Symptoms develop 1 to 4 days after you are infected, and they include:. Complete recovery may take 1 to 2 weeks or longer. Fatigue and weakness can last for several weeks. Complications of influenza may develop in anyone, but they are much more likely in older adults and people who have other health problems, especially heart and lung diseases.
Anyone exposed to an influenza flu virus can become infected. These viruses are contagious and spread easily among people in groups, such as in nursing homes, hospitals, shelters, schools, and day cares. Working, visiting, or living in any of these areas increases your risk of getting the flu. The risk of having severe symptoms and complications is higher for:. Call or other emergency services if:. In most healthy people, the flu will go away in 5 to 7 days, although fatigue can last much longer.
You may feel very sick, but home treatment is usually all that is needed. If it's flu season, you may just want to treat your symptoms at home.
Watch closely for symptoms of a bacterial infection, such as nasal drainage that changes from clear to colored after 5 to 7 days and symptoms that return or get worse. Early treatment with an antiviral medicine may reduce the severity of influenza and may prevent serious flu-related complications.
It's best to start these medicines right away. Babies, older adults, and people who have chronic health problems are more likely to have complications from the flu, and they may need to see a doctor for care beyond home treatment. But not all antiviral medicines work against all strains of the flu. Talk to your doctor if you think you may need an antiviral medicine. Call your doctor if you think your symptoms are caused by something other than the flu. Doctors can diagnose influenza flu using your symptoms alone if many cases of a similar illness have occurred in the community and if the local health department has confirmed a flu outbreak.
Tests to confirm you have the flu and to find out the type of virus may be important if:. A rapid flu test gives results quickly.
Although this test is not always correct, it can be useful when deciding whether to use an antiviral medicine. In most healthy people, influenza flu will go away in 5 to 7 days. The worst symptoms usually last 3 to 4 days. Home treatment to ease symptoms and prevent complications is usually all that is needed. But some people need treatment in the hospital. People at high risk of complications are encouraged to contact a doctor within 48 hours of their first symptoms to find out whether they need medicine to shorten the illness.
They also should call a doctor to receive medicine if they have been exposed to the flu. You can help prevent influenza by getting immunized with an influenza vaccine each year as soon as it's available. There are different ways to get a flu vaccine.
Ask your doctor what is right for you. Even if a flu vaccine does not prevent the flu, it can reduce the severity of flu symptoms and decrease the risk of complications. Studies have found that the flu vaccine results in fewer days missed from work and fewer visits to a doctor for respiratory infections, and it reduces the number of people who develop complications from the flu, such as pneumonia. In spite of these results, many people choose not to get a flu vaccine. Some do not get the vaccine because of myths they believe about the flu or the vaccines.
These include beliefs that the flu is a minor illness or that the vaccine causes the flu. The vaccine may cause side effects, such as soreness or fever, but they are usually minor and do not last long. Although antiviral medicines sometimes prevent the flu, they do not work in the same way as a yearly immunization and should not replace a flu vaccine.
The person who gives the vaccine may tell your child or you not to get it if your child or you:. People with egg allergies can get a flu vaccine that is recommended for their age. If their egg allergy is mild, they can get the vaccine anywhere it is offered.
But people with severe allergies to eggs should be vaccinated at a clinic with health care providers trained to manage severe allergic reactions. Almost every community has a program that offers flu vaccines at low cost during the flu season.
You also can get a flu vaccine during a routine visit to a doctor or pharmacy. Many health clinics have set hours at the start of the flu season for people to get flu vaccines without needing to make an appointment. Increase your chance of staying healthy by:. Two antiviral medicines oseltamivir and zanamivir can help prevent the flu caused by influenza A and B viruses. These medicines may also reduce the length of the illness if they are given as soon as possible after the first symptoms. During a flu outbreak, these medicines may be given at the same time as a flu vaccine and for 2 weeks after while your body produces antibodies to protect you from the virus.
But they may also be used for a person who has been sick with the flu for less than 48 hours. These medicines are taken by mouth pill or inhaled into the lungs inhaler. The antiviral medicines amantadine and rimantadine have been used to prevent flu caused by influenza A. But for the past few years the U. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC has advised doctors not to use these medicines to treat or prevent the flu. These medicines have not worked against most types of the flu virus.
Amantadine and rimantadine do not protect against influenza B. Be sure to talk with your doctor about the medicine that is best for you. If you have influenza, you can expect the illness to go away on its own in about 7 to 10 days. In the meantime, you can take steps to feel better:. Rather, antiviral medicines may help control outbreaks and prevent the spread of infection, especially in people at high risk for flu complications.
The antiviral medicines oseltamivir and zanamivir are used to prevent and treat influenza A and B infections. They can reduce the severity and shorten the duration of flu symptoms. Amantadine and rimantadine have been used to help prevent and treat the flu caused by influenza A but not influenza B infection. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC has advised doctors not to use amantadine or rimantadine to treat or prevent the flu. It is important to talk with your doctor about the medicine that is best for you.
