Stages of the Flu—Twenty-four hour period by Mean solar day

Updated on October 07, 2021

The flu is a viral infection that involves the nose, throat, and lungs. It affects dissimilar people in unlike ways. Not everyone who gets the flu will have the same symptoms. And how ill you feel, likewise equally how long you feel sick, tin can vary from person to person.

However, in general, the influenza typically goes through a set of stages and follows a usual twenty-four hour period-past-day progression. Knowing more almost these stages can help give y'all a sense of when yous are contagious. It will besides help you lot understand what having the flu feels like. And you'll be more prepared to treat the flu symptoms that oasis't shown up yet.

This article will talk over the different stages of the flu. It will requite yous information about flu symptoms that appear according to each stage of the illness.

Verywell / Emily Roberts

Flu Day 0

The day before any flu symptoms appear, y'all are already contagious. Y'all feel fine and go virtually your daily life without realizing you are about to become sick. You lot likely came in contact with someone who was contagious with the influenza in the past 48 hours.

The flu virus spreads through tiny aerosol that escape the body when people with the flu cough, sneeze, or talk. These particles tin can be breathed into the mouths or noses of those who are nearby. A person can also get the flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on information technology and and then touching their mouth, nose, or eyes.

Flu Day 1

Flu symptoms hitting pretty rapidly on day ane. You may wake up feeling fine, but feel progressively worse as the hours laissez passer. Headache, sudden loftier fever, body aches, chills, and tiredness are among the most mutual early symptoms of the influenza.

Once you lot realize you lot may exist sick with the influenza, call your healthcare provider. This is especially important if you have asthma or another status that puts you at college risk for related complications. Your healthcare provider may inquire y'all to come up in for a rapid flu test or prescribe an antiviral medication like Tamiflu (oseltamivir).

Antiviral medications are most effective if started within the first 48 hours of symptoms.​​

Influenza Day two

The second day with the flu is pretty miserable—so bad you may not exist able to leave of bed. Congestion, cough, and fever may accept you feeling like fifty-fifty your eyelids injure. At this point, you are all the same contagious.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you stay away from others while you are sick. Remain at dwelling house except to become medical care or other necessities for at to the lowest degree 24 hours after your fever is gone.

Influenza Day three

The third day of the influenza is possibly the worst, and so get plenty of residue and fluids today. This is the day when many symptoms are the about intense.

Your sore throat, trunk aches, and congestion will be extremely astringent. If yous feel gastrointestinal symptoms similar vomiting or diarrhea, they volition be severe today as well.

You are notwithstanding contagious today, so endeavor to stay away from other people. Think to embrace your rima oris when you cough and to wash your hands oftentimes.

When to Seek Immediate Care

The flu is a serious affliction that can be deadly. If you feel any symptoms that may indicate an emergency, seek immediate medical care. Note that emergency symptoms may differ slightly betwixt adults and children.

Flu Day 4

On solar day four, you may starting time to feel a lilliputian better during the twenty-four hours. At this bespeak, your fever is likely to accept broken, and yous shouldn't have equally many trunk aches. Congestion may be starting to loosen upwardly. This will make your cough more productive and possibly worse than the twenty-four hours before.

While you may feel better for role of the day, it is all the same of import to become remainder and plenty of fluids. Y'all should also continue to stay away from other people. By the finish of the day, you may start to feel worse over again and your fever may return.

You are notwithstanding contagious until you have been fever-costless for 24 hours without taking fever-reducing medicine.

People with the flu may exist contagious anywhere between the solar day before to seven days later their symptoms appear.

Influenza Day 5

On day five of the influenza, you should be starting to feel meliorate. Your fever is probably gone. Y'all should take less congestion but may notwithstanding have a coughing. Continue to stay home, rest, and drink plenty of fluids.

If yous are not starting to feel improve past day 5 and your symptoms are getting worse, phone call your healthcare provider. You may accept a secondary infection, such equally bronchitis or an ear or sinus infection that may require antibiotics.

A cough that keeps yous upwards at nighttime may require a prescription cough medicine. Your healthcare provider may desire you lot to come into the office to be checked out. If you however have a cough, your healthcare provider'south office may give y'all a mask to habiliment in the waiting room. This will keep you from spreading your germs to others.

Flu Twenty-four hours 6

On the 6th solar day with the flu, you should be animate easier and fever-costless, But y'all will probably nevertheless exist tired. Yous may feel well plenty to get back to work. This is fine at this point as long as you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours.

If you lot return to sharing public spaces, be certain to cover your coughing or sneeze with a tissue or the crook of your elbow. Wash your hands later on using tissues or coughing into them. Disinfect whatever surfaces in your work area.

Flu 24-hour interval 7

When you wake upwardly on mean solar day seven, you are likely feeling better, only nevertheless non 100%. If you do not experience similar y'all are on the road to recovery, or yous felt better briefly merely then get sick once more, call your healthcare provider.

At this signal, you should no longer accept a fever. But if a fever returns, it is often a sign of a secondary infection. You lot may too still have a cough that keeps hanging around. But if you exercise not feel information technology is improving, talk to your healthcare provider.

Flu Day 8

By the eighth day afterwards getting the flu, you should be well on your way to recovery. You may be tempted to make upward for the lost fourth dimension by working extra hours, socializing, or running extra errands. Just you should withal have information technology piece of cake for another day.

If you are used to exercising regularly, you should exist fine to work out over again. Don't get overboard with your workouts. Your body is notwithstanding recovering from being sick, and you may still take a cough. Listen to your body, and don't push yourself too hard.

Cold and Flu Healthcare Provider Discussion Guide

Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider'southward engagement to aid you inquire the right questions.

Doctor Discussion Guide Man

Summary

The flu is a viral infection that affects the nose, pharynx, and lungs. Non anybody experiences the same influenza symptoms. Flu is transmitted between people through tiny droplets that escape the body when an infected person sneezes, coughs, or talks. Yous can also get the flu if you lot touch a surface that has the flu virus on it and then affect your hands, nose, or rima oris.

There are different stages of the influenza, merely you are contagious a day before you begin to show symptoms. Afterwards you recover from the flu, usually around eight days subsequently your first symptoms, you lot should feel much better. Be careful not to overdo it when returning to your daily activities.

A Word From Verywell

Each case of flu is different, and the severity of your symptoms can depend on whether or non you lot take had a flu shot, your overall health, and any underlying chronic wellness conditions you lot may accept.

If you are at an increased chance of complications from the flu, it is important to work with your healthcare provider from the start. Getting antiviral medications inside 48 hours of when your symptoms get-go appear can help prevent complications. It can too shorten the amount of time you lot are sick.

Thanks for your feedback!