How to prevent flu?
How to prevent flu?
Autumn-Spring is a flu riskiest time period. This article covers “hot” questions on flu first symptoms, flu treatment and flu prevention. Read it to find flu prevent tips and stay healthy during this time.
Flu is seasonal disease occurring every year, usually from October through March. It kills 20 to 40 thousand Americans each year, causes 100 to 200 thousand hospitalizations and many sick leaves and school absences. There is one more reason making flu problem worthy of everyone’s attention. It’s the threat of bird flu pandemic that might happen worldwide, as scientists presume. Though these issues must be addressed, neither ordinary flu nor avian flu should be panicked over.
The flu virus is usually contracted either by hands (touching door handles or other things, shaking hands etc.), or by inhaling tiny droplets shed by an infected person during coughing or breezing.
The flu symptoms start in most cases within 1 day after catching a virus. If you experience any of these symptoms talk to your doctor asap to find right treatment option.
# Headache
# Chills
# Dry cough
# Body aches
# High fever
# Stuffy or runny nose
# Sore throat
# Fatigue may last up to 3 weeks
How to prevent the flu?
The simplest decision is to have flu vaccination. However, the majority of our population chooses to stay away from it: less than 20% residents of developed countries decide to have flu vaccination. Hopefully, the main reason is not hate of needles, but the fact: the flu vaccine is made on chicken embryos, and this material cannot be completely purified from various pathogenic microorganisms (infections etc.), their toxins and the hazards that could cause cancer.
Fortunately, many pathogens will be killed by the immunity shortly after vaccine comes under the skin; but people are usually reluctant to take the risks, especially for their kids.
Flu vaccination makes more sense for people with special needs, such as:
- Nursing home residents;
- People with serious health problems (e.g. asthma) – must be prescribed by family doctor;
- People most exposed to common infections – healthcare providers, school teachers and childcare workers, over-the-counter customer service workers.
If you decide to have the vaccination, it’s safe to make it with needle syringe, but not with jet syringe. Killed flu vaccine is safer and more reliable than “live” one.
Other flu prevention tips:
# Wash your hands frequently, with soap and water, or with an alcohol-based cleanser, when not near a sink or water
# Stay away from sick people
# Avoid touching your face, especially your nose, eyes and mouth. [7]
# Wash all your dishes in hot dishwasher and/or with dishwashing liquid. If a household member is sick, separate his dishes/mugs and wash them with proper disinfection.
# Keep warm. Avoid excessive chills/moist/wetness
# Rest at least 6 to 8 hours each night, avoid stress
# Boost your immunity with detoxification, daily exercise and fresh air instead of smoking
# Drink enough water or fluids (1-2 quarts daily)
# Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Shop organic when possible. Avoid sugar, fructose, simple carbs – they may lower your immune function. [8]
# Eat garlic or garlic oil, onions, ginger, chilly, hot mustard and lemons
To prevent flu your meal should provide you with daily dosage of these vitamins: 100 – 200 mcg of selenium, 10–20 mg of zinc, 5000 – 10 000 units of vitamin A and 50 – 75 mg B vitamins altogether, 500 mg of vitamin C, 1 g calcium, 500 mg magnesium.
What to do if you get sick with flu and flu prevention tips did not help to avoid flu:
1. Stay home in separate room. The room needs to be frequently ventilated.
2. Avoid going outdoors until healthy it may cause serious side effects.
3. At the first sign of symptoms, start warming: you may quickly rub your ears, warm your face with hairdryer for a couple of minutes, put your feet into the hot water tub for 10-20 minutes, rub warming balms into your facial zones, chest, back and nape.
4. Keep warm, rest, drink lots of warm or hot liquids. Herbal tea with rosehip will clean and nourish your liver that helps your blood to kill infections and wash their toxins away. St.-John’s wort in moderate quantity, elderberry and/or echinacea will boost your immunity. Raspberry leaf (or raspberry conserve) and honey are great anti-inflammatory.
5. Try to take food, minerals and vitamins listed above in “Flu Prevention”, starting with lemons.
There are many other herbs and natural remedies helpful for flu.
6. Over-the-counter drugs may actually prolong your flu, as decongestants and anti-fever break your body’s healing measures. Use these drugs only if prescribed by your doctor.
7. Call your doctor if you experience any of fly symptoms or/and:
# Your fever lasts; you may have a more serious infection.
# You have breathing or heart problems or other serious health problems.
# You are taking drugs to fight cancer or other drugs that weaken your body’s natural defenses against illness.
# You feel sick and don’t seem to be getting better. You have a cough that begins to produce phlegm. You are worried about your health.
If your doctor evaluates your flu condition as quite-harder-than-average, he may prescribe you antiviral drug (such as tamiflu) or antibiotic (to kill side infections). But in most cases doctors suggest just to get on well with rest and hot tea, without prescription drugs that have side effects.
In conclusion, we would like to say that though flu should not be panicked over, it must be taken seriously. To prevent this disease, use every natural way to keep your immunity sound. And take all those sanitary precautions. People with serious health problems, consult your doctor by September and make a decision whether you need flu vaccination. If you get sick, start warming and other natural healing measures at the very first symptoms, as early as possible. Call your doctor if the fever lasts more than 3 days or you have any other reason to worry about your health.
