What are flu symptoms?
Flu symptoms include:
- a sudden high temperature (38 degrees Celsius or above) or chills (feeling shivery)
- an aching body
- feeling tired or exhausted
- a dry cough
- a sore throat
- a headache
- finding it hard to sleep
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea, tummy pain and feeling sick or being sick - this is more common in young children.
Symptoms are similar for children. They may also get ear or eye pain, swollen glands or they may be less active than usual.
Speak to your GP, nurse or pharmacist if you or your child have flu symptoms.
What are the differences between a common cold and flu?
Flu is not just a bad cold. It can be a very serious illness, especially if you have a lung condition.
| Flu | Common cold |
| Can start quickly, within a few hours | Can start gradually, usually over two to three days |
| Can affect more than just your nose and throat | Mainly affects your nose and throat |
| Makes you feel exhausted and too unwell to do everyday activities | Makes you feel unwell, but you should still be able to do everyday activities |
How does flu affect asthma and other lung conditions?
Flu and asthma
Flu is a common asthma trigger. If flu is a trigger for you, you might get symptoms like:
- shortness of breath
- coughing
- wheezing
- a tight chest.
Urgent advice: See a GP or contact 111 if:
- your asthma symptoms suddenly get worse
- you feel short of breath
- you get chest pain
- your reliever medicine is not helping.
Flu and lung conditions
In an Asthma + Lung UK survey, 3 in 4 people told us that flu made their lung condition symptoms worse.
Flu can increase your risk of having a chest infection and can trigger a flare-up of your lung condition. This is sometimes called an exacerbation.
If you or your child have flu and a lung condition, ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact 111.
Flu treatments
There's no specific treatment for flu. But there are things you can do to help you recover at home:
Do
- rest and sleep
- drink lots of water to prevent dehydration
- keep warm. We have more information about staying warm.
- take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower your temperature and treat aches and pains. If you have a child, they'll need a lower dose of paracetamol and ibuprofen. Check if ibuprofen is suitable for you before taking it.
- manage your lung condition well. This includes taking your usual medicines as prescribed and following your action plan or self-management plan. We have free downloadable self-management plans for asthma, bronchiectasis, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and pulmonary fibrosis.
Saline nasal spray
Saline nasal sprays can prevent flu symptoms from getting worse and help you recover more quickly. The spray is given through your nose.
Use saline nasal spray when you first notice flu-like symptoms. You can use it as often as you need it.
You can buy saline nasal sprays without a prescription at your local pharmacy.
Watch our short video to learn how to use a nasal spray.
Antivirals for flu
Antivirals can help you recover from flu symptoms more quickly. Your GP may prescribe antivirals if you're more likely to get very unwell from the flu.
If your child is taking antivirals, their healthcare professional may recommend delaying their nasal flu vaccine by 48 hours. This is because antivirals can make nasal spray vaccines less effective.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics cannot treat flu. This is because flu is a viral infection. Antibiotics only work against bacterial infections.
Taking antibiotics will not help your symptoms or speed up your flu recovery.
Flu treatments when you have asthma
Some medicines that treat flu symptoms can trigger asthma symptoms, such as ibuprofen and aspirin. These are anti-inflammatory painkillers.
If you have asthma, speak to your GP, nurse or pharmacist before taking any anti-inflammatory painkillers. They can suggest different medicines like paracetamol.
When to get medical help
It's important to get the right support for flu. If you have a lung condition, you're more likely to become seriously ill and you may need to go to hospital.
We know from calls to our helpline that sometimes it can be hard to get a GP appointment. Here's some advice to help you get in touch with your GP.
You can also get advice and help to manage your symptoms from your local pharmacist.
Urgent advice: Call 999 or go to A&E if you or your child:
- get sudden chest pain
- feel short of breath or find it hard to breathe
- cough up blood.
How we develop our health information
About our health information
All our information is reviewed and updated by Asthma + Lung UK’s experienced Health Advice Team. People living with lung conditions, qualified healthcare professionals and specialists also review our content.
Our information is based on the latest, trustworthy evidence and guidelines. Below is a sample list of the sources referenced in our flu information.
- GOV.UK. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Guidance. Influenza: the green book chapter. Last updated: 14 May 2026
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS). Influenza - seasonal. Last updated: December 2025
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS). Asthma. Last updated: March 2026
If you'd like a full list of the sources we've used to produce our health information, you can email us at healthadvicequeries@asthmaandlung.org.uk.
