Cold and flu season is upon you and the rest of the country, and you may find yourself wondering what you can and should do to deal with it this year. If you find yourself experiencing any flu-like symptoms, for example, there are steps that you will want to take to properly handle the situation. Even if it turns out that your symptoms are not because of the flu, taking these steps can help you and those around you this cold and flu season. Learn some of these steps, and you can put them to use if and when you have flu-like symptoms. 

Leave Work or School as Soon as Possible

If you start to feel any flu-like symptoms when you are out of the house, either at work or at school (or anywhere else really), you will want to leave those public areas as soon as you are able to do so. Whether you have a cold, the flu, or another type of illness, getting away from people as soon as possible will help to prevent you from sharing any of your germs with them. This is especially important if you work around any vulnerable populations like children or the elderly. These groups are more susceptible to having severe complications if they contract the flu. 

Consider Going Straight to a Walk-In Clinic

When most people have flu-like symptoms, they are unsure as to whether or not they actually have the flu or something else. Because of this uncertainty, they decide to wait out their symptoms allowing them to get much worse before they seek out help and treatment.

This course of action (or inaction) is problematic for a few reasons. Firstly, it allows the person's symptoms to get a great deal worse, making a person unnecessarily miserable and uncomfortable in the process. Secondly, if the person waits too long to seek out medical care and attention, they may miss the window of opportunity to treat their flu. Tamiflu, the most common medication for the flu, is only effective if taken within the first 48 hours after you become symptomatic. 

Because of these facts, you should seriously consider going straight to a walk-in clinic when you experience symptoms. You will prevent yourself from feeling any worse than you need to and can potentially get the treatment you need right away to overcome the flu as well and as quickly as possible. 

Give Yourself Time to Recuperate

As previously mentioned, when you first experience flu-like symptoms, you should head home. In addition to that, you should give yourself time to recover and feel better. Do not go back to work the very next day if you have flu-like symptoms, especially if your symptoms have worsened. You will need several days to recuperate from your illness, whether it is the flu or something else. Rest, relax, and allow your body to heal and get healthy once again. Then, get back into your regular routine. 

Take these steps when you have flu-like symptoms, and you will feel better sooner rather than later. Click here for more information on finding a walk-in clinic near you.