if you can not hold down fluids.
Warm Fluids
Warm decaffeinated tea with honey may help coat your throat and soothe it. Warm drinks work better than cold drinks for opening congested airways.
Diet
As far as diet goes, bland foods — like toast, rice, bananas, and applesauce — are good for starters. However, experts now recommend returning to a normal diet within 24 hours, if possible. Chicken soup is a must with cold-like symptoms. In fact, in a study published in the journal Chest, researchers confirmed that chicken soup had a mild anti-inflammatory effect that reduced symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections.
How long does it take to get better?
Most people who get the flu will feel much better within one or two weeks.
When can I return to work or school?
Do not rush it. Remember the flu is a highly contagious virus and most healthy adults can infect others for 5 to 7 days after symptoms appear. Some people, especially young children and people with weakened immune systems, might be contagious for a longer period.
Prevention Ok, once I am better, how do I prevent that from happening again?
Start by taking good care of yourself on a regular basis. Besides the flu vaccination- which is not 100% effective you can decrease your chances of contracting the flu by:
Washing your hands regularly: There may be no more promoted solution to avoiding the flu this year (besides the flu shot, of course) than diligent hand washing.
Get enough sleep: Getting your seven to nine hours a night means your body can repair and heal itself and ward off infections.
Exercise regularly: Getting your blood pumping regularly can increase the activity of a type of white blood cells that attacks viruses
Massage: Can help you stay physically healthy by increasing circulation and reducing stress.
Regular Chiropractic Care: Regular Chiropractic adjustments help boost your immune system: Chiropractic care was first linked to improved immunity during the deadly flu epidemic of 1917 and 1918. Research indicated that the Chiropractic patients fared better than the general population. This observation spurred a study of the field. The data reported that flu victims under chiropractic care had an estimated .0.25 %t death rate, a lot less than the normal rate of 5 % among flu victims who did not receive chiropractic care. In the years since many other studies are finding that chiropractic care is a way to improve immunity. (Read Study)
Stay positive, and laugh everyday: A life of laughter and optimism could also help you sniffle through fewer bouts of the flu or colds. While there’s much that’s still not well understood about the process, it seems that certain immune cells are produced by a big belly laugh.
So for now I am going to have a bowl of chicken soup and kick back and watch a good comedy, and as soon as I am no longer contagious I’ll be back providing immunity boosting adjustments.
P.S. Since I originally wrote this Blog, I have since followed my own advice and I returned back to work on January 26, 2015 healthy and ready to help my patients get and stay that way as well.
If you have any questions about this Blog, or about your health in general, feel free to contact me at; [email protected]