Flu time!  That horrible time of year where your whole body feels pretty average, and your tissue box is constantly out of tissues!

credit: Yogi

This year I copped it pretty hard - I had three days in bed, and one failed attempt at returning to work earlier than I should have! My whole family also managed to get the flu this year, which meant our house was a sick house for a 3 week period in August this year. After 9 Tissue boxes, 6 litres of Orange Juice and several packets of Cold & Flu / panadol, we managed to get through it!

Here are some tips on getting through the flu with as little suffering as possible, and speeding up the recovery phase as much as possible.

What is the flu exactly, and what is the fastest way to combat it when it lurks around your house?

Sometimes in the early stages it’s hard to tell the difference between the flu and catching a cold. Eventually though the symptoms of the flu become more severe, and can lead to further problems such as pneumonia and dehydration.

By definition, the ‘flu’ is a respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. Symptoms can include any or all of the following:

- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Fevers
- Body aches / muscle aches
- Runny nose / congestion
- Tiredness
- Headaches

The flu virus can be classified as influenza A, B or C, and people of any age can contract the flu. The strains of virus mutate frequently, which is why we continue to see outbreaks every year.

How does it spread?

credit: JSchoeck

Influenza spreads easily from person to person through breathing, coughing and sneezing. The virus can also spread when a person touches tiny droplets from coughs or sneezes on another person or on an object, and then touches his or her own mouth or nose before washing his or her hands. An adult can spread the virus from about one day before to five days after symptoms start, and children can spread the virus up to 21 days after symptoms start.

How long does it last?

Generally speaking, around 4-5 days but some people are a little outside these ranges. A flu shot based on the previous year’s mutation helps provide some degree of immunity, but because the virus has the potential to mutate frequently, you may not always obtain complete immunity. (about.com)

How to beat the flu!

Some people have had great success with tamiflu, which must be taken within 12 to 48 hours from the first appearance of flu symptoms.

The best things you can do to help you get over the flu as quickly as possible are:

• Drink plenty of fluids - juice, water and sports drinks are great.
• Take over the counter medications to relieve symptoms - in Australia antipyretics/analgesics like panadol, and cold & flu tablets like Codral help by combining pain killers, decongestants and antihistamines to help relieve symptoms & allow you to get some rest.
• Sleep as much as possible.
• Eat when you feel like it, but don’t worry too much as long as you are drinking lots of water & keeping hydrated.
• Avoid alcohol and tobacco use. (Actually, you should minimise your alcohol intake & stop smoking completely regardless of the flu!)
• Stay home from work & don’t try to be a hero like I did, and return too early!

Most importantly, don’t run your body down more than it already is - rest up, and get on top of the flu!