What to Do for Colds and Flu ?

Question

Any tips please for home treatment?

Answer 1

A cold and the flu (also called influenza) are alike in many ways. But the flu can sometimes lead to more serious problems, such as pneumonia.

A stuffy nose, sore throat, and sneezing are usually signs of a cold. Tiredness, fever, headache, and major aches and pains probably mean you have the flu.

Coughing can be a sign of either a cold or the flu. But a bad cough usually points to the flu.

Know When To Call Your Doctor
You usually do not have to call your doctor right away if you have signs of a cold or flu. But you should call your doctor in these situations:

Your symptoms get worse.
Your symptoms last a long time.
After feeling a little better, you show signs of a more serious problem. Some of these signs are a sick-to-your-stomach feeling, vomiting, high fever, shaking, chills, chest pain, or coughing with thick, yellow-green mucus.
Try to Avoid Getting a Cold
Wash your hands often. You can pick up cold germs easily, even when shaking someone's hand or touching doorknobs or handrails.
Avoid people with colds when possible.
Sneeze or cough into a tissue and then throw the tissue away.
Clean surfaces you touch with a germ-killing disinfectant.
Don't touch your nose, eyes, or mouth. Germs can enter your body easily by these paths.
Try to Avoid Getting The Flu
A flu shot can greatly lower your chance of getting the flu. The best time to get the shot is from the middle of October to the middle of November, because most people get the flu in the winter.

The shot can't cause the flu. But you may feel sore or weak or have a fever for a few days.

Who Should Get a Flu Shot?
Almost all people who want to lower their chance of coming down with the flu can get a flu shot.

Flu shots are most important for:

people 65 or older
nursing home patients
people over 6 months old with health problems, such as asthma, or with long-term diseases, such as HIV or heart disease
children or teen-agers who must often take aspirin
people who are often around older people or those with health problems.
Who Might Not Be Able to Get a Flu Shot?
Talk to your doctor before you get the shot if you:

have certain allergies, especially to eggs
have an illness, such as pneumonia
have a high fever
are pregnant.
Prescription Medicine Can Prevent Flu, Too
If you are one of those who should not get the flu shot, ask your doctor about prescription medicine to help prevent flu.

And if you get the flu, taking this medicine within the first 48 hours can make your illness less serious.

But Do Not Take Antibiotics For a Cold or Flu
Antibiotics won't work against cold and flu germs.

And, you should take antibiotics only when really needed.

Help Yourself Feel Better While You Are Sick
A cold usually lasts only a few days to a week. Tiredness from the flu may continue for several weeks.

To feel better while you are sick:

Drink plenty of fluids.
Get plenty of rest.
Use a humidifier -- an electric device that puts water into the air.
Take a cough and cold medicine you buy without a prescription. It may help.
Choose the Right Medicines For Your Symptoms

Answer 2

Dampen a hand towel and wring it out, place in microwave for 40 seconds. It will be plenty hot.
Place on your face for as long as you can. It heats up the sinuses and makes the headache (usually) go away.

Vicks on your chest at night. It works really well.

Of course don't forget Campbells chicken noodle soup. That will help make it all better.

I woke up this morning with one also. I hadn't had a real cold in 4 or 5 years since I started getting flu shots.

Take a couple of aspirin every 4 hours to kill the aches and pains. Drink fluids and that's all I've got.

Good Luck and feel better soon.

Answer 3

Pill Book Guide to Natural Medicines recommends
Esberitox for colds
Sambucol for flu
Sinupret for congested sinuses
Also, vitamin c 500-1000 mg 3-4 times daily (ester C, if it upsets your stomach); echinacea and golden seal as directed on container, Cold-eeze lozenges, astragalus helps build immunity
check swansonvitamins.com or vitaminshoppe.com for the products listed above if you can't find them locally. Cold-eeze can be found at walmart or drug stores. Good luck!

Answer 4

Wash your hands a lot.
Gargle with mouthwash and salt water: That will help soothe sore throats and kill the germs.
Drink lots of liquids: Water, hot lemon and honey, bouillon, tea, and fruit juice are my favorites.
Take garlic tablets and extra vitamin C if you have them: Cold germs don't like them.
Sleep a lot: That way your body will rest and concentrate on fighting off the disease.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Hi Sonya

A hot toddie.

Small drop of whisky, add some boiling water and a small drop of sugar. Drink it down straight no sipping, it will sweat the cold out of you by morning dear.

All the best.

Answer 6

1. stay in bed.
2. take analgesic and vitamin c
3. have some hot soup to make you sweat and improve your
resistance.
4. breath on a vaporizer to ease up the cold
These are the basics but my personal remedy is rubbing my whole body with Vick's Vaporub and cover myself completely with a blanket until I sweat.

Answer 7

take aspirin.drink whisky,stay warm and in bed and it will last 7 days,
do nothing different to normal life and it will last a week

Answer 8

hot drinks, good food like soups and staff like that and analgetic pills or anti pyretics when the fever goes up@bye

Answer 9

Why do people keep asking this? Time, time, time!!! Fluids (alot), rest and motrin (or tylenol) for fever, aches. thats really all you can do.