Plenty of rest is important to help you heal more quickly.

If it feels like you can’t remember the last time your nose wasn’t running or if you’re continuously depleting your stock of tissues, you’re definitely not alone. Cold and flu season is very much upon us.

With colds and flu doing the rounds, we could all do with a bit of a refresher when it comes to self-care tips, which is why we’ve teamed up with Panadol to bring you some self-care tips to help you feel better when a cold or flu strikes.

First things first – what exactly is flu? And how is it different to a cold? Well, for starters, flu usually comes on much more suddenly and abruptly, and a fever, muscle pain and a general sense of weakness and discomfort are often the first signs of the illness. Headaches and body aches occur occasionally with colds, but they’re common with the flu. Fatigue can occur with colds but is more likely with the flu. A stuffy and runny nose and a sore throat are very common with a cold but they occur only sometimes with the flu. A cough is common in both cold and flu. 

Flu is caused by the viruses influenza type A, B, and C. Influenza A and B viruses circulate and cause seasonal epidemics of disease. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, droplets containing viruses are dispersed into the air and can infect people in close proximity. The virus can also be spread by hands contaminated with influenza viruses. Anyone can get the flu, but for some, it may cause some complications including adults over the age of 65, people with chronic health conditions (asthma, heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes), people with blood disorders or chronic lung disease, people who are obese, children, adults who are immunocompromised and pregnant women.

Using tissues to trap germs when you cough or sneeze, and binning used tissues as quickly as possible, while staying at home can stop the spread of flu. You can also get the flu vaccine via the HSE.

When flu does strike, there are some tips you can practice at home to help you recover.

Rest and stay warm

Stay in bed if you think you have flu symptoms as sleep can help you recover more quickly.

Rehydrate

Drink plenty of fluids – water, decaf tea and electrolyte-enhanced drinks – to replenish any fluids lost through vomiting, diarrhoea or sweating.

Medicine

Paracetamol (which is the ingredient in Panadol) or ibuprofen can help lower a fever and make you feel better.

For more information on Panadol and the flu, check out this page right here.