I have an aching upper body, a severe sore throat (burning sensation), sneezing and nasal drip and stuffy nose. Are they symptoms of flu?



From your list of symptoms, yes, it does sound as if you have flu. However, if these symptoms persist, then you should consult your doctor since very often these could be the signs of some other, more serious medical condition and should therefore not be ignored.

For an aching body the best thing to do is to take complete rest. Keep warm and avoid exposing yourself to the cold. Try to sleep as much as possible and avoid late nights since these will only tire you out further. Using a hot water bottle can give you some relief and you can try this when going to bed.

You should also avoid going out since the pollution and dust could cause you to have another attack of sneezing. Stay indoors as far as possible and avoid dusty corners.

Eat light food that will not cause any problems. This means that you should stay away from heavy food. Avoid oily food and food that has a lot of spices. Drinking soups or well cooked rice is a safe option.

For your sore throat you should stay away from cold drinks. Don't drink cold water since this will only aggravate your condition. Instead you should drink warm water through the day. Drinking a hot drink made of the juice of half a lemon, a tablespoon of honey and a glass of hot water will soothe your throat. Another very effective drink that will soothe your throat is a cup of hot milk with half a teaspoon of turmeric powder stirred into it. This should be drunk at bedtime and will ease any pain that you experience. If you don't like drinking this drink, you can heat half a cup of water and add the turmeric to this. This has the same effect as the milk drink. Fresh ginger is also very effective in curing a cold and easing the pain of a sore throat. You can use two to three tablespoons of grated ginger to make one cup of this drink. Boil it with one cup of water till the water is reduced. Honey can be added to sweeten this drink after it has been strained. The leaves of fresh basil can also be used to make a drink that will soothe the throat. You can boil around 10-15 leaves of fresh basil in a cup of water till the water is reduced to half. This drink can be drunk without any sweetener though adding a spoonful of honey does make it more beneficial.

For your stuffy nose you can try inhaling. Adding a spoonful of some decongestant to a pot of steaming hot water makes it a medicinal inhalation. Drape a towel over yourself to ensure that you get the complete benefit of the steam.

answered by G M


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