Influenza treatment

This article is about flu treatment in humans for mild human flu, which includes both efforts to reduce symptoms and treatments for the flu virus itself.

The CDC recommends that patients with flu get plenty of rest, drink a lot of liquids, and avoid using alcohol and tobacco. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Influenza Symptoms, Protection, and What to Do If You Get Sick
work =
publisher = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
date = 2006-01-14
url = http://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms.htm
accessdate = 2007-05-25]

Antiviral Drugs

These treatments are antiviral drugs that affect the virus itself and may be used as either a prophylactic (that is, before infection) or as treatment. In general, antiviral drugs for treatment of influenza must be taken within a few days of the onset of symptoms.

Due to increasing incidence of drug resistance to amantadine and rimantadine in H3N2 during the 2005–2006 flu season in the United States, the CDC recommended the use of oseltamivir for flu prevention and the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for flu treatment. [cite web
last = Smith
first = Nicole M.
authorlink =
coauthors = Joseph S. Bresee, David K. Shay, Timothy M. Uyeki, Nancy J. Cox, Raymond A. Strikas
title = Prevention and Control of Influenza
work = Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
publisher = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
date = 2006-07-28
url = http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5510a1.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-05-25] [cite news
last = Altman
first = Lawrence K.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = This Season's Flu Virus Is Resistant to 2 Standard Drugs
work =
publisher = New York Times
date = 2006-01-15
url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/health/15drugs.html?ei=5070&en=894648faaa3e20dd&ex=1180324800&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1180179153-i6/kQj7G/6xXU0ly7mCBgQ
accessdate = 2007-05-25]

Approved

These prescription drugs have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as safe and effective.

Experimental

Peramivir is being developed by BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, but has not yet been approved for sale in the United States. [cite web | title = Peramivir Fact Sheet
publisher = BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc
format = pdf
url = http://www.biocryst.com/pdf/peramivirfacts.pdf
accessdate = 2007-05-25]

Conventional symptomatic relief

Over the counter medicines may be taken to relieve influenza symptoms, but they do not affect the virus.

Children and teenagers with flu symptoms (particularly fever) should avoid taking aspirin as taking aspirin in the presence of influenza infection (especially Influenzavirus B) can lead to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease of the liver. [cite news | last = Molotsky | first = Irvin | title = Consumer Saturday - Warning on Flu and Aspirin | publisher = New York Times | date = 1986-02-15 | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9A0DEFD7133BF936A25751C0A960948260 | accessdate = 2007-05-25]

Unconventional treatment

Homeopathic and other cold and flu remedies that fail to meet the regulatory requirements as drugs that treat disease, or the standards of evidence-based medicine, are sold as nutritional supplements.

They may be based on extracts of living things, but may lack documentation of their safety and effectiveness.facts|date=September 2007

References