How to treat flu at home in 10 steps?

Coughs, runny nose, sore throats? Flu season hits hard, but your recovery doesn’t have to be slow. While there’s no cure, how quickly you bounce back depends on how well your body is supported. 


Along with rest and hydration, certain science-backed tips can help ease flu symptoms faster, support your immune system, and get you back on your feet sooner. In this Avea article, we’ll share 10 effective ways to speed up recovery from the flu.

Common flu symptoms

The flu is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus. Symptoms usually last around a week, with the most severe phase typically lasting two to three days—though it may feel much longer. Even after recovery, you might still experience fatigue, weakness, and a lingering cough for another week.


Unlike a cold, flu symptoms usually arrive suddenly, and you can feel them across different parts of your body. Common flu symptoms include:

  • A sudden high temperature
  • An aching body
  • Feeling tired or exhausted
  • A dry cough
  • A sore throat
  • A headache
  • Loss of appetite
  • Diarrhoea or stomach pain
  • Feeling nauseous or being sick

10 tips to recover from flu symptoms faster

1. Stay at home and rest up

First things first—your body needs rest to fight the flu. As soon as symptoms hit, call in a sick day from work or school and focus on recovery. Overexerting yourself can prolong symptoms and make the flu worse.


For the first 48 hours, prioritise deep rest—limit screen time and let your body recharge. To protect others, avoid close contact, disinfect surfaces, and be extra mindful around older adults and young children, who are more vulnerable to complications.

2. Hydrate as much as possible

If you’re having a fever, you are most likely to sweat. Some people even experience vomiting or diarrhoea. These can quickly deplete your body’s fluids.

 

Staying hydrated is key to regulating temperature, flushing out toxins, and preventing dehydration. It also helps with clearing mucus from your airways, making it easier to breathe.

  • Water is essential, but broth-based soups, coconut water, and lemon-ginger tea are also helpful.
  • Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and dairy, as they can worsen dehydration and mucus build-up.

3. Take immune-boosting supplements daily 

Fighting off the flu takes a toll on your body. Your immune system works harder than ever, rapidly burning through essential resources to fight the virus and repair damaged cells. This increased demand depletes NAD+, a critical molecule for energy production, immune defence, and recovery. 


While supplements aren’t a cure, replenishing NAD+ can help you recover faster, manage inflammation, and build long-term resilience—so future illnesses don’t hit as hard. That’s where daily immune support comes in.

Avea’s Vitality Bundle is specifically designed to boost NAD+, helping your immune system stay effective, reducing inflammation, and speeding up recovery.

1. Boosts cellular energy

During illness or periods of high stress, your body burns through NAD+ stores to support immune defences. Without enough NAD+, you’re left feeling drained and slow to recover.

 

The Vitality Bundle restores your energy by helping your cells recharge, giving your immune system the power to stay effective.

2. Protects against inflammation

Inflammation is part of your body’s natural immune response, but too much of it can cause lasting damage and leave you fatigued. 

 

The Vitality Bundle helps your body balance your body's natural inflammation response by protecting NAD+ levels, keeping your immune system in check and reducing the impact of prolonged stress on your body.

3. Enhances recovery and resilience

Sometimes, even after you’ve recovered from illness, you can feel exhausted and unable to regain your strength. This can be due to depleted NAD+ and damaged mitochondria. 

 

The Vitality Bundle supports your body’s ability to repair itself, promoting faster recovery and restoring your physical and mental energy.

4. Promotes long-term immune support

By maintaining healthy NAD+ levels and supporting cellular health, the Vitality Bundle builds long-term immunity. It helps your body stay ready to defend itself against seasonal illnesses and the challenges of daily life.

Why daily immune support is important

Flu season is unpredictable, but how well your body fights it isn’t. Keeping your immune system strong year-round means fewer sick days, faster recovery, and less risk of getting hit this hard again.

 

1. Make supplementation a habit – A strong immune system isn’t built overnight. Taking the Vitality Bundle daily helps maintain NAD+ levels, cellular energy, and immune preparedness so your body is always ready to defend itself.

 

2. Flu prevention starts before you get sick – Don’t wait until you’re feeling unwell. Supporting your immune system consistently helps reduce the severity and duration of future infections.

