Natural Flu Remedies That Help Get Rid of Flu Symptoms at Home

Influenza, or “the flu,” is a common wintertime illness. It can take days or even weeks to get over the flu. And during that time, you may feel miserable.

Go-to flu treatments include both prescription medications — like Tamiflu (oseltamivir) — and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. But flu remedies at home can also help manage your flu symptoms. Some of these include washing your hands and drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated. Let’s take a look at flu home remedies that can help you and your family feel better faster during flu season. 

How do you know if you have influenza?

When it’s flu season, every sniffle can make you wonder if you have the flu. But other respiratory illnesses — including the common cold, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19 — are common during the winter months. And that can make it hard to know the cause of your symptoms. 

Typical symptoms of the flu include: 

• Fever

• Cough

• Headache

• Fatigue

• Sore throat

• Muscle soreness

• Vomiting and/or diarrhea

Should you get a flu test before you start treatment?

You don’t always need to get a flu test if you think you have the flu. But if you want to start prescription anti-flu medications, like Tamiflu, you need a flu test first. Antiviral flu medications work best if you take them within 48 hours of when your symptoms start.

People who get the most benefit from Tamiflu include: 

• Children younger than 5 years old

• Adults 65 years old and older

• Pregnant women

• People with chronic lung conditions, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma

• People with a weak immune system 

Whether or not you start Tamiflu, you don’t need to wait to start flu home remedies. You can use natural flu remedies anytime, even without a flu test.

What are some natural at-home flu remedies?

Taking care of yourself when you’re sick doesn’t need to be too complex. In fact, when your body is fighting the flu, it makes sense to get back to the basics. 

Here are 11 natural flu remedies that might help you feel better faster.

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1. Get lots of rest

Don’t try to maintain your regular schedule if you have influenza. Listen to your body — you probably feel exhausted. Your immune system has extra work to do while you’re sick. By sleeping more than usual, you can conserve energy and give your immune system what it needs to do its job.

2. Drink plenty of fluids

You may not welcome the idea of swallowing if you have a sore throat. And this can make it easy to end up dehydrated. A fever can dry you out: The moisture inside your lungs will evaporate fast when your body temperature is high. Dry winter air makes this problem even worse. 

A dry throat and nose can thicken mucus and make it hard to clear. So do your best to stay hydrated by taking frequent sips of water or another drink that’s appealing to you. In addition to water, consider drinks that contain electrolytes. This will help keep your immune system working at its best. 

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3. Get some fresh air

For most of the world, flu season happens in the winter. When it’s cold outside, indoor air gets heated, and that removes humidity. This dry air can increase congestion in your nose and irritate your throat and lungs. 

Spending some time outside can soothe your breathing and make you feel refreshed. Just make sure you bundle up to keep yourself warm.

4. Try vitamin C and zinc

To help manage flu symptoms, you can consider taking OTC supplements, including:

• Vitamin C: Lots of people swear by vitamin C to help with cold and flu symptoms. But hard evidence is lacking. Some research shows that taking vitamin C before a cold starts can ease its symptoms and shorten its length. You can try a supplement or just eat foods that are high in vitamin C. Just limit your total vitamin C to under 1,000 mg per day. 

• Zinc: Many zinc products claim to help prevent or manage cold and flu symptoms. There’s some evidence that zinc supplements can reduce cold symptoms if you start taking them as soon as your symptoms come on. While it’s not a sure way to lessen flu symptoms, zinc lozenges or syrup may help you feel better. 

5. Take probiotics 

Probiotics are natural bacteria that supplement your gut’s microbiome and stimulate your immune response. You can take an OTC probiotic supplement or eat probiotic-rich foods, like cultured or fermented products. Some research suggests that taking probiotics can help shorten flu symptoms.

6. Use a nasal irrigator

A nasal irrigator is a squeeze bottle or other device that lets you flush the inside of your nose with saline. This washes away mucus and moisturizes your nose. 