Two antiviral medicines, oseltamivir and zanamivir, can treat and prevent influenza A and B infections. The effectiveness of antiviral medicines can vary from year to year. Some years a medicine may not work against the types of influenza virus causing symptoms. Your doctor can help you decide whether antiviral medicines are likely to help you.
Most people do not need antiviral medicines. There are many types of influenza viruses that usually only infect birds; these are called avian influenza viruses. Some avian influenza viruses, such as H5N1 or H7N9, have been associated with human disease. Read more on Queensland Health website. What is Influenza? Read more on National Asthma Council Australia website. Avian influenza, or bird flu, is an infectious disease caused by a type of influenza virus.
Find out about outbreaks, symptoms, treatment and prevention. Read more on myDr website. Influenza can cause serious complications and hospitalisation for people 65 years and older. Because of this free influenza vaccine is available to people 65 years and older. Read more on Immunisation Coalition website.
Don't spend your overseas adventure sick. Get all the tips, tricks and info you need to protect yourself from Influenza before you start your trip. The influenza vaccine is provided at no cost for pregnant women through the National Immunisation Program. Read more on Department of Health website. What are the side effects of influenza vaccines? Common side effects About 10 per cent of children 1 out of every 10 who have an influenza vaccine experience swelling, redness, pain at the injection site that lasts one or two days.
Between 1 per cent and 10 per cent of people 1—10 out of every who have an influenza vaccine get a fever, headache, tiredness or lack of energy malaise or muscle aches myalgia that last one or two days. Rare side effects. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has released its advice for immunisation providers regarding the administration of seasonal influenza vaccines. This is largely due to current evidence often being low-quality or unreliable.
Read more on Ausmed Education website. A range of different medicines are currently being trialed for potential treatment or prevention of COVID infection. Read more on Australian Prescriber website. Influenza is a viral infection that attacks your respiratory system — your nose, throat and lungs.
Influenza is commonly called the flu, but it's not the same as stomach "flu" viruses that cause diarrhea and vomiting. For most people, the flu resolves on its own. But sometimes, influenza and its complications can be deadly. People at higher risk of developing flu complications include:. At first, the flu may seem like a common cold with a runny nose, sneezing and sore throat. But colds usually develop slowly, whereas the flu tends to come on suddenly.
And although a cold can be a bother, you usually feel much worse with the flu. If you have flu symptoms and are at risk of complications, see your doctor right away. Taking antiviral drugs may reduce the length of your illness and help prevent more-serious problems.
If you have emergency signs and symptoms of the flu, get medical care right away. For adults, emergency signs and symptoms can include:. Influenza viruses travel through the air in droplets when someone with the infection coughs, sneezes or talks.
You can inhale the droplets directly, or you can pick up the germs from an object — such as a telephone or computer keyboard — and then transfer them to your eyes, nose or mouth. People with the virus are likely contagious from about a day before symptoms appear until about five days after they start.
Children and people with weakened immune systems may be contagious for a slightly longer time. Influenza viruses are constantly changing, with new strains appearing regularly. If you've had influenza in the past, your body has already made antibodies to fight that specific strain of the virus. If future influenza viruses are similar to those you've encountered before, either by having the disease or by getting vaccinated, those antibodies may prevent infection or lessen its severity.
But antibody levels may decline over time. Also, antibodies against influenza viruses you've encountered in the past may not protect you from new influenza strains that can be very different viruses from what you had before. If you're young and healthy, the flu usually isn't serious. Type B viruses mutate much slower than type A infections and are categorized by strains, but not subtypes. The B virus strains take longer for their genetic makeup to change than influenza A.
This drastically reduces the risk of a widespread pandemic due to type B influenza. Type A influenza can be dangerous and is known to cause outbreaks and increase your risk of disease.
Unlike a type B infection, type A viruses are categorized by subtypes and strains. Influenza A mutates faster than influenza B, but both viruses are always changing, creating new strains from one flu season to the next. Past flu vaccinations will not prevent infection from a new strain.
Wild birds are the natural hosts for a type A virus, also called avian flu and bird flu. This infection can also spread to other animals and humans. This, combined with the ability of type A influenza to mutate faster than type B, can cause pandemics.
Before treating your condition, your doctor will need to check for the influenza virus. The preferred test is the rapid molecular assay. In this procedure, your doctor swabs your nose or throat. The test will detect influenza viral RNA within 30 minutes or less. In some cases, influenza A symptoms can clear on their own with ample rest and fluid intake.
In other cases, your doctor may prescribe antiviral medication to fight the infection. Common antiviral prescriptions include:. These medications, known as neuraminidase inhibitors, reduce the ability of the influenza virus to spread from cell to cell, slowing down the infection process.
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