If you have mild illness and are not at high risk, take these steps:

• Rest
• Take medicines that relieve symptoms and help you rest
• Drink plenty of liquids
• Avoid aspirin (especially teens and children)
• Avoid alcohol and tobacco
• Avoid antibiotics (unless necessary for another illness)

Most people who get seasonal flu will likely recover without needing medical care. Doctors, however, can prescribe antiviral drugs to treat people who become very sick with the flu or who are at high risk for flu complications. Ask your provider if you are high risk when you receive your flu immunization.

The main benefit of antiviral drugs is that they can shorten the time you have symptoms by about one day, but only if you start taking the medicine within 48 hours of when your symptoms began.

If you need treatment, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that your doctor give you zanamivir (Relenza) or osteltamivir (Tamiflu).

Children who are at risk of developing a severe case of the flu should also contact their provider for antiviral medication.

Anyone at any age can have serious complications from the flu, but those at highest risk include:

• People over age 50
• Children between 6 months and 2 years
• Women more than 3 months pregnant during the flu season
• Anyone living in a long-term care facility
• Anyone with chronic heart, lung, or kidney conditions, diabetes, or a weakened immune system

In most individuals who are otherwise healthy, the flu goes away within 7 to 10 days.

Possible complications, especially for those at high risk, include:

• Pneumonia
• Encephalitis (infection of the brain)
• Bronchitis
• Sinus infections
• Ear infections

Call your health care provider if someone in a high-risk category develops symptoms of the flu, or if your illness seems severe.