What
you can do yourself
Aged
over 16 years
Drink
a lot. Keep the room well ventilated and sleep with
the window open. Treat any symptoms you get (see other
sections of this Web site).
You can take paracetamol for the headache. This also
reduces the fever.
Take soluble aspirin (300mg x 2 or 3) or ibuprofen
(200mg x 1 or 2) every 4-6 hours for muscular pain.
Do not take more than the dosage marked on the packet.
Ask your pharmacist for advice on the most suitable
preparation.
Try to avoid infecting other people. Cover the mouth
and nose when you sneeze. Wash the hands regularly,
this prevents droplet spread of infection (germs spreading
through the air).
It is important to take a couple of days off after
the symptoms are gone.
CHILDREN (16 years and below)
Small
children often do not want to eat when they are ill.
Do not force them. Give them extra drinks and semi-solid
food like yoghurt and porridge. You can give children's
paracetamol for any muscular pain and temperature.
Contact
your doctor
CHILDREN
If the fever has not reduced by the fourth day of
illness.
If the child is refusing to drink.
If the child starts to become increasingly unwell,
vomits or is confused.
Contact your doctor immediately
If
the child is having breathing problems: wheezing,
gasping for air.
If you think that the child is in pain when breathing
in.
If the child is weak.
If the child is drowsy or confused.
If the child cannot talk or does not react to its
surroundings.
If the child is vomiting or not drinking and has diarrhoea.
If the child cannot sit up or cannot bend the head
forward.
High-risk groups
If you are in one of these high risk groups ask your
GP about a flu vaccination:
people with chronic bronchial disorders
people with CF (cystic fibrosis)
people with chronic heart disorders
very old people (over 80)
people with sugar diabetes
people with kidney diseases
people with liver diseases
people with reduced resistance, for example when undergoing
chemotherapy or oral steroid treatment.
If you have not been vaccinated and you get flu, then
contact your GP.
If you are not sure whether you are in one of the
above high-risk groups, ask your doctor.
