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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you come down with any type of flu, these measures may help ease your symptoms:
- Drink plenty of liquids. Choose water, juice and warm soups to prevent dehydration. Drink enough so that your urine is clear or pale yellow.
- Rest. Get more sleep to help your immune system fight infection.
- Consider pain relievers. Use an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) cautiously, as needed. Don't give aspirin to children or teens because of the risk of Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.
Remember, pain relievers may make you more comfortable, but they won't make your symptoms go away any faster and may have side effects. Ibuprofen may cause stomach pain, bleeding and ulcers. If taken for a long period or in higher than recommended doses, acetaminophen can be toxic to your liver.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Swine influenza A (H1N1) infection in two children — Southern California, March-April 2009. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2009;58:400. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5815a5.htm. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- World Health Organization. World now at the start of 2009 influenza pandemic. Statement to the press by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_pandemic_phase6_20090611/en/index.html. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- World Health Organization. H1N1 in post-pandemic period. Director-General's opening statement at virtual press conference. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2010/h1n1_vpc_20100810/en/index.html. Accessed Aug. 19, 2010.
- Watts G. A/H1N1 influenza virus: The basics. British Medical Journal. 2009;339:b3046. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/339/jul24_2/b3046. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Background information on influenza in pigs. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swineflu/. Accessed Aug. 19, 2010.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Key facts about influenza (flu) and flu vaccine. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- Weber TP, et al. Inactivation of influenza A viruses in the environment and modes of transmission: A critical review. Journal of Infection. 2008;51:361.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WJT-4TMRJXX-2&_user=130561&_coverDate=11%2F30%2F2008&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000010878&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=130561&md5=0b189b39929f3ee6cdc2ca1371fd1e0c. Accessed Aug. 19, 2010.
- Bean B, et al. Survival of influenza viruses on environmental surfaces. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 1982;146:47.
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