What do you do to treat a red swollen and sore arm where the flu shot was injected?

Answer 1

If this lasts for more than a few days, you should contact a health care professional to be sure that you do not have a bacterial infection at the site of the injection, especially if there is any streaking redness from the site or any drainage or pus or to rule out an allergic reaction.

If it is due only to the body reacting locally to the vaccine, as can happen as one of the known side effects in some people, the best treatment is to begin to use the arm more (as hard as that will seem at first). This will initially cause slightly more pain just as moving a slightly strained muscle does, but the use of the arm helps the muscle that is reacting to the shot get increased circulation and clear out the damaged cells that may be collecting at the site. The more you use it for regular, but not strenuous activities, the faster this soreness will be gone.

Injections, especially if injected too quickly into the tissue, can sometimes tear the muscle fibers into which the medicines are injected, just like weight lifting and other strenuous exercise tears tiny muscle fibers and causes the muscles to get bigger (the normal process of muscle building). It may also be comforting to use warm moist compresses for twenty minutes a few times a day which will increase the circulation and help relax the muscle tissue.

Acetaminophen used according to the package directions might also help reduce the local inflammatory response. Never give aspirin to teenagers or children for this due to concerns about Reye's Syndrome. Consult your health care professional or a Pharmacist before taking any new over the counter medications to be sure they are right for you.