Flu is a respiratory infection caused by a variety of specific viruses. It is contagious, and if you’re around someone who coughs or sneezes, or simply touch any object already touched by someone contaminated with the flu, you’re bound to contract the infection.
Flu symptoms are easy to detect though they may appear a few days later. Flu spreads at the slightest contact, and before you feel the symptoms on yourself, you might have passed it to others. Symptoms include body aches, chills, dry cough, fever, headache, sore throat and stuffy nose.
Low temperatures, cold, rain, wind, and humidity are conducive environments that exacerbate respiratory viruses, which include colds and flu.
Natural medicine specialists argue that these common diseases in winter can be kept away with a few remedies that are handy in your kitchen.
Lemon
It is high in vitamin C; lemon may help decrease the strength of the cold and flu virus in the body and reduce phlegm. Many folks use lemons to build resistance to cold and flu and speed up healing.
Chicken Broth
It helps you get the fluids you need, and it’s nourishing, too. Some scientific evidence shows that it can help with healing. Hot chicken soup can improve the way tiny hair-like parts in the passages of your nose protect your body from bacteria and viruses.
Cayenne Pepper
The active ingredient in the spice, capsaicin, beats congestion by thinning the mucus in your nasal passages, so you can breathe freely again. Sprinkle some in soup or on a bean burrito.
Garlic is antiviral, antibiotic, and antiseptic. Allicin, one of the active components in freshly crushed garlic, can zap viruses by blocking the enzymes that lead to infection. Use it in a Caesar salad, pesto sauce, or guacamole.
Onion is great for coughs, and raw onion keeps the respiratory tract open.
Citrus protects your upper respiratory passages, boost your immune system, and fends off the seasonal cold and flu.
Yogurt
The digestive tract plays an important role in immunity, so keep disease-causing germs out with probiotics and prebiotics, found in naturally fermented foods like yogurt.
They are just some of the foods that help you get rid of colds or flu. Food helps strengthen the immune system and prepares the body to combat viruses.
Homeopathic remedies support body
Enemies of respiratory virus diseases are even the berries, Sea Buckthorn, Rosehip, and quinces, which have a high content of vitamin C, an essential antioxidant in the winter. Experts say that homeopathic remedies are effective in the treatment of respiratory virus diseases because they claim the organism functions, increase defense capability and help the body in antibody formation and recovery.
If you have severe deficits, your body will not respond to homeopathic remedies alone; these bodies need other supportive methods of defense.
Remedies vs. conventional therapies
Doctors say that in classical treatments are used substances which block the symptoms while treatment with natural remedies supports the organism by facing the process of evolution of the disease. Fever, nasal mucus, coughing and sweating symptoms are abnormal. They are part of the organism’s processes of forming antibodies and resistance to infections. These symptoms should be treated.
To prevent the flu bug, keep in mind the following:
- If there is flu epidemic in the air, avoid crowded places like cinema halls, theaters, shopping centers, etc. as a virus spreads quickly.
- Keep distance from people who sneeze and cough.
- Give up smoking and drinking alcohol as it can injure your respiratory tract and impair your resistance, making you more susceptible to flu.
- Wash your hands frequently to reduce your chance of infection.
- Reduce stress as stressed people are more prone to falling ill quickly.
- Include low sweets diet and avoid fried foods.
- Avoid exposure to dust, chemicals as well as sudden and extreme temperature changes.
Since flu spreads at the slightest of contact you should stay at home till fully recovered. It is best to rest in the bed as you will feel sick and tired to do anything else. If you are doing work despite being sick, you’re prone to more complications.
Liquids are important as you can get the much-needed nutrients when you don’t feel like eating, and it also keeps you from being dehydrated. Drink lots of liquids like water, soups, veg or non-veg and other fluids like fruit juices. Beetroot and carrot juice, both are rich in nutrients. Fruit juice mixed with water in equal quantity and dash of sugar provides the necessary glucose.
Also, you can drink liquids like propolis tincture, essential oils of oregano, eucalyptus, lemon, thyme, Echinacea tincture, extracts of burdock. They can be your allies in the fight against microbes because they have strong antiviral effects.
To combat fever over 38.5 degrees, accompanied by muscle aches and aggravated general condition, I recommend you propolis tincture with honey, coupled with onion and thyme tea.
By humidifying your room, there will be less discomfort of a cough, sore throat or dry nasal passages. If you’re blowing your nose continuously, it will be painful and red. Lubricate your nostrils with petroleum jelly products to decrease the irritation. For tired, achy muscles, ease away the pain with a warm compress. Soak your feet in hot water to alleviate any headache or nasal congestion.
Ensure that your room has plenty of fresh air supply at all times. Prevent chills by wearing warm, close fitting clothes. Ask someone to give you a back rub as it activates the immune system to fight the flu. During flu, one should eat lightly. Snack on fruits, cereals, boiled food, etc.
If a sore or scratchy throat accompanies the flu infection, get relief by gargling with salt water solution. It will wash out any secretions collected in your throat.
Take a warm tbsp. of honey mixed with lemon at night to get quick relief.
Warm water mixed with lemon and honey is good to loosen phlegm.
Gargle daily with one drop of each of tea tree oil and lemon mixed in glass of warm water. Stir well and do not swallow.
Add 10-20 drops of either tea tree, eucalyptus, lemon or lavender oil to your hot water bath. It helps your immune system fight the viral infection and ease your symptoms.
Take 1 tbsp. of lukewarm honey mixed with 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon powder daily for 3-4 days. It strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks.
Juices of apple, pear, cranberry, pomegranate and dark grapes are often recommended for combating flu as they have properties that work against congestion and runny nose.
Avoid using if you are allergic to something. The responsibility lies with you.
Have you ever tried these remedies? What have you tried so far and took effect?