3 Issues You Ought to Keep away from After Getting the Flu Shot

Most individuals six months or older can get a flu vaccine (shot) yearly. It may assist forestall or reduce flu signs. Whereas the flu shot is protected, there are specific issues you might need to keep away from after getting the vaccine to spice up its effectiveness and decrease negative effects.

Analysis on how alcohol impacts the flu shot is blended. There’s some proof that heavy alcohol consumption might weaken the immune system, affecting how nicely the vaccine works and growing the danger of negative effects after getting it. Some attainable negative effects embrace fatigue, problem shifting, and complications. Nonetheless, analysis reveals that average consumption of alcohol does not have an effect on vaccine efficacy.

Alcohol can even worsen dehydration. This may occasionally enhance your possibilities of experiencing negative effects, comparable to headache or muscle aches, after getting the flu shot.

Some docs advocate avoiding difficult exercises proper after getting a flu shot. It’s because research have proven that intense train on vaccination day can enhance your threat of negative effects, comparable to fatigue, higher arm discomfort, and complications. Nonetheless, different research have proven that average train can really assist increase the results of the flu shot, probably making it simpler.

In the end, it is necessary to hearken to your physique earlier than partaking in intense train after the flu vaccine.

Whereas many individuals attain for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine (NSAIDs) like Advil (ibuprofen) to ease discomfort from vaccine negative effects, comparable to a sore arm.

Some early research recommend that taking these anti-inflammatory medicine earlier than or instantly after a shot may dampen your immune system’s response, since irritation helps your physique create antibodies. Nonetheless, present proof signifies the impact is probably going small, and flu vaccines stay efficient even when NSAIDs are used.

Rather more analysis is required to grasp how these drugs might work together with vaccines and whether or not the timing or dosage impacts your immune response.

Flu pictures are thought-about protected. Nonetheless, like some other treatment, they’ll nonetheless trigger negative effects. Unwanted effects from the flu shot are usually delicate and resolve on their very own inside just a few days.

Widespread negative effects might embrace:

Soreness, redness, or swelling the place the shot was givenHeadacheFeverNauseaMuscle achesFatigue

If you happen to aren’t feeling nicely after getting a flu shot, comparable at-home care when you could have the flu, comparable to relaxation, fluids, and OTC ache relievers, might assist. Nonetheless, be cautious about taking ache relievers, particularly in the event you’re taking different drugs.

Though uncommon, some individuals might expertise extra severe signs after getting a flu vaccine. If in case you have any of the next signs, search rapid medical consideration: