Cases of flu and swine flu have been on the increase since Christmas with more and more people being struck down with the nasty viruses.
For most getting the flu equates to a week of unpleasant and uncomfortable symptoms but for others it can be more serious and sometimes even be fatal.
However, here’s some tips on what to do if you come down with seasonal flu. Firstly it’s important to know the difference between cold, flu and swine flu. A cold is a mild illness caused by a respiratory virus that generally causes sneezing, a cough, a sore throat and a runny nose. It lasts for a short time and causes no complications.
Flu is a more serious illness caused by a different group of viruses (the influenza viruses). The symptoms are muscle pain, extreme tiredness, sweating, shivering, fever and congestion.
Chest complications are common in those with chest or heart disease. Your symptoms will usually peak after two to three days and you should begin to feel much better within five to eight days. A cough and general tiredness may last for two to three weeks.
Flu can be caused by a number of different influenza viruses and swine flu is one of these. Swine flu causes diarrhoea and very high temperatures, more so than other flu.
If you develop seasonal flu and are otherwise fit and healthy, you can manage your symptoms of seasonal flu at home. You will usually get better without treatment. Follow this advice:
* Make sure you have plenty of rest and are taking paracetamol-based cold remedies to lower your temperature and relieve symptoms.
* Some over-the-counter treatments can be given to children who have flu, according to the instructions supplied with each medicine. Under-16s must not take aspirin or ready-made flu remedies containing it.
* Drink plenty of fluids while you are recovering. You may need to stay in bed for two or three days after your symptoms peak.
* If you are in an at-risk group - people aged 65 and older, those with certain medical conditions (long-term heart, lung, kidney, liver or neurological disease, diabetes or those with a weakened immune system due to treatment or disease), and people living in nursing or residential homes - and have flu-like symptoms, or if your flu symptoms are getting worse, see your GP.
* Antibiotics are not prescribed for flu as they have no effect on viruses. However, occasionally it may be necessary to treat complications of flu, especially serious chest infections or pneumonia.