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Looking for at-home flu remedies? Learn about helping to prevent flu faster than you can say “achoo”, plus easy tips to help you get well quickly
Summary
1How do I know it’s flu?
Flu can feel a bit like a cold, but many say that flu symptoms come on more suddenly and more severely.
2How can I get rid of flu quickly?
If you’re not in a high-risk group, the best way to treat the flu is to get lots of rest, keep yourself warm and drink plenty of liquids.
3What can I do to help prevent flu?
There are ways to help support your immune system and prevent you from getting the flu or passing it on to others...
The good news is that influenza (better known as flu) doesn’t last too long for most people. But it can arrive suddenly and bring you down completely...
So, if there’s a way to help reduce your chances of catching it – or at least make it go away quickly – it's worth a try.
What is flu?
Flu is a common respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect your nose, throat and lungs. The symptoms can feel a bit like a common cold, but many say that flu symptoms come on more suddenly and more severely.1
Spread through coughing, sneezing and even talking, the flu can pass very quickly from person to person. Babies, toddlers, people over 65, pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses like asthma or diabetes are at a greater risk of complications from influenza, such as pneumonia.3
Can you get rid of the flu quickly?
If you’re not in a high-risk group, the best way to treat the flu is to get lots of rest, keep yourself warm and drink plenty of liquids.2
Resting lets your body use its energy to treat the infection, and drinking plenty of fluids can replace those lost through sweating and a high fever. You can also take pain relievers for the fever, headaches and other similar symptoms.5
If you’re concerned about your symptoms or are in an at-risk group, you should contact your doctor for advice.
What are the symptoms of flu?
Flu follows quite a predictable pattern, appearing suddenly in the first three days. After about eight days, symptoms should all be decreasing or gone, with a cough and tiredness lasting a week or two longer.4
Common flu symptoms include:2
- a high temperature or fever
- a dry cough
- a sore throat
- a headache
- feeling tired
- body aches
- trouble sleeping
- nausea and being sick
- diarrhoea and tummy pain
- loss of appetite
Reducing your chances of flu: top tips
Flu is contagious and can pass from person to person really quickly. However, there are ways to help support your immune system and prevent you from getting the flu or passing it on to others.
- Get vaccinated
Possibly the best way to reduce your risk of getting the flu is to get vaccinated every year.5 The NHS offers flu vaccines for people they consider high-risk and the people they live with or who care for them.5 It’s also offered to all children of school age, as well as those aged two or three.6 You’ll usually be contacted around autumn or early winter if you’re eligible for a flu vaccine.5 - Avoid close contact
Try and keep away from anyone who’s unwell. If you fall ill yourself, stay away from others. Avoid going to school, work or doing your usual activities wherever you can to prevent passing your illness on to others.4 - Wash your hands
It’s not new to us, but it’s important to keep the habit up! Regularly washing your hands with warm water and soap helps to keep germs at bay. Lather and scrub your hands – including the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails – for at least 20 seconds. Rinse and dry. Wash before eating or after using the toilet, changing a nappy, coughing and sneezing or handling animals. - Catch it and bin it
If you need to cough or sneeze, do it into a tissue to help stop any droplets from spreading and infecting others. If you don’t have one, cough or sneeze into the bend of your elbow and not your hand.2 Bin used tissues straight away. - Practice other healthy habits
Getting enough sleep, managing your stress levels, drinking plenty of fluids, eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly are all great ways to keep you and your body healthy.7,8,9 A clean space is just as important as clean hands. Disinfect surfaces regularly at home, school and work.
Looking after yourself at home
If you’ve been struck down by the flu and you’re feeling rubbish, there are things you can try at home to possibly help ease your symptoms (or at least treat yourself while you’re feeling fragile).
- Echinacea
People mostly use echinacea as a traditional herbal remedy for cold and flu symptoms like stuffiness, sinus pressure, and sneezing.10
The Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) only lists echinacea as a potential remedy for colds as more research is needed, but it’s commonly used in herbal remedies and medicines for both cold and flu.10,11 - Herbal tea
Herbal teas are a great way to relieve some flu symptoms. Not only are they soothing, but the liquid helps to prevent dehydration, while the heat and steam can help relieve nasal congestion. Lemon and honey is a traditional favourite – the texture of honey is believed to give relief to sore, scratchy throats.12
Ginger could help if you’re feeling sick (nauseous), and chamomile is also widely used for its calming qualities.13,14 While more research is needed, chamomile is thought to potentially support sleep – ideal if you’re feeling stuffy through the night.15 - Hot showers
What’s better than a steamy shower when you’re feeling stuffed up? The heat and steam from a hot shower is thought to help soothe your nasal passages, as well as helping to loosen any phlegm in your throat.16 - Essential oil
As you begin to feel better, maybe it’s time for a self-care day.
