You can often treat the flu without seeing your GP and should begin to feel better in about a week.
Check if you have flu
Flu symptoms come on very quickly and can include:
- a sudden fever – a temperature of 38C or above
- aching body
- feeling tired or exhausted
- dry cough
- sore throat
- headache
- difficulty sleeping
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea or tummy pain
- nausea and being sick
The symptoms are similar for children, but they can also get pain in their ear and appear less active.
Telling the difference between cold and flu
Cold and flu symptoms are similar, but flu tends to be more severe.
| Flu | Cold |
|---|---|
| Appears quickly within a few hours | Appears gradually |
| Affects more than just your nose and throat | Affects mainly your nose and throat |
| Makes you feel exhausted and too unwell to carry on as normal | Makes you feel unwell, but you're OK to carry on as normal (for example, go to work) |
How to treat flu yourself
To help you get better more quickly:
- 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)
A pharmacist can help with flu
A pharmacist can give treatment advice and recommend flu remedies.
Be careful not to use flu remedies if you're taking paracetamol and ibuprofen tablets as it's easy to take more than the recommended dose.
Speak to a pharmacist before giving medicines to children.
Call NHS 111 or see your GP if:
- you're worried about your baby's or child's symptoms
- you're 65 or over
- you're pregnant
- you have a long-term medical condition – for example, diabetes or a heart, lung, kidney or neurological disease
- you have a weakened immune system – for example, because of chemotherapy or HIV
- your symptoms don't improve after 7 days
Antibiotics
GPs don't recommend antibiotics for flu because they won't relieve your symptoms or speed up your recovery.
Call 999 or go to A&E if you:
- develop sudden chest pain
- have difficulty breathing
- start coughing up blood
How to avoid spreading the flu
Flu is very infectious and easily spread to other people. You're more likely to give it to others in the first 5 days.
Flu is spread by germs from coughs and sneezes, which can live on hands and surfaces for 24 hours.
To reduce the risk of spreading flu:
- wash your hands often with warm water and soap
- use tissues to trap germs when you cough or sneeze
- bin used tissues as quickly as possible
See how to wash your hands correctly
How to prevent flu
The flu vaccine reduces the risk of catching flu, as well as spreading it to others.
It's more effective to get the vaccine before the start of the flu season (December to March).
Find out if you're eligible for the free NHS flu vaccine
Page last reviewed: 12/12/2017
Next review due: 12/12/2020