At the Medicine Shoppe in West Kelowna, obviously we want to do everything we can to help prevent you contracting the flu virus. That’s why we always encourage customers to get their flu shots!
But, at the end of the day, not everybody will be able to avoid getting the flu. So, if the bug strikes you, we want to prescribe some simple things you can do to battle the flu and get healthy again.
First things first, if you start to feel the symptoms of the flu come on, stay home! Don’t think you’re being a hero by ‘sucking it up’ and going to work or to school. Really, all you’re doing is exposing everyone around you to the virus. Better to crash on the couch with a good book or catch up on some of those TV shows you’ve PVR’d.
And while you’re recuperating, be sure to drink plenty of fluids. And fluids doesn’t just mean water. Juices, sports drinks, soups, they all help hydrate your respiratory system, which thins thick mucus, making it easier to cough up and preventing the possibility of mucus build up in the lungs which can lead to infection.
If you find yourself with a fever, which is the body’s way of turning up the heat to fight the virus, you’ll likely wind up with aches and pains. They can be treated easily with over the counter medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
For that nasty cough that can come with the flu, come see us for an expectorant. Expectorants, like fluids, turn mucus into liquid, making it easier to cough up.
And here’s a great tip. Try filling your bathroom sink with steaming hot water and adding a spoon of something likes Vicks Vaporub to it, then breath in the steam. A few drops of menthol or eucalyptus oil also works great!
In fact, a bathroom FULL of steam can work wonders to help you feel better. Again, the moisture will help break up the phlegm!
And if you want to make the flu season as short as possible, when you first start experiencing the symptoms of a flu virus see your Doctor and ask for an anti-viral medication. It won’t necessarily stop the flu bug from coming on, but it will help to lessen the intensity of the symptoms and shorten the flu’s duration!
Here’s to a healthy flu-free Fall!