 

Flu recovery is just the start. Make resilience a habit—subscribe to the Vitality Bundle today and give your immune system the daily support it needs to keep you strong, year-round.

4. Find a solution to humidify the air

Dry air irritates your throat and sinuses, making symptoms worse. A humidifier or steam inhalation can help loosen congestion and keep your airways hydrated.


If you don’t have a humidifier, simply boil water, pour it into a bowl, drape a towel over your head, and inhale the steam. This time-tested trick opens up nasal passages and eases discomfort.


Keeping your airways moist is essential, but your immune system also needs internal support to fight off the virus. The next step? Replenishing the key nutrients your body burns through during infection.

5. Stick to healthy meals

Comfort food might sound tempting if you want to order in, but your body actually needs proper fuel to fight off the flu. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, while protein helps rebuild strength and repair tissues.


Even if your appetite is low, small, nutrient-rich meals will support recovery. Focus on foods that nourish, not drain, your immune system:

  • Broths & soups – Hydrating, easy to digest, and rich in immune-supporting nutrients.
  • Citrus fruits & leafy greens – Packed with vitamin C and antioxidants to fight inflammation.
  • Garlic & ginger – Natural antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
    Whole grains & protein – Help sustain energy and rebuild strength.

If you’re feeling nauseous, try ginger tea, ginger ale, or ginger sweets to settle your stomach. 

Bonus tip!

Your gut and immune system are deeply connected—around 80% of immune cells live in your gut. The flu (especially if vomiting or diarrhoea is involved) can throw gut bacteria off balance, making recovery slower. 

  • Limit processed and sugary foods, which feed harmful bacteria and slow healing. 
  • Consider a probiotic supplement like AVEA Biomind to support digestion and immune function.

6. Breathe easier, sleep better

Sleep is your best friend when recovering from the flu—but a blocked nose and persistent cough can make it nearly impossible. Here’s how to breathe easier:

  • Prop yourself up – Use an extra pillow to reduce sinus pressure and improve airflow.
  • Let fresh air in – Crack open a window for ventilation or step outside for a few deep breaths. Cover yourself up to stay warm.
  • Steam it out – A hot shower or bath before bed helps loosen congestion.
  • Keep the air moist – A humidifier prevents dryness in your throat and nasal passages.

7. Relieve aches and persistent symptoms with medications

Fever often resolves on its own, but persistent aches, congestion, or coughs might need extra relief.

  • Pain relievers to help reduce fever and ease headaches.
  • Decongestants to unblock your nose and relieve sinus pressure.
  • Cough suppressants to help reduce a persistent dry cough that keeps you up at night.
  • Expectorants to loosen thick mucus, making it easier to cough it up and clear your airways.


⚠️ Important: Antibiotics don’t work on the flu—it’s a viral infection, not bacterial. If symptoms persist or worsen, consult a pharmacist or doctor.

8. Move your body (but gently)

Rest is crucial, but staying completely inactive for too long can make body aches worse and slow recovery. Gentle movement helps improve circulation, support lymphatic drainage, and prevent stiffness.

  • Take short, slow walks once you start feeling better to boost energy (usually by day 3)
  • Try gentle stretching or yoga to ease sore muscles and tension.
  • Avoid intense workouts—your immune system needs energy to recover, not to fuel strenuous exercise.

9. Soothe and settle with simple home remedies

Sometimes, the best flu relief comes from old-school remedies that actually work. Gargling warm salt water can ease a sore throat, while a warm, damp towel on your forehead helps with headaches and congestion. A spoonful of honey with grated ginger can calm a cough, and fresh orange juice delivers a vitamin C boost. Herbal teas, steam inhalation, and resting in a dark, quiet room can also help your body recover faster. You don’t really need much. 

10. Reduce stress

Your immune system does most of its repair work while you sleep, but flu symptoms can make rest difficult. Reducing stress also helps—since chronic stress weakens immune defences.

  • Stick to a sleep routine – Aim for 8+ hours of quality rest to speed up recovery.
  • Use natural sleep aids – Try chamomile tea, Magnesium, or calming breathing exercises.
  • Reduce blue light at night – Swap screens for a book, soft lighting, or meditation to help your body wind down.
Product not found