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What Kinds Of Treatments Can Be Provided At Urgent Care For The Flu?

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Cold and flu viruses are impossible to avoid and you will often need to wait out the illness before you start to feel better. While this is true, there are certain situations where you want to seek assistance from a physician or from a facility like an urgent care center. Uncontrollable diarrhea, a high grade fever, and intense vomiting can all be signs that you need medical assistance. If you do visit an urgent care center, the following treatments may be provided.

Antiviral Medication

While it is true that there is no effective treatment when it comes to viral infections, sometimes an antiviral medication can help to reduce severe flu symptoms. Antivirals do not kill the flu virus. This means that the medications work a lot differently than antibiotics do. The medicines instead work against the virus to make sure that your body can fight it off naturally. Specifically, the medicines locate an enzyme within the virus that allows it to reproduce and contain to cause the ailment. Once the enzyme is located, the medicine binds to it so the virus cannot replicate.

If the flu cannot replicate, then your body can work more effectively to stop the virus from making you sick. While you might still be ill, you will not be for as long and the severe symptoms will likely dissipate quickly and become less severe. 

Not only are antivirals given in situations where symptoms are severe, but they may be provided to prevent a serious complication. For example, antivirals are sometimes provided to the elderly or the very young who are more susceptible to the effects of the flu virus. 

IV Fluids

If you are vomiting and have diarrhea, then there is a good chance that you are dehydrated. Dehydration can exacerbate flu symptoms and it may take your body longer to recover from the flu virus. The administration of IV fluids can help to reduce this issue. There are few types of fluid that can be provided, however, the fluid almost always contains water and a variety of electrolytes. A simple saline solution will contain sodium and chlorine while a dextrose solution will contain glucose. Potassium may also be found in the fluid as well.

Since electrolyte imbalances can cause some diarrhea, the fluid can help to reduce this issue and allow your own body to retain water that you consume. 

Some pain medications, antidiarrheal compounds, and nausea medicines can be provided as well. They can be added to the IV fluid or they may be given to you separately depending on your condition and the severity of the flu.


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