It’s been a rough flu season. The Association of American Medical Colleges reported that by the end of January, nearly 20 million Americans had already come down with the flu, and 10,000 had passed away from this illness. Clearly, you need to take the flu seriously.
Fortunately, most people can recover from the flu on their own. You can’t necessarily keep going about your usual activities, though. Rest plays a critical role in helping your body heal from the flu.
At SmartClinic Urgent Care, our team specializes in helping you get the care you need to recover from the flu and avoid complications like bronchitis and pneumonia. If your symptoms don’t improve after a couple of weeks, visit our team in West Covina or Santa Clarita, California. We offer urgent care, so you can make an appointment or walk in.
When you first start noticing flu symptoms, the best thing you can do is rest. Here’s a look at why.
Rest helps your body fight the virus that causes the flu. Lying around is great, but be sure to sleep in as long as you can and go to bed early. Take naps if you’re able.
Sleep helps your immune system function the way it should. That’s particularly important with viral infections like influenza. Because it’s a virus, not a bacteria, antibiotics don’t work on the flu. For otherwise healthy adults, the most effective way to beat the flu is to let the body’s natural healing processes go to work.
Resting and sleeping support your immune system; getting enough rest lowers your risk of flu complications. That makes you less likely to encounter pneumonia and other serious conditions as a result of your flu infection.
Rest is also important because it helps limit the spread of the flu. Don’t go out until at least 24 hours after your fever subsides.
When you stay home, you keep the virus contained. In a flu season when thousands of people have died from this illness, you can protect your community by not bringing your illness to the outside world.
People typically recover from the flu in two weeks or less. If it’s been that long with plenty of rest and your symptoms still aren’t improving, visit SmartClinic Urgent Care.
You should come in sooner if you have flu symptoms and you’re in a high-risk category. You may need extra support like antiviral medications to avoid serious complications from your infection. People who should seek immediate care for the flu include people who:
We’re here to help you navigate this high-intensity flu season. For symptoms that persist despite rest and for high-risk folks, we provide personalized, targeted treatment at visit SmartClinic Urgent Care. If you get sick with the flu, you can schedule an appointment or walk into either of our locations.
