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Coughing, sneezing and aches all are sure signs that you might have the flu. But
there are some ways to ease the pain. Petty Officer Carla Foster explains in
today's Health Matters "Countering the flu."
When the weather cools down
the common cold and flu season heats up.
Most people are pretty familiar with the symptoms of the sickness.
Thankfully
they can find anything needed for relief right on store shelves.
You're most the time able to treat most of all your symptoms with over-the-counter
medicines like Motrin or Tylenol. It's going to help out with you fever
your body aches, headache, sore throat. Anything that
hurts and fever control. Your Sudifed will help open your sinuses and your ears.
The antihistamines of Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec those will help
dry up all those
the runny nose. It will also make you sleepy. So if you have trouble sleeping at night,
it can help you a whole lot.
While an instant cure for the cold and flu has yet to be discovered
one tried and tested method tends to lessen the symptoms.
Kind of a quick remedy for the flu and that is a vaccine.
If you don't get a vaccine your flu
may last all week.
If you get your vaccine you'll feel
It probably last one or two days.
People that say I got the flu vaccine this year and I got the flu and so it doesn't work
I would argue that
your flu that you had was far less severe than they could have been.
Doctor Harris recommends two informational websites
that may pinpoint and offer remedies on your symptoms. Possibly saving you time
and the waiting room and alleviating worry.
Look on familydoctor.org
That is the American Academy of Physicians website
and under there, look under Diseases and Cold and Flu
And that will give you probably far more information than I would give you if you were seen in a clinic visit.
If it's for your child
the Healthychildren.org is the American Academy of Pediatrics
Website. It's extremely helpful and gives you very understandable, straightforward
treatments for each symptom.
Contact your doctor if you fevers persist for more than forty eight hours.
Petty Officer Carla Foster Mysowa Air Base,Japan. Another look at those
Websites: Check out the American Academy of Family Physicians at
Familydoctor.org or
Healthychildren.org