What to Take for Flu

Do you want to knowwhat to take for fluto relieve the symptoms? Nobody wants to suffer from flu: headache, general malaise, fatigue, cough or fever are symptoms we all dread when the seasonal flu period arrives. We all immediately think the same thing: how to get better as soon as possible and what we need to take for that.

However, there is good news and bad news in this respect. The good news is thatflu gets better on its ownin the vast majority of cases, in the time it takes our body to deal with the virus naturally. The bad news is that, unfortunately, flu cannot be cured with medicines, because at present there is none that fights the virus in a proven and effective way.

What we can do is takemedicines that tackle flu symptoms, making the days of illnessmuch more manageableand greatly improving our quality of life during this process.

Medicines to take for flu

It is important to distinguish between the different medicines we can take depending on which flu symptoms each one treats:

Cough suppressants

Here we find medicines that help prevent excessive coughing and the throat irritation that comes with it. They are commonly available both as syrups and lozenges.

When it comes to a dry cough, the most common are those containing dextromethorphan, which should be avoided when there is phlegm or mucus, as their effect will prevent us from clearing it. Well-known options include Iniston antitusivo and Bisolvon antitusivo, among others.

Painkillers

Painkillers are medicines that relieve muscle pain and discomfort. These include such well-known products as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen.

Antihistamines

These medicines are usually taken to treat allergy symptoms, but they are actually useful during flu and colds. Their value lies in their ability to dry the nasal lining, thereby helping to reduce excess mucus. The most common of these is chlorphenamine, and a large number of cold and flu products contain it.

One example, available in the cold and flu category on the Farmaciasdirect website, is Frenadol, which you can find in different formats for both adults and children. It is important to point out that they can cause drowsiness, so they should be avoided when driving, operating machinery or carrying out activities that require alertness.

Cold and flu medicines

Cold and flu medicinesthat can be bought in pharmacies without a prescription are actually preparations made with mixtures of different active ingredients so that they work against all flu symptoms. They usually include pain-relieving, cough-suppressant and antihistamine components, and sometimes also a nasal decongestant.

Examples of these combination products include those mentioned above, such as Frenadol. When taking these preparations, you need to be very careful if you are already taking any type of medication, because as they contain several active ingredients they can lead to excessive daily doses if, for example, you are also taking an anti-inflammatory separately.

What does not work for flu symptoms

There is a common habit of mistakenly taking certain medicines for flu. These are the most common:

• Antivirals:all antivirals require a prescription and should never be taken on your own initiative. Some act on the flu virus, but their effectiveness is not as well proven as it should be, so they are reserved for use in hospitalised or at-risk patients.
• Antibiotics:antibiotics are very important medicines in the fight against bacteria, but they have no effect whatsoever on viruses. Since flu is caused by a virus, there is no point in taking them unless, along with flu, we are suffering from a bacterial illness such as pneumonia. Antibiotics also have adverse effects and can cause bacterial resistance, so they should never be overused and it is vital to use them properly so that they continue to work when they are truly needed.
• Decongestants:although their effectiveness in relieving nasal congestion is proven, these medicines should not be taken in cases of flu when the patient suffers from heart problems or high blood pressure, and they also interact with a large number of medicines. So, unless congestion is genuinely a severe problem beyond the usual minor nuisance, they should be avoided.

Home remedies to ease flu symptoms

In addition to all the medicines mentioned, there are some natural products that can help you combat flu symptoms.

• One of these ismenthol, which is very useful for coughs.
• Honeyhas also been used medicinally since ancient times, as it has a large number of beneficial properties, with the most important in this case being its soothing and antiseptic effects.
• Lemon, on the other hand, with its high vitamin C content strengthens the immune system, which is essential, because it is this that will really have to fight the virus.

Bibliography:

• Rosas, M. R. (2008). Gripe y resfriado. Clínica y tratamiento. Offarm, 27(2).
• Marès, J., Rodrigo, C., Moreno-Pérez, D., Cilleruelo, M. J., Barrio, F., Buñuel, J. C., ... & Hernández-Sampelayo, T. (2010, February). Recomendaciones sobre el tratamiento de la gripe en Pediatría (2009–2010). In Anales de Pediatría (Vol. 72, No. 2, pp. 144-e1). Elsevier Doyma.