With the changing of the seasons from summer to fall comes exciting transitions, like cooler weather, more layers of clothing, fall-themed events, and seasonal cooking and baking. And yet, there is another common side of fall that is much less enjoyable: the fall flu. Flu symptoms are painful, debilitating, and just plain annoying. Whether you contract the flu or simply have the exhaustive symptoms, the good news is that there are a few tried-and-true methods to help you effectively relieve your flu symptoms. If you are currently struggling with symptoms of the flu, try these four solutions to find relief. If you’re experiencing health, save these ways to conquer the flu for the next time you begin to feel under the weather.
Symptoms of the Flu
First, let’s examine some of the common flu symptoms that these four methods can help you find relief from. You might not know if your health woes indicate you’ve come down with the flu or are a one-time occurrence, but the chances are that you probably have the flu if you have more than one of these symptoms combined. These include:
Fever
Muscle and joint pains and aches
Sore throat
Fatigue
Headache
Congestion
Coughing
These symptoms can quickly feel overwhelming, especially when you deal with more than one. Let’s dive in to the solutions.
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Use a Cool Mist Humidifier
Cool mist humidifiers are ideal for targeting your sinus and respiratory issues, like a sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, and cough. When you breathe the dry air inside your home, it can grate on your sore throat and sinuses, even if you don’t realize it. In fact, connections have been made leading to the belief that cold, dry air might even promote and exacerbate the flu. Humidifiers’ cool mist adds moisture into the air, which can calm your respiratory tracts and reduce your pain and discomfort.
Another important benefit of using a humidifier cool mist is the difference that humid air has on viruses; traces of the germs and bacteria of viruses sit in the air when a sick person breathes, coughs, or sneezes, but higher humidity air prevents these particles from lingering in the air. Instead of being inhaled by the next person, cool mist humidifiers help germs to settle on surfaces that can then be rigorously cleaned. Aim to create a humidity level in your home that’s between 40% and 60% for soothed symptoms.
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Stay Hydrated
Speaking of adding moisture to your respiratory tracts in order to find relief, another way you can do this is by staying hydrated. Although you should be drinking plenty of water every day to fight off dehydration, it is even more imperative that you drink healthy fluids when you’re struggling with flu symptoms. When you’re dealing with these pains, you can actually become dehydrated quickly because of the extra loss of fluids. Aim to sip on a healthy beverage all day when you have the flu, especially water.
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Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Sleep is an essential function that benefits the body and brain. When you sleep, you allow your system to reset, which is exactly what you need when a virus is causing your body to fight for its health. One of the most common symptoms of the flu (as well as many other illnesses) is tiredness and body fatigue, which is a sign your body is sending you that you need to rest. Getting good sleep at night is one of the best things you can do to find relief against the flu, and as you’re healing, if you feel the urge to sleep during the daytime, too, honor your body and what it needs. Pushing yourself when you’re under the weather is a sure way to stay sick and maybe even get worse.
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Take It Easy
Similar to ensuring you set yourself up to get a good sleep at night, when you have symptoms of the flu, you need to take it easy all day long. Although you might be worried about the work you’ll fall behind on or the activities you’ll miss, you can’t continue your routine as normal until you’re better, and giving yourself time to heal will allow you to return to your life quickly. Not only do you put others at risk of catching your sickness, but when you fight through your illness to keep active, you put undue stress on your body, delaying your eventual healing. Take it easy and enjoy a few sick days as much as you can.
Conclusion
Having symptoms of the flu is a hassle you surely can’t afford in your busy life, as they also bring pain and discomfort that’s hard to avoid. When you contract the flu, you want to relieve your symptoms as quickly as possible, but it can be difficult to know where to start. These four methods are effective at alleviating flu symptoms with minimal effort—because when you feel sick, you don’t have much energy to put towards healing. You can find sweet relief by following these recommendations.
