1st June 2025

Winning Through Winter – Colds and Flu

Here we are, already in winter— colder weather, footy season, EOFY, and unfortunately, an increase in those winter “lurgies”. In this article we’re going to answer some of the most common questions about those all-too-common illnesses, the cold, and the potentially more serious influenza (or flu).

Hopefully these tips will help you stay healthy or at least recover more quickly if you do catch something.

Q: How Can I Prevent Catching a Cold or the Flu?

As the saying goes, prevention is always better than cure. So, here’s how you can reduce your risk of coming down with a cold or the flu:

Get Vaccinated:¹ For most people, the flu vaccine is your best protection against influenza. It’s free under the National Immunisation Program for:
- children aged 6 months to 5 years
- adults aged 65 years and older
- pregnant women
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 6 months and older
- people with certain underlying medical conditions

If you have any questions about getting the vaccine, phone or pop into your local IPA Pharmacy and speak to one of our pharmacists. Or you can book your vaccination service online: https://independentpharmacies.com.au/health-service/flu-vaccinations/

Practice Good Hygiene:Help reduce the spread of germs by regular handwashing, using hand sanitiser, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, not sharing cutlery, crockery and towels, and throwing used tissues in the bin immediately.²
Boost Your Immunity:³ A strong immune system can help fend off viruses. Vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and beta carotene all play a role in building immune health, and the best solution is to eat a balanced diet rich in those types of nutrients, including:
- Vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruits, berries, melons, tomatoes, capsicum, and broccoli
- Vitamin D-rich foods like fatty fish, eggs, and milk
- Zinc-rich foods like beef and seafood, wheat germ, beans, nuts, and tofu
- Beta carotene-rich foods like sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, mangoes, broccoli, and tomatoes.
While some supplements may help support your immune system, speak to the team at your IPA Pharmacy for advice on which they recommend.

Q: What’s the Difference Between a Cold and the Flu?

While both are respiratory illnesses, the flu is usually more severe. Some symptoms can occur with both, like a cough, but certain symptoms are rare or non-existent in each illness:⁴

Colds usually cause milder symptoms like a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, a cough, and a sore throat. Cold symptoms seldom include fever, fatigue, or vomiting, and never include diarrhoea, or body aches.
Flu symptoms are usually more intense, and commonly include fever, a cough, body aches, and fatigue. Vomiting (commonly) and diarrhoea (sometimes) can occur in children with the flu. While other common flu symptoms are sometimes present, sneezing is never a symptom of the flu.

Pharmacists can help you determine whether you need over-the-counter medication or if you should see a doctor.

Q: How Should I Treat Cold and Flu Symptoms at Home?

The majority of people will recover within seven to ten days without any treatment⁶. However, you can relieve your symptoms at home by following a few tips:^5,6

Get some rest: Rest and sleep are the best ways to help your body’s immune system recharge. Stay at home, try to get eight to ten hours sleep per night, and take a break from strenuous exercise.
Keep hydrated. Drinking plenty of water is always recommended, of course. And warm liquids can be soothing, hydrating, and help ease congestion. Try tea, warm water with lemon, or soup. Sucking on ice chips can help calm a scratchy throat.
Try saltwater gargles. A saltwater gargle can help relieve the symptoms of a sore throat. Stir about one teaspoon of salt into a cup of warm water.
Humidify the air. Dry air can make a sore throat worse, so try using a humidifier— your pharmacy will be able to help if you don’t have one—or leave a shallow bowl of water out, preferably near a heat source. As the water evaporates, it’ll slowly humidify the room.
Over-the-counter medications: There are a range of over-the-counter decongestants, antihistamines, and pain relievers that may help reduce some of the symptoms.^5,7 But remember, avoid over-the-counter medications for children under six. Your local IPA Pharmacists and their team can give you more details and help you work out the best options for you.

You should avoid close contact with other people until you feel better and have had no fever for a full 24 hours.⁸

Q: When Should I See a Doctor?

Seek medical attention if:

You are concerned about your symptoms
Your symptoms last longer than two weeks, or worsen
You develop new symptoms, which could indicate another type of infection
You have a sore throat, cough, or fever higher than 38^ºC for longer than three days
You’re having intense chest pain and shortness of breath
You’re in a high-risk group:
- Under 5 years old
- 65 years old or older
- An Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person
- Pregnant
- Have heart disease
- Have a chronic lung condition, like asthma
- Have kidney disease
- Have diabetes
- Have a weakened immune system (immunocompromised)
- Are homeless
- Live in an aged care facility.^{5, 6}

Q: Are Antibiotics Effective Against Colds and Flu?

The simple answer is no. Antibiotics only work on bacterial infections, not viral infections like colds and flu. Getting a bacterial infection as a complication of a cold or flu can sometimes occur, but this kind of secondary infection is not common, and most people will get better by themselves without antibiotics.⁷ If you are at high risk of complications, then your doctor may give you antibiotics. However, your IPA Pharmacist can recommend treatments to manage symptoms and help prevent secondary infections.

Q: How long are colds and flu contagious?

People with a cold or the flu are usually contagious from at least a day before symptoms appear to about five to seven days after those first symptoms. People with a weakened immune system and children may be contagious for a slightly longer time.⁸

If you need to go out while in the contagious stage, wear a mask and sanitise your hands to protect others. Your Local IPA Pharmacy has masks and sanitisers available in-store.

Q: Is ‘Man Flu’ a Real Thing?

This is a controversial one! While the term “man flu” is often used humorously to suggest a character flaw in men who exaggerate the severity of their symptoms to get more attention when sick, a scientific review of the literature published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal)⁹ in 2017 drew the conclusion that that men may actually experience more severe flu symptoms.

Here are some findings from the research:¹⁰

It’s known that women display a better antibody response to the flu vaccine than men. It’s thought that testosterone levels may play a role in this. Because a better antibody response may lessen the severity of flu, and men don’t respond as well to the vaccine, they get more severe symptoms than women.
Test tube studies of nasal cells infected with influenza, showed that exposure to the female hormone oestradiol (a type of oestrogen) reduced the immune response when the cells came from women, but not when the cells came from men. Since flu symptoms are in large part due to the body’s immune reaction, a lessened immune response in women, who have higher levels of oestrogen, may mean women have milder symptoms.
Studies reviewing six years of data showed that men were hospitalised with the flu more often than women, and that there were more deaths due to flu among men than women.

While the evidence isn’t definitive, these findings suggest that “man flu” might be more than simply men exaggerating their symptoms and behaving helplessly.

A Final Word

Regardless of gender, we should all try to prevent the flu and limit its spread. We hope the tips in this article will help you do that.

Your Local IPA Pharmacy is here to help with expert advice on colds and flu and to advise you on symptom relief, vaccinations, and immunity support. Stay healthy this winter!

Who are IPA pharmacists?

IPA pharmacists are part of Australia’s largest network of independent pharmacies. They offer personalised healthcare and expertise in medicines. They specialise in various health aspects, such as sleep and diabetes, and are dedicated to supporting your wellness journey. With a network of over 1,100 pharmacies and growing, an IPA pharmacy near you is ready to provide exceptional advice, services, and products to enhance your health outcomes.