Symptoms

For most people flu can cause unpleasant symptoms, but if you are in the “at risk” group flu can cause severe illness.

Symptoms of flu develop quickly and include:

• a sudden high temperature
• an aching body
• feeling tired or exhausted
• a dry cough
• a sore throat
• a headache
• difficulty sleeping
• loss of appetite
• diarrhoea or tummy pain
• feeling sick and being sick

Treatments

What can I do?

The flu vaccine is the safest and most effective way to help protect against flu. It will also help reduce the risk of spreading flu to others.

Treatments

• Rest and sleep
• Keep warm
• Take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower your temperature and treat aches and pains
• Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration (your pee should be light yellow or clear)

Antibiotics do not work for viral infections such as flu. GPs do not recommend antibiotics for flu because they will not relieve symptoms or speed up your recovery.

Children

Offer your child regular fluids. If you’re a breastfeeding mother, offer your child as many feeds as they will take.

Painkillers - Do not give paracetamol to a child under 2 months. Do not give ibuprofen to a child under 3 months or under 5kg or to children with asthma. Never give Aspirin to under 16s.

Children can go to school or nursery with a cold but should stay at home until any fever goes away.

A member of your pharmacy team can help with advice on managing your child's symptoms. 

When to get medical assistance

Call your surgery or NHS111 in England and Wales, Phone First in NI or NHS24 in Scotland if you or your child has flu and you are worried about your baby’s or child’s symptoms:

• symptoms do not improve after 7 days
• you are over 65
• you are pregnant
• you have a long-term condition, such as diabetes or a condition that affects your heart, lungs, kidneys, brain or nerves
• you have a weakened immune system – for example, from chemotherapy.