The Flu Explained
The flu is a viral infection that can infect your nose, throat, and lungs.1 It’s contagious and can easily spread from person to person. In many cases, the flu isn’t a reason for serious concern, especially if you’re generally in good health.1 Despite this, it’s important to be careful and take preventive measures to protect yourself from the virus—especially during cold and flu season. Start by getting the flu vaccine to help reduce your risk of catching the flu.2 Another easy move: wash your hands often with soap and hot water to prevent spreading the flu virus.1
What Are Some Flu Symptoms?
Even if you’ve had the flu before, it’s not always easy to identify flu symptoms. The flu and cold can present themselves in similar ways.3 With both cold and flu, you may experience cough, stuffy nose, and sore throat.3 However, cold symptoms are usually milder than flu symptoms and come with a more gradual onset.3 In addition, fever usually accompanies the flu virus, while being rare with colds.3
Here are some other signs and symptoms of the flu:4
- Chills
- Sore throat
- Nasal or sinus congestion
- Muscle body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue
Flu Recovery Timeline
In general, flu symptoms appear from one to four days after virus exposure and last around five to seven days.5 Symptom duration may vary depending on the person. Here is a general overview to the stages of flu recovery:6,7
- Day 0: The virus is contracted. No symptoms have exhibited themselves yet. You may or may not be contagious at this point.
- Days 1-4: Flu symptoms begin to appear suddenly. As mentioned above, the onset of these flu symptoms is much less gradual than that of a cold. Be on the lookout for fever, fatigue, chills, and other symptoms of flu. You are most contagious at this point in the timeline.7
- Days 5-7: Flu symptoms begin to decrease. Although you’re feeling better, you may still experience tiredness.
- Day 8 and Beyond: Symptoms are gone or continuing to improve. You may continue to feel fatigued for a few weeks after.
Keep in mind that this flu recovery timeline is a rough guide to flu symptoms. Every person will experience symptoms differently. However, if you’re noticing strong, persistent flu symptoms that last beyond a week, you should consult your doctor for medical advice.
Flu Recovery Tips
Recovery can feel as if it’s taking a long time but try to be patient. In the meantime, here are some tips to help you through the various stages of flu recovery:8
- Stay hydrated.
- Get sufficient rest.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Wash your hands often.
- Use a humidifier.
- Take a steamy shower.
- Elevate your head at night to help you rest.
- Stay home until you’re better.
You may also choose to manage your flu symptoms by taking OTC medications to help reduce your fever and relieve body aches.5 Reach for Theraflu-D Max Strength + Nasal Decongestion Syrup during the day; and get a good night’s sleep with Nighttime Theraflu-D Flu Relief Max Strength Nasal Decongestion Syrup. Both are formulated to help you get up to 6 hours of powerful relief from fever, nasal congestion, sinus pressure, cough, sore throat pain, and headache and body aches.
Theraflu-D contains pseudoephedrine, the most powerful oral nasal decongestant available without a prescription. It can help to relieve flu symptoms like sinus congestion and pressure, so that you can feel more comfortable.9 This medicine is available for purchase without a doctor’s note behind your local pharmacy counter. Simply ask your pharmacist for this max strength fever fighting formula for day and nighttime.
Now that you’re familiar with the different stages of the flu recovery, you can feel confident about taking the steps you need to support your recovery. Remember that prevention is the most effective tool to fight the flu—get your flu shot to reduce your risk of catching the flu in the first place.
Get well soon!
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