*Welcome to the OutUK series looking at gay men and their health brought to you in association with the NHS* website.**
	Each week we'll tackle a different topic in our A to Z of Gay Health. We'll have features and advice on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. You can follow any of links provided below for more information direct from the NHS website, or view any of our Previous A to Z Features.

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This Week - F : Flu

Protect yourself from flu, have the flu vaccine (GOV.UK website, PDF only, 1.01MB)

Symptoms of flu

Flu symptoms come on very quickly and can include:

a sudden high temperature
an aching body
feeling tired or exhausted
a dry cough
a sore throat
a headache
difficulty sleeping
loss of appetite
diarrhoea, tummy pain, feeling sick (nausea) and being sick (vomiting) - although these are less common in adults

The symptoms are similar for children, but they can also get pain in their ear, sore eyes, swollen glands and appear less active.

How to treat flu yourself

If you have flu, there are some things you can do to help get better more quickly.

Do

rest and sleep
take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower your temperature and treat aches and pains
give paracetamol or ibuprofen to your child if they're distressed or uncomfortable - check the packaging or leaflet to make sure the medicine is suitable for your child, or speak to a pharmacist or GP if you're not sure
drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration (your pee should be light yellow or clear)

Don't

do not give aspirin to children under the age of 16

A pharmacist can help with flu

A pharmacist can give treatment advice and recommend flu remedies.

Do not take paracetamol and flu remedies that contain paracetamol at the same time as it's easy to take more than the recommended dose.

Find a pharmacy

Antibiotics

Antibiotics do not work for viral infections such as flu. GPs do not recommend antibiotics for flu because they will not relieve your symptoms or speed up your recovery.

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

You or your child have symptoms of flu and:

you're 65 or over
you have a long-term medical condition - for example, diabetes or a condition that affects your heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, brain or nerves
you have a weakened immune system - for example, because of chemotherapy or HIV
you feel very unwell
you feel short of breath
your symptoms do not improve after 7 days

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

you get sudden chest pain
you have severe difficulty breathing - you're gasping, choking or not able to get words out
you start coughing up blood