According to U.S. health officials, the number of acute respiratory illnesses causing people to seek medical care remains at a high level. Seasonal influenza activity, in particular, remains elevated across the country.
If you or a family member has the flu or other respiratory infection, Dr. Tina Ardon, a Mayo Clinic family medicine physician, said there are ways to manage most respiratory infection symptoms at home.
“Most upper respiratory infections can be managed at home,” said Ardon.
That can start by staying hydrated, which is important part of the body’s recovery process.
“If we are feeling sick and we’re not drinking enough — maybe we have a high fever or throwing up, we have diarrhea — we are at risk of dehydration. And that may need more urgent evaluation, perhaps in the ER settings,” said Ardon.