Make sure to use sterile water with your irrigator or neti pot. Don’t use water straight from the tap, as this can put you at risk for serious infections. 

7. Gargle with saltwater

Similar to how the nasal irrigator works for your nose, a saltwater gargle can help soothe a sore throat. The salt pulls water from surrounding tissues to decrease inflammation, wash out mucus, and provide moisture. 

8. Drink clear broth, or eat soup

Heated broth is a classic “old-fashioned” natural remedy for the flu. In addition to helping you stay hydrated, broth contains electrolytes to keep your body in balance. 

The steam from heated broth or soup can help soothe your dry nose and throat. And small pieces of meat, rice, noodles, or vegetables in the soup can be a gentle way to get some calories when you don’t feel like eating much.

9. Try some essential oils

Certain essential oils — such as tea tree oil, lemon oil, and eucalyptus oil — can help you feel better when you have the flu. Use a diffusing device, or simply allow the scent to waft through the air around you. You can also add essential oils to a warm bath or use them for massage. The scent can open blocked nasal passages and help you breathe easier. 

10. Use a humidifier

A humidifier adds moisture to dry, indoor air. Humidifiers come in two types: heated and cool mist. Heated humidifiers can cause burns if they tip over or spill. So a cool mist humidifier may be better if you have small children at home. Whichever you choose, clean your humidifier regularly so it doesn’t become a home for fungus. 

11. Drink herbal tea

Tea can be a pleasant way to stay hydrated when you’re sick. Some teas, like green tea, may also lower your risk of getting sick with the flu and other viruses. The steam from hot tea can cleanse and moisturize nasal passages too. 

Many people add honey as a sweetener, which can help suppress a cough. (Just don’t give it to children under 1 year old.) And adding lemon can be useful to help break up congestion and mucus.

Which home remedies should you avoid if you have the flu?

Many home flu remedies are safe and can even be helpful. But there are a few ideas out there that can make things worse. Here are some home remedies to avoid:

• Aspirin: Although most OTC cold medications and fever reducers are fine to take when you have the flu, aspirin is linked to Reye’s syndrome. This condition is most common in children who have the flu, and it can cause liver or brain damage in severe cases.

• Cold baths: Soaking in a tub can be relaxing when you’re sick, but the water doesn’t need to be cold to reduce a fever. Remember that your normal body temperature is around 98.6°F. A warm bath is usually about 92°F, which is already much cooler. 

• Calorie restriction: Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “feed a cold, starve a fever.” Although this is a catchy phrase, there’s no scientific evidence to support it. Your body needs calories so your immune system can overcome the infection. You may not have much of an appetite, but certain foods can help you feel better.

How long will it take you to recover from influenza?

Flu symptoms tend to come on rapidly. Often, they’re at their worst during the first 4 or 5 days. After that, symptoms will slowly go away over the next few days. In total, most people are sick for 7 to 10 days. But symptoms can linger for up to 2 weeks. 

If you’ve had your yearly flu shot, your symptoms will likely be less severe and go away faster. Keep in mind that flu season in the U.S. generally runs from October through May. While it’s never really too late to get a flu shot, it’s best to get it right before the start of the season.

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Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Meredith Grace Merkley, DO, FAAP

Dr. Merkley is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician who has over a decade of experience working in community health. She is currently a National Health Services Corp scholar, and is serving as the medical director of a school-based health clinic at a federally funded health center.

Edited by:

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN, is a California-based registered nurse and staff medical editor at GoodRx, where he focuses on clinical updates and Latino health.

Reviewed by:

Jennifer Sample, MD

After a fellowship, Dr. Sample worked as the medical director at the University of Kansas Hospital Poison Center (The University Of Kansas Health System Poison Control Center), which served the state of Kansas for poison exposures. In 2007, she returned to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, as a consultant in clinical pharmacology and medical toxicology.

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