Why not try putting a few drops into an oil diffuser and let the scent fill your space? If you don’t have a diffuser, you can pop a few drops onto a tissue and keep it next to your pillow or take it around with you to inhale the scent through the day.
Pure essential oils should never be applied directly and undiluted to the scalp or skin. Please dilute properly, read warnings and follow instructions provided on the product label carefully before use.
The final say
From the high temperature and the blocked nose to the mucus-y throat and chesty cough, flu isn’t anyone’s idea of fun. But there are things you can do to help ease your symptoms – and some healthy habits that can help stop you from getting ill in the first place.
Sometimes, though, coming down with a cold or the flu is inevitable, no matter how many precautions you take. It’s important to remember to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids and stay at home.
If you’re concerned about your flu symptoms or you're at higher risk of complications, consult your doctor for advice.
The advice in this article is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP or healthcare professional before trying any supplements, treatments or remedies. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Before taking any supplements or minerals, it’s best to make sure you’re getting all the nutrients through your diet first. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
- NHS. Common cold [Internet]. NHS [reviewed 2024 Mar 22; cited 2024 Sep 19]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/common-cold/
- NHS. Flu [Internet]. NHS [reviewed 2023 Aug 9; cited 2024 Sep 19]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/flu/
- American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Influenza: Diagnosis and Treatment [Internet]. AAFP [2019; cited 2024 Sep 19]. Available from: https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2019/1215/p751.html
- NHS Inform. Flu [Internet]. NHS Inform [reviewed 2024 May 28; cited 2024 Sep 19]. Available from: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/flu
- NHS. Flu vaccine [Internet]. NHS [reviewed 2023 Nov 23; cited 2024 Sep 19]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/flu-vaccine/
- NHS. Children’s flu vaccine [Internet]. NHS [reviewed 2023 Dec 13; cited 2024 Sep 19]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/child-flu-vaccine/
- Childs CE, Calder PC, Miles EA. Diet and Immune Function. Nutrients [Internet]. 2019 Aug 16 [cited 2024 Sep 19]; 11(8): 1933. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/8/1933
- Besedovsky L, Lange T, Haack M. The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease. Physiol Rev [Internet]. 2019 Mar 27 [cited 2024 Sep 19]; 99(3): 1325-80. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6689741/
- NHS Inform. Hydration [Internet]. NHS Inform [cited 2024 Sep 19]. Available from: https://www.nhsinform.scot/campaigns/hydration
- European Medicines Agency (EMA). Echinaceae purpureae herba - herbal medicinal product [Internet]. EMA [cited 2024 Sep 19]. Available from: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/echinaceae-purpureae-herba GOV.UK. Herbal medicines granted a traditional herbal registration (THR) [Internet].
- GOV.UK [reviewed 2024 Aug 15; cited 2024 Sep 19]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/herbal-medicines-granted-a-traditional-herbal-registration-thr
- Abuelgasim H, Albury C, Lee J. Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Evid Based Med [Internet]. 2020 Aug 18 [cited 2024 Sep 19]; 26(2): 57-64. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32817011/
- NHS. Feeling sick (nausea) [Internet]. NHS [reviewed 2023 Nov 17; cited 2024 Sep 19]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/feeling-sick-nausea/ Sleep Foundation. Does Chamomile Tea Make You Sleep? [Internet].
- Sleep Foundation [reviewed 2024 Jun 27; cited 2024 Sep 19]. Available from: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-aids/does-chamomile-tea-make-you-sleep
- Hieu TH et al. Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chamomile for state anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, and sleep quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials and quasi-randomized trials. Phytother Res [Internet]. 2019 Jun [cited 2024 Sep 19]; 33(6): 1604-15. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31006899/ NHS Fife. Steam Inhalation [Internet].
- NHS Fife [cited 2024 Sep 19]. Available from: https://www.nhsfife.org/media/e9dp0vw1/steam-inhalation-leaflet.pdf
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