{"id":4062,"date":"2017-11-03T13:46:15","date_gmt":"2017-11-03T20:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/?p=4062"},"modified":"2019-11-07T23:44:57","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T07:44:57","slug":"what-to-do-when-you-have-the-flu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/what-to-do-when-you-have-the-flu\/","title":{"rendered":"What to do when you have the flu"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to the flu, there are ways to monitor and stay on top of your symptoms. If you or a loved one have the flu or are feeling under the weather, take a moment to learn when your symptoms indicate it\u2019s time to call a nurse line or visit your doctor or urgent care center. You can even print the following symptoms-based guide and keep it handy for the future.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>When to call a nurse line:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>If symptoms improve, then worsen<\/li>\n<li>If you have a chronic health condition (e.g., heart or lung conditions, diabetes, asthma, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>A sore throat lasts for more than 5 days<\/li>\n<li>Congestion for more than 2 weeks<\/li>\n<li>A cough for more than 3 weeks<\/li>\n<li>A fever of more than 101 that lasts for more than 3 days<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Visit your primary care doctor or urgent care center if you have:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>A fever over 103\u00b0 F or fever that doesn\u2019t improve after taking fever-reducing medication<\/li>\n<li>Ear pain or a persistently sore throat<\/li>\n<li>Sinus pain<\/li>\n<li>Flu symptoms while pregnant<\/li>\n<li>An inability to eat or drink<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Go to the emergency room immediately if you have:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>A weakened immune system (e.g., due to cancer, HIV, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>A fever over 103, with confusion<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing<\/li>\n<li>An inability to stay hydrated<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty breathing or feeling extremely short of breath<\/li>\n<li>Chest pain<\/li>\n<li>Extreme sleepiness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What are respiratory infections?<\/h2>\n<p>Respiratory infections are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/about\/facts\/cdcfastfacts\/contagious-diseases-disasters.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">contagious viruses<\/a> that occur in your upper respiratory tract (nose, throat, pharynx, larynx, and bronchi). The most common symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, and fatigue.<\/p>\n<p>The common cold, sore throat, sinus infection, and influenza (flu) all fit within the larger category of respiratory infections. (Some symptoms that are more specific to the flu are a high fever and muscle aches.)<\/p>\n<h2>Should I get a flu shot?<\/h2>\n<p>Yes. Flu shots dramatically decrease the odds of getting the flu. However, even individuals who have had flu shots still occasionally come down with the flu or illnesses with flu-like symptoms.<\/p>\n<p>While some people may feel mildly ill for a few days after receiving the flu vaccine, it\u2019s important to remember that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/flu\/about\/qa\/misconceptions.htm\">getting a flu shot does not cause the flu<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>How long until I feel better?<\/h2>\n<p>Most people recover within 1 to 2 weeks. However, influenza can cause more serious illness if you have a weakened immune system or a chronic medical condition like diabetes or heart disease. The flu can also be more serious for children, the elderly, and pregnant women.<\/p>\n<p>The sooner you're able to start antiviral medication, the better. But unless you're experiencing severe symptoms, the best place to start is usually with a call to an advice nurse.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><em>*We do not provide medical advice. The medical information we provide is intended for educational purposes only. Such information is not a substitute for the care and advice from your healthcare providers. Consult your doctor for medical advice.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to the flu, there are ways to monitor and stay on top of your symptoms. If you or a loved one have the flu or are feeling under the weather, take a moment to learn when your symptoms indicate it\u2019s time to call a nurse line or visit your doctor or urgent [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":4192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,9],"tags":[460,495,290,408,35,514,36,497],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/influenza-same-day-care-2-featured.jpg","acf":{"post_type":"post","post_subtitle":"Should you call a nurse line or visit your doctor? Find out with our quick guide.","post_hero_image":{"ID":4191,"id":4191,"title":"influenza-same-day-care-2-hero","filename":"influenza-same-day-care-2-hero.jpg","filesize":34450,"url":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/influenza-same-day-care-2-hero.jpg","link":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/what-to-do-when-you-have-the-flu\/influenza-same-day-care-2-hero\/","alt":"Kleenex, medicine, and a pair of feet lie near the edge of a couch, while their owner lies propped up, sneezing and sniffling.","author":"49","description":"Kleenex, medicine, and a pair of feet lie near the edge of a couch, while their owner lies propped up, sneezing and sniffling.","caption":"What should you do when you have the flu? Find out with our quick,\u00a0symptoms-based guide.","name":"influenza-same-day-care-2-hero","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":4062,"date":"2017-11-16 22:52:26","modified":"2017-11-16 23:01:14","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":960,"height":400,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/influenza-same-day-care-2-hero.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":63,"medium":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/influenza-same-day-care-2-hero.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":125,"medium_large":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/influenza-same-day-care-2-hero.jpg","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":267,"large":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/influenza-same-day-care-2-hero.jpg","large-width":640,"large-height":267,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/influenza-same-day-care-2-hero.jpg","1536x1536-width":960,"1536x1536-height":400,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/influenza-same-day-care-2-hero.jpg","2048x2048-width":960,"2048x2048-height":400}},"mobile_content":{"mobile_story_label":"Featured","mobile_post_title":"What to do when you have the flu","mobile_carousel_image":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/influenza-same-day-care-2-mobile-carousel.jpg","mobile_hero_image":"https:\/\/d3toagd7ypryjs.cloudfront.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/influenza-same-day-care-2-featured.jpg","mobile_content_body":"<p>When it comes to the flu, 2018 is turning out to be quite scary. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/flu\/weekly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has reported<\/a> the highest rates of hospital admissions for influenza since the flu pandemic of 2009.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, there are ways to monitor and stay on top of your symptoms. If you or a loved one have the flu or are feeling under the weather, take a moment to learn when your symptoms indicate it\u2019s time to call a nurse line or visit your doctor or urgent care center. You can even print the following symptoms-based guide and keep it handy for the future.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>When to call a nurse line:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>If symptoms improve, then worsen<\/li>\n<li>If you have a chronic health condition (e.g., heart or lung conditions, diabetes, asthma, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>A sore throat lasts for more than 5 days<\/li>\n<li>Congestion for more than 2 weeks<\/li>\n<li>A cough for more than 3 weeks<\/li>\n<li>A fever of more than 101 that lasts for more than 3 days<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Visit your primary care doctor or urgent care center if you have:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>A fever over 103 or fever that doesn\u2019t improve after taking fever-reducing medication<\/li>\n<li>Ear pain or a persistently sore throat<\/li>\n<li>Sinus pain<\/li>\n<li>Flu symptoms while pregnant<\/li>\n<li>An inability to eat or drink<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Go to the emergency room immediately if you have:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>A weakened immune system (e.g., due to cancer, HIV, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>A fever over 103, with confusion<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing<\/li>\n<li>An inability to stay hydrated<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty breathing or feeling extremely short of breath<\/li>\n<li>Chest pain<\/li>\n<li>Extreme sleepiness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Should I get a flu shot?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. Flu shots dramatically decrease the odds of getting the flu; however, even individuals who have had flu shots still occasionally come down with the flu or illnesses with flu-like symptoms.<\/p>\n<h3>How long until I feel better?<\/h3>\n<p>Most people recover within one to two weeks. However, influenza can cause more serious illness if you have a weakened immune system or a chronic medical condition like diabetes or heart disease.<\/p>\n"},"post_cta_status":"true","post_conclusion_status":"false","post_co_branding_status":"false","card_title":"What to do when you have the flu","header":"Worth the look","footer":"3 minute read"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4062"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4062"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4062\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.castlighthealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}