When Freshers' Flu Hits…

A sore throat where I come from warrants immediate medical attention and at the very least the careful but serious consideration of antibiotics. In England this was not the case and the culture shock I experienced took a while to get used to, so in this post I’ll shed some light on how to cope with flu while being a fresher.

Freshers' flu is a varied combination of runny nose, sore throat, fever, general discomfort, some coughing and maybe headaches. The first thing to realise is that being in a new environment, away from home for the first time, our bodies are bound to go through an adaptation process. So keep calm, it’s all a natural symptom of moving away, meeting (a lot of) new people and building immunity all at the same time.

My first instinct was to go to the nurse but having Freshers' Flu is such a common occurrence that all the nurses could do was give me fairly ‘standard’ advice. So here are some of the things I’ve learned in my three years here for when you feel Freshers' Flu (or any sort of creeping nose / sore throat situation):

[Quick disclosure: This should not replace medical advice nor prevent you from actually going to the doctor or your local nurse! This post is a recollection of my experience and very much casual advice.]

Go to Tesco / Sainsbury’s / Boots and get yourself:

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Vicks Vaporub (for night time before going to sleep, it helps soothe coughs or general pain)

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Nose decongestant (e.g. Otrivine) (helps with blocked noses, breathing through your lectures / seminars)

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Ginger or Ginger Tea (clears throats especially well, but any warm drink helps)

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Paracetamol (for general pain or headaches, these are sold over the counter at affordable prices)

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Strepsils. (They are a candy-like over the counter medicine that will save your throat when you have a presentation).

And more general advice

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Close your window. Now. (The cold air is your enemy, and autumn / winter are upon us, so keep your room warm, especially through the nights, you don’t have to roast but keeping the room at a comfortable warm temperature will help enormously)

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Drink loads of water and keep hydrated (it’s simple but we keep forgetting)

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Consider multivitamins, nutritional foods, regular exercise (Okay… this is all slightly more optimistic, not everyone cares to change their whole lifestyle around the prospect of Freshers' Flu. But, it is important to consider that the healthier your body, the less likely it is to crash and burn come flu. It’s just something to keep in mind.)

Getting sick happens, so don’t worry. And the thing to remember, if you catch something, is to treat your body kindly through it. Take care of yourself and enjoy your semesters!

Abigail J.

Reply 1

Dez

Ibuprofen is generally a better painkiller than paracetamol for colds as it's an anti-inflammatory. Though you could of course just take both. :smile: