People get influenza all year round. But the real peak of this disease falls on the period from September to March. How can you protect yourself and your family from this ailment? Should I resort to vaccination or rely on folk remedies? So, the flu: flu symptoms, its prevention is the topic of the conversation for today.
The flu virus is transmitted very easily. For example, it is worthwhile to stand a little next to a person who coughs or sneezes in your direction - and you are already a potential carrier of the virus. Then everything depends on the level of your immunity. You can and do not get sick yourself, but pass the flu virus to someone else. Yes, it is possible to catch even from someone who looks quite healthy. The incubation period of infection begins only the day before the onset of flu symptoms. It continues for the next 5 days for adults and 10 days for children.
The main symptoms of influenza
Influenza, in contrast to the common cold, is always accompanied by a very high temperature (up to 40 ° C!). Usually, incidentally, there is severe pain in the muscles, headache, dryness, severe cough, loss of appetite and a general feeling of weakness. Runny nose and sore throat may be symptoms of an ordinary cold - therefore, you can make a mistake in diagnosing. The difference is that with ORL these symptoms usually disappear on average in a week. With the flu, they are more durable, with every day (in the absence of proper treatment) intensify. Viral infection leads to serious, even life-threatening complications (for example, to myocarditis or inflammation of the lungs). In order not to expose yourself to such a risk, it is better to protect yourself from illnesses in advance. Vaccination is the most effective form of protection against influenza - the symptoms of influenza can not be suppressed by prophylaxis.
Who is at risk of a virus attack?
Everyone can get flu, but some people are more vulnerable to disease. Even the most innocuous infection can cause them severe consequences. Answer yourself the following questions to find out if you are in the area of special risk of viral infections.
- Do you suffer from chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, heart failure or other cardiovascular diseases?
- Do you have poor health, do you often visit a doctor or go to a hospital?
- Do you have a small child, are you an elderly person or do you have any chronic illness?
- Do you plan to become pregnant?
- During the period from September to March, you visit places where you can meet crowds of people or often use public transport?
- Are you over 55?
If at least one of the questions you answered "yes", then you are one of the people at risk of getting flu. It is best for you to resort to vaccination.
What you need to know about vaccination
Vaccination is the best way to prevent disease. Immunity after vaccination is established within 2 weeks. So it is best to vaccinate right now - in October. But even if you do this during the season of illness, this will also be a good solution. To see this, talk to your doctor - he will give you a worthy consultation. Many believe that when vaccinated, a small dose of the virus is injected into the body - this frightens and alarms. This is not quite true. Do not worry that as a result of the vaccine you will become ill. The product contains only dead viruses, so it can not cause infection. Although some people after vaccination report symptoms such as fever or temporary weakness, but these are not influenza symptoms - it is the body's response to the vaccine.
Folk remedies for the prevention and treatment of influenza
For those who do not accept vaccination or do not have the opportunity to resort to it - there is another way. For example, for centuries, established and time-tested folk ways to prevent and treat influenza. Some of them are already being used by large pharmaceutical companies.
Treatment of colds and flu by hydrogen peroxide
This method is effective in 80% of cases, especially when it is used for the first symptoms of the disease. Although this seems to contradict what we know in general about colds and flu, many people use this method with great success.
In 1928, Dr. Richard Simmons suggested that influenza viruses enter the body through the ear canal. His discovery was then rejected by the medical community. But the doctor persistently argued that there is only one way to get infected with this disease - through the ear canal, and not through the eyes, nose or mouth, as most physicians consider. Introduction to the ears of several drops of hydrogen peroxide 3% (according to R. Simmons) can significantly reduce the risk of infection with the flu. And only in 1948 German scientists began to use this method. They have made great strides in preventing colds and flu with hydrogen peroxide. It is important to consider that treatment with this method is effective only at the initial stages of the flu. If you start acting quickly - the effectiveness of treatment will be 80%. It was found that healing can occur as early as 12-14 hours after the introduction of two drops of hydrogen peroxide 3% in both ears (sometimes only one ear is infected). Hydrogen peroxide starts to work for 2-3 minutes, killing viruses of cold and flu. The ear begins to hiss and sometimes you can feel a slight burning sensation. Wait until it stops (usually in the range of 5 to 10 minutes), then wipe the water from one ear with a cloth and repeat the same with the other ear.
To cure a cold or flu, it is necessary to repeat this procedure two or three times with an interval of 1-2 hours, until the hydrogen peroxide ceases to hiss in the ears. Although this method can be considered 100% safe for infants and children, hissing and foaming can scare the child. In this case, it should be done by someone to whom the child completely trusts.
Juice from pickled cucumbers
One of the readers of the American medical journal wrote to the editors that he did not have the flu or even a common cold in the past 30 years. He drank two teaspoons of juice of salted cucumbers every morning immediately after sleep. The doctor told him about this method 30 years ago. Since then he started this daily ritual. And no problems with colds. Cucumbers should be pickled with dill.
Wet socks treatment
It is very good for treating all kinds of infections and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. This method is easy to use and requires nothing but socks and water. It works best when used for three consecutive days. If you experience any of these symptoms: sore throat, neck, ear infections, headache, migraine, runny nose, nasal congestion, upper respiratory tract infection, cough, bronchitis, sinusitis - that's what you need to do:
1. First, thoroughly warm your feet. This is important, otherwise the treatment will not be as effective as it can be. Efficiency will decrease several times, it can even cause damage to health if the legs were not very warm. Strew your feet in a hot bath or a basin with hot water for 5-10 minutes.
2. Take a pair of cotton socks, soak in ice water, then squeeze water out of them so that they do not drip.
3. Wipe your feet with a dry towel.
4. Dress your icy wet socks on your feet, and on top - dry woolen socks and immediately go to bed. Do not allow chills!
5. Sleep all night in your socks. By morning, the wet cotton socks will be completely dry.
This procedure improves blood circulation and reduces congestion of the upper respiratory tract, head and throat. It has a calming effect, and many patients noted that during this treatment they were much better. It will also help to cure pain and speed up the healing process during an acute infection. It is considered an excellent treatment in the early stages of a cold or flu.
Apple-honey tea
Composition:
3 or 4 apples, cut out the middle and cut, but do not clean;
6 cups of cold water (preferably filtered or mineral water);
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice;
1 tablespoon of honey;
Put the apples in a pot of water and cook over low heat for two hours. Remove from heat and allow the broth to infuse. Add the lemon juice with honey and drink hot. You can prepare the tea in advance and store it in the fridge and then simply heat it when necessary. This remedy helps to lower the temperature, not to mention other health benefits. The sweet taste of tea soothes children and adults.
Honey
"Pure, unpasteurized honey calms the pain in the throat and eliminates wheezing in the voice," says Dr. Jarvis, author of the folk medicine encyclopedia. He recommends eating one or two tablespoons of honey and drinking them with fruit juice, herbal tea or plain water.
Note: The Center for Disease Control warns against the feeding of children under the age of one year, because their immune system can not be able to fight the action of botulinum bacteria in honey. In addition, honey is very allergic.
Onion syrup without odor
Finely chop one yellow onion in a small bowl. Add approximately one teaspoon of honey and mix. Place a bowl with this mixture on the bedside table next to the bed, as close as possible to the head. All night you breathe, inhaling a pair of onion juice. In the morning after awakening, you must take a shower or bath to get rid of the smell of onions.
Breathe deeply and feel better
This is one of the oldest recipes of our great-grandmothers against nasal congestion - very simple to implement and 100% effective. Inhalation helps to "unblock" the nose, because it provides increased movement of mucus. This is very important, because bacteria multiply in the nose especially strongly when stagnation of mucus occurs in the nasal chamber and the paranasal sinuses.
So, pour ¼ of the pots with water. Bring the water to a near boil and turn off the cooker. Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil. Carefully remove the pan from the stove and place it on a stool or table. Put a towel on your head, bend over and breathe deeply.
Note: Keep your face at a safe distance from water, so as not to burn yourself.
There is even an easier way to perform this inhalation. Put 2-3 drops of eucalyptus oil on a small towel and put it on the floor in the shower. Close the door and just take a shower with warm water. Why eucalyptus? Because it calms the sore throat, cough and helps fight infection.
Tea with cinnamon: very tasty and useful
Once, cinnamon was valued in weight of gold - it has been used in medicine for thousands of years. Currently, it is an aromatic additive that gives a flavor to everything from cakes to cappuccino. But the reputation of cinnamon as a medicinal herb remains unchanged. Cinnamon contains an oily composition called cinnamaldehyde, which kills the entire spectrum of pathogenic bacteria. It also has properties for fighting fever. And although the cinnamon probably will not replace aspirin in your home medicine cabinet, but forget about it not worth it. Cinnamon also, to some extent, has an analgesic effect.
Tea recipe: 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder (or several cinnamon sticks whole) and 1 spoonful of green leaf tea pour 250 ml of boiling water. Cover and leave for 20 minutes, then open and slightly cool the drink. Add honey and lemon to taste. Drink 1-3 cups a day.