Patient education: Flu in adults – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

What are discharge instructions? — Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of yourself after getting medical care for a health problem.

What is the flu? — The flu is an infection that can cause fever, cough, body aches, and other symptoms. The most common type of flu is the "seasonal" flu. There are different forms of seasonal flu, for example, "type A" and "type B." The medical term for the flu is "influenza."

All forms of the flu are caused by viruses. Antibiotics do not work to treat the flu. Doctors might prescribe an "antiviral" medicine for you. If so, follow your doctor's instructions. The flu can be dangerous because it can cause a serious lung infection called pneumonia.

How do I care for myself at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

You should also:

●Take all of your medicines as instructed, even if you are feeling better.

●Get lots of rest. Sleep when you feel tired. Avoid doing tiring activities.

●Take warm, steamy showers to help soothe your cough.

●Use hard candy or cough drops to soothe a sore throat and cough.

●Try to thin mucus:

•Drink lots of liquids.

•Use a cool mist humidifier if your doctor told you to. If you try this, keep the humidifier clean.

•Use saline nose drops to relieve stuffiness.

●Use a medicine like acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin) to help bring down your fever.

●Dress in lightweight clothes if you have a fever. Cover with a light sheet or blanket if needed. This will help keep you from getting too warm.

The flu is easy to spread from person to person. These steps can help reduce the spread of infection:

●Get a flu vaccine each year. Some years, the flu vaccine is more effective than others. But even in years when it is less effective, it still helps prevent some cases of the flu. It can also help keep you from getting severely ill if you do get the flu.

●Stay away from people who are sick. Do not hug or kiss others who are sick. Stay away from crowded places until you have fully recovered. Tell other people to wash their hands before and after they are around you.

●Stay away from other people when you are sick. When you do need to be around other people, consider wearing a face mask.

●Wash your hands often (figure 1) with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers also work to kill germs.

●When you are sick, cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow instead of your hands. Throw away tissues in the trash, and wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or touching used tissues.

●Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

●Do not share cups, food, towels, bedding, or other personal items with others.

●Clean items and surfaces you often touch. Examples include sinks, counters, tables, door handles, remotes, and phones. Germs can often live on surfaces for a few hours. Use a bleach and water mixture or a cleaning product that gets rid of viruses.

What follow-up care do I need? — Your doctor or nurse will tell you if you need to make a follow-up appointment. If so, make sure that you know when and where to go.

When should I call the doctor? — Call for emergency help right away (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1) if:

●You are having so much trouble breathing that you can only say 1 or 2 words at a time.

●You need to sit upright at all times to be able to breathe, or cannot lie down.

●You are very tired from working to catch your breath, or you are sweating from trying to breathe.

Call for advice if:

●You have trouble breathing when talking or sitting still.

●You have severe chest discomfort.

●You feel confused or disoriented.

●You are vomiting and can't keep liquids down.

●You have early signs of fluid loss, such as:

•Dark-colored urine

•Dry mouth

•Muscle cramps

•Lack of energy

•Feeling lightheaded when you stand up

More on this topic

Patient education: Flu (The Basics)
Patient education: Flu vaccine (The Basics)
Patient education: Cough, runny nose, and the common cold (The Basics)
Patient education: Sore throat in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: What you should know about vaccines (The Basics)
Patient education: What you should know about antibiotics (The Basics)
Patient education: When to worry about a fever in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Bird flu (avian influenza) (The Basics)

Patient education: Influenza symptoms and treatment (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Influenza prevention (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: The common cold in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Pneumonia in adults (Beyond the Basics)