Patient's question:
If a child in the family gets the flu, what kind of medicine can they use by themselves? The child in the family always gets colds and has to go to the hospital every time. But after taking medicine twice, it gets better. So I wanted to ask what kind of medicine is good to use at home in such cases, and how long it takes to recover.Doctor's answer:
Influenza is caused by infection with the influenza virus or parainfluenza virus. It has a clear history of individual epidemics, with localized symptoms being relatively mild while systemic symptoms are more severe, often high fever, headache, and muscle aches in limbs, etc. The course of the disease is also relatively long. If a child recovers after taking medicine for two days each time they are sick, it is likely not influenza but a common cold. The majority of cases are caused by viral infections. A common cold generally has a self-limiting nature. At home, you can take some antiviral medication or pay attention to drinking more water and getting more rest. It usually gradually improves within 3 to 5 days.