I hurt all over, and I'm really tired. Is this flu?
I am sorry to hear that you have been unwell. I see that you have posted your question from one of our flu pages. Yes, flu can give rise to a variety... Read the full answer 〉
I am sorry to hear that you have been unwell. I see that you have posted your question from one of our flu pages. Yes, flu can give rise to a variety... Read the full answer 〉
I am sorry to hear that you have been feeling unwell. Flu can give you aching muscles and joints. However, it is unusual to give rise to a swollen... Read the full answer 〉
There can be a number of reasons for an itchy throat. The most likely are:1. Infection – these are most commonly viral and give rise to the... Read the full answer 〉
Yes, this is possible and there are two reasons why it might be so:• Pregnancy suppresses your immune system. If your child has been born... Read the full answer 〉
Flu is caused by a group of viruses known as the Influenza viruses. Antibiotics act on bacteria and will not have any effect on viruses. Treatments... Read the full answer 〉
On average, an adult will experience 2 or 3 colds or flu each year. There are a few factors which might be contributing to your fortunate... Read the full answer 〉
Yes - the active ingredients in Echinaforce® are stable to its use-by date even if a bottle has been opened. The product is a licensed medicine and... Read the full answer 〉
The question you ask is a good one. Opinions vary. The guidance in the UK is that it is fine to have the flu jab if you have any sort of cold,... Read the full answer 〉
The immune system can become a bit tired as we become older and of course, as in any age group, it becomes less efficient when we are under stress or... Read the full answer 〉
A viral infection giving rise to the common cold or head colds can give you pains in your muscles, bones and joints. The primary reason for this... Read the full answer 〉
The first thing that comes to mind when reading the description of your symptoms is that you may have a condition known as allergic rhinitis. This is... Read the full answer 〉
This is not an uncommon experience. The key reason is that the flu jab only protects you from a few types of flu viruses and it is likely that you... Read the full answer 〉
The number of times a day you can use a nasal spray is usually defined on the product packaging - look for the dosage instructions. Some people do... Read the full answer 〉
A head cold will normally last between 5 and 7 days without any treatment. Research has shown that Echinacea can shorten the length of your cold so... Read the full answer 〉
I am sorry to hear that you have been unwell. Yes, this can be termed a head cold. It is likely that your headache is the result of partial blockage... Read the full answer 〉
I am sorry to hear that you have been unwell. Yes, viral infections can cause a round of re-infection in friends, colleagues or family. The key... Read the full answer 〉
This is an interesting question – although I am not sure if I can give you a definitive scientific answer. However, one possibility is that in some... Read the full answer 〉
Yes, a head cold can lead to dizziness. The reason is that the infection and inflammation leads to an increase in the amount of mucus produced by the... Read the full answer 〉
This is a very good question and one that has exercised the minds of many people over the years. The first thing to look at would probably be diet.... Read the full answer 〉
The short answer is yes. A head cold is not a very clearly defined condition medically. The term has been coined because some cold symptoms do not... Read the full answer 〉
Yes, a head cold can affect your eyes. Viruses tend to go for the most vulnerable parts of the body – for the common cold virus which is... Read the full answer 〉
I am sorry to hear that you have been unwell. In general, with the common cold or flu, one or two days in bed should help to get you on the road to... Read the full answer 〉
Yes, severe colds and flu can give rise to a multitude of symptoms, including aching muscles and joints. As you say, certain viruses are more prone... Read the full answer 〉
Yes, this is very unusual. What I think could be happening is that you started with a head cold affecting your sinuses and / or ears. This would have... Read the full answer 〉
I am sorry to hear that you have been feeling unwell with flu symptoms for the past week. Most people with similar infections will be starting to... Read the full answer 〉
Yes, loss of voice can one of the symptoms experienced with the common cold. Basically, what happens is that the inflammation that is in the upper... Read the full answer 〉
People do respond differently to viral infections. As you say, the state of your immune function is key and in general, young adults will get over an... Read the full answer 〉
I’m sorry to hear that you have been unwell. Yes, Echinaforce will help you recover faster and will be suitable at this stage of the illness. I... Read the full answer 〉
Mucus is produced naturally by the body and has the function of keeping the delicate membranes in our head and nasal passages moist and protected.... Read the full answer 〉
The body’s inflammatory response is controlled by the immune system by a variety of very complex pathways. If this system is not functioning well,... Read the full answer 〉
Yes, there is evidence that Echinacea can have a direct action on HSV-1, the cause of cold sores. However, we find that Propolis is probably a... Read the full answer 〉
Most colds will not last longer than 10 days. Of course, some people recover sooner than others, and this depends on two factors – the virus which... Read the full answer 〉
A head cold is more likely to affect the sinuses and this could explain the symptom of ‘pain in the head’ that you describe. If this does not... Read the full answer 〉
This is a very interesting question. Current scientific thinking is NO.The viruses causing cat flu and similar respiratory infections are quite... Read the full answer 〉
This is an interesting question and the answer is yes. The reason for this is that as sinuses become blocked, pressure builds up within the cavity... Read the full answer 〉
There are a number of causes of loss of smell. It is very commonly seen when one has an infection or inflammation of the upper airways, excessive... Read the full answer 〉
Echinaforce® is traditionally used for the relief of colds and flu and Bronchosan is traditionally used for dry/tickly coughs. You can use these... Read the full answer 〉
If you have a cold or flu, it will be better if you did not serve food. The reason is that you are likely to transfer viruses from your hands onto... Read the full answer 〉
In general, the answer is no. The bacteria and viruses in the digestive tract and faeces will not give you the cold or flu. However, if you are using... Read the full answer 〉
