If you have a child that is suffering from flu symptoms, there is a good chance that you want your child to feel better as soon as possible for both your sake and for that of your child's. Here are some tips for managing your child's flu symptoms so that both you and him or her can get some rest.

1. Know When to Go to the Doctor

You might want to take your child to urgent care as soon as he or she is exhibiting a stuffed up nose or a low fever. This is usually not necessary, since there are no antibiotics that can be used to cure the flu. However, if your child has a medium to high fever that lasts for several days without breaking for more than a few hours, your child might be suffering from a bacterial infection that he or she caught on top of the flu, due to the fact that his or her immune system was already worn out from dealing with the flu. You should go to urgent care and get your child looked at in this situation because there might be medications that could be prescribed to help get rid of that bacteria infection and reduce your child back to just the flu symptoms.

2. Improve Your Child's Airflow

The next thing that you will want to do is make sure that your child is able to breath as easily as possibly despite his or her stuffed up nose. You can do this by making sure that he or she is propped up as much as possible when he or she is sitting or laying down. If your child is young enough to not be able to blow his or her nose easily, use a bulb syringe to remove built-up mucus. If your child is older, give him or her access to soft tissues and encourage him or her to blow his or her nose often. Make sure that you have moisturizer nearby so that the space underneath your child's nose does not get sore. A humidifier can also help loosen the mucus in your child's nose so that it comes out more easily.

3. Increase Fluid Intake

Finally, be sure that your child is drinking plenty of water. This will allow him or her to stay hydrated and keep any mucus moving. If his or her stomach is upset, consider allowing him or her to sip ginger ale or some other fizzy drink.

For more information, call your doctor or urgent care center.