Your symptoms do suggest that you have a viral infection and this can give rise to muscle aches or pains. Co-codamol can help with the pain but will... Read the full answer 〉
A head cold, if severe, can give rise to muscle aches and pains. Other symptoms can include headaches or a feeling of pressure in the face because... Read the full answer 〉
As you will know, Lupus is a condition classified as an autoimmune disorder. These arise because the body’s immune system starts to see normal body... Read the full answer 〉
Our Cough Spray for kids is suitable for children over the age of 4 years and may help to soothe the symptoms of coughing in children. To help... Read the full answer 〉
You can get a constant headache with colds and flu but these usually go as you get better. Headaches of this nature are often caused by blocked... Read the full answer 〉
You could try Plantago, this is traditionally used to help with blocked ears from infections, colds etc. This can be taken with your other... Read the full answer 〉
Head colds are colds but with the symptoms focusing more around the head and face such as headaches, blocked nose/sinus, head pressure etc. Read the full answer 〉
You have identified the two most likely possibilities causing your symptoms. Firstly, dry coughs are typically viral coughs and may persist for some... Read the full answer 〉
I am afraid that I won’t be able to give you a definitive answer to your question, mainly because the scientific facts are not clear. What we do... Read the full answer 〉
‘Diseases’ which we know as H1N1 or H5N1 are actually the names of influenza viruses. Some of these have become notorious because they are able... Read the full answer 〉
You seem to have had a particularly bad bout of viral infection.Sometimes, viruses causing colds and flu can trigger an inflammatory response in the... Read the full answer 〉
This is a very good, simple question which unfortunately, has many answers.One of the main responsibilities of the immune system is to help the body... Read the full answer 〉
The symptoms you describe are consistent with recurrent and repeated colds, but it is good that you have been to your doctor to eliminate a more... Read the full answer 〉
This can happen especially if the infection is more severe than normal.It is an indication that your immune system is responding to the infection in... Read the full answer 〉
It sounds like your body is still troubled by an infection. This could either be the original viral infection you caught 3 weeks ago or what is known... Read the full answer 〉
This is not uncommon. The nodes you describe are lymph nodes and part of the body’s immune system. As the body fights off infection, lymph nodes... Read the full answer 〉
You are very wise to have stayed away from your 91 year old father as people of his age tend to have a weaker immune system. In addition, symptoms of... Read the full answer 〉
Flu, or influenza, is a specific infection of the upper respiratory tract caused by a group of viruses known as the influenza virus. The other common... Read the full answer 〉
Symptoms of wheezing and breathlessness suggest that you could have asthma and it would be best for you to have this confirmed or eliminated. Asthma... Read the full answer 〉
Firstly, because your body is full of inflammatory chemicals and this makes more or less everything hurt. Secondly, because catarrh filling the... Read the full answer 〉
All your energy is needed for fighting the bug and any unnecessary diversions are discouraged. Heavy digesting work isn’t helpful at this time, so... Read the full answer 〉
It may not look as if you are busy, but inside you the immune cells are extremely busy. Any infection will make you feel tired, as your body... Read the full answer 〉
Healing is a gradual process and the fact that one symptom has improved doesn’t mean you are necessarily in the home straight yet. Patience! Also,... Read the full answer 〉
This is partly because you have had a day of exhausting bug-bashing. You can’t see it happening, but your body is extremely busy defending you... Read the full answer 〉
Any infection of the body can give rise to a fever. The immune system raises your body temperature to help make the environment less friendly to... Read the full answer 〉
It does seem that your immune system needs some help. Having a cold can itself weaken your body’s defences further and this is why outbreaks of... Read the full answer 〉
If you still have symptoms after a week or so it is best to get in touch with your doctor or contact NHS 24. They can advise if you need to take any... Read the full answer 〉
Stress can weaken the immune system and make recovery take longer. You can take Echinaforce®, which is traditionally used for the treatment of colds... Read the full answer 〉
As you still have an infection you can keep on with the Echinacea until you feel better. Plantago is traditionally used for ear problems so may be... Read the full answer 〉
This does tend to vary, but in general, up to 2 or 3 days after symptoms appear. Read the full answer 〉
You could both try Echinaforce this is licensed for the relief of colds and flu. If symptoms persist for more than 10 days after starting... Read the full answer 〉
This is all to do with the infection causing inflammation and irritating the mucus lining of the nose. If you have cold like symptoms as well as the... Read the full answer 〉
You could look at using Echinaforce® which is great for colds and flu. However, if symptoms still persist after using Echinacea for more than 2... Read the full answer 〉
In general, Echinacea can be used as a preventative. If you take one dose a day, there is no need to take a break. Our product is licensed for the... Read the full answer 〉
Flu symptoms can include temperature, headaches, joint/muscle aches, total debilitation (you just can't get out of bed!) sneezing, runny nose,... Read the full answer 〉
Plantago is traditionally used as an ear, nose and throat herb and is normally recommended for sinus, earache, sore throats, mucus, inflammation of... Read the full answer 〉
Echinacea can be used to help recovery from colds, flu etc, and this can be taken until you are better. You could also try Biostrath.Use Bronchoforce... Read the full answer 〉
The headaches and coughing may be caused by blocked sinuses. You may find it helpful to use Sinuforce Nasal Spray. Bronchoforce may also help to... Read the full answer 〉
Yes, Echinacea can be used together with conventional cold and flu medicines that are readily available in high street pharmacies and supermarkets.... Read the full answer 〉
You could look at Echinaforce® as this is traditionally used for flu. Read the full answer 〉
It does sound like the flu but if you are still feeling really unwell it is best to seek medical advice. NHS 24 should be able to give a diagnosis.... Read the full answer 〉
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