Consultant – Therapist
Influenza is part of a group of acute respiratory viral infections, which generally consists of more than 200 different viruses. It can cause serious complications: lesions of the brain membranes, viral pneumonia, and kidney damage. Complications from the flu can lead to death – that’s why it is important to be able to distinguish it from other respiratory diseases.
Influenza and SARS – what is the difference
Influenza starts with a sharp temperature rise and is accompanied by rapidly developing symptoms of acute intoxication. Usually, it is a headache, photophobia, and pain in the eyes, weakness, sweating, and pain in muscles. And due to the fact that the gate for infection is the upper respiratory tract, as soon as there are signs of their destruction: a sore throat, soreness behind the sternum, dry painful cough. The flu health deterioration occurs so rapidly that sometimes the patient can call an hour when the disease appeared.
The main difference between the flu from other acute respiratory infections that SARS is less pronounced when the temperature (rarely rises above 38? C), and comes to the fore not the general feeling unwell and catarrhal phenomena: an abundant runny nose, sore throat, and cough. SARS begins gradually, with the sore throat, discomfort in the nose, and then develop and other symptoms.
Each person’s resistance system is individual: some people almost never happen when heat illness, others easily develops intoxication, even when cold. In such cases, to distinguish the flu from another SARS is difficult.
Colds – from the word “simple”, that is super cooled. When supercooling at nonhardened human immunity decreases and the body cannot fully deal with viruses and bacteria, we are picked up. Perhaps if the body was not supercooled, it is easy to cope with the virus, which is in your body.
8 ways to beat the flu
Not all, picked up SARS or influenza, go to the doctor, and sometimes call it simply is not possible. In such cases, do not sit idly by – you can help yourself.
1. Lie down in bed
The first thing you need to do, feeling unwell, – to go to bed. No one infection cannot be transferred on the legs as it dozens of times increases the likelihood of complications! The body fights disease, and it is very important to create favorable conditions for this, so it does not expend energy for physical activity. In addition, if you go to work sick, it can infect others.
2. Ask for help
Should call the doctor – at least in order to accurately understand what exactly you are ill, and to avoid serious diagnoses. In addition, the doctor will decide on what pathogens affect necessary medicines – a virus or a bacterial infection, which was complicated by the disease; after all, getting rid of bacteria and viruses completely different ways.
3. Drink plenty of fluids
It is recommended to drink at least two liters of fluid per day. It is better if it is warm acidified drink (fruit drinks, fruit drinks, juices, tea with lemon, broth hips). In addition, drinking plenty of fluids helps to reduce intoxication viruses waste products that cause fatigue, muscle pain and headache, are displayed with the fluid through the kidneys.
Drunken fluid also helps to thin out the mucus by coughing and generally compensate for the water loss was the result of intense sweating. If the purpose of lowering the temperature you drink tea with raspberries (and this is one of the best natural anti-fever), take care of that and other fluids in your diet daily drinking enough. Raspberry is very profuse sweating, so you need to prevent dehydration. When you a cough and to reduce the toxicity is very good warm milk with an alkaline mineral water without gas (e.g. mineral water) and warmed milk with sage or cocoa butter, drunk at night.
4. Watch the temperature
If the temperature does not rise above 38.50 C and you normally postpone it, take antipyretics not recommended – at this time the body is actively fighting (high temperature prevents viruses from reproducing). If late to lower the temperature, the disease can be delayed, thereby increasing the risk of complications. If SARS is usually prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, Analgin, paracetamol, nimesulide and others) they help to lower the temperature, relieve pain and reduce inflammation in the body. In that case, if the medication does not help or their use for any reason cannot use physical methods to reduce the temperature: cold compresses on the head and on the area of the passage of large vessels (the folds of the elbows and knees, neck, groin), as well as body rub weak solution of vinegar or alcohol.
5. Exposure to the virus
It is recommended to take antiviral drugs (this is especially true in the first three days of illness).You can choose rimantadine, a flub in, Arbidol, amizon, homeopathic remedies, and can resort to natural medicines. Recommendation “TK”: prepare onion juice with honey in the ratio 1: 1, and every half hour absorbable 1 teaspoon. In the first hours of the disease using 2 g of vitamin C (either eats a lemon, if you have not increased the acidity of gastric juice) repeated after 12 hours. This is a powerful antioxidant that helps to reduce intoxication, to destroy the environment favorable for the development of viruses and acts directly on the virus envelope. In the early days of the disease, some doctors recommend a drop in nose interferon drugs – to enhance anti-viral defense. But homeopaths, for example, believe that the foreign protein just loads the body, it is not necessary. In the case, do not use antibiotics without a prescription! They are prescribed only when joined to a bacterial viral infection.
6. Eliminate runny
Choose nasal drops of oil-based – they desiccate the mucosa and facilitate breathing. Sometimes it takes antihistamines – to relieve swelling to the area of the nasal sinuses. In addition, you can use medicines that improve the outflow of the sinuses (e.g. Lim omi zot, sin upset). Excellent proven itself such a program: start with nasal lavage decoction of St. John’s wort, then use the oil droplets, and at night put on the area of the nasal and frontal sinuses warming ointment (match head balm “asterisk” mix with 0.5 tablespoons butter tea).
7. Help the throat
When the pain in the throat helps rinse. You can use a decoction of chamomile, calendula, sage, and other herbs. Good works such scheme: first, gargle with warm water and salt, and then with the addition of soda, then sprinkle in the throat means “Ingalipt” or rinse water with a few drops of eucalyptus oil or chlorophyllin (Stir). You can also use this for special solutions or treated with a sore throat medications (lozenges, candies, and so on. N.).
8. A cough – fight
Phlegm in the respiratory tract is necessary to dilute and excrete. The more fluid you drink, the easier it is to cope with a cough and runny nose. To counter cough medicines use the natural (syrup of licorice root, marshmallow root, dry medicine, sage, chest collection) or chemical-based (ambroxol, bromhexine, ACC, etc. Pertussin. N.). If the temperature is not too high, it is recommended to do steam inhalation infusion of chamomile, calendula, and sage.
A strong immune system the strength to defeat the intruders: disease-causing viruses and bacteria. The conclusion is simple: to be healthy, the body must be able to resist. How to achieve this?
If you are cold, and hypothermia, I come home, immediately drink some hot tea, and try to keep warm: take a bath, get dressed warmly
Vitamin C for colds
If during an illness you do not want to eat, it is better to temporarily refrain from eating, because in this case, the body sends its forces to its processing and excretion of metabolic waste products, not to fight the disease. Eat light foods; eat less meat, products made with white flour and sweets. Give preference to vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and fish. Choose citrus vitamin C – the best way to fight the flu.
To protect yourself from the flu even during the epidemic is real, if you follow the simple rules:
- Try as little as possible to be in areas with large concentrations of people. Do not get carried away and partying, going to the movies, theaters.
- Lubricate the nasal passages oxolinic ointment before you leave home. If you are a long time will be among the people, do it again at 3 o’clock.
- As often as possible, my hands. Human patient per day hand contact with the secretions from the airways of the nose or several hundred times. The flu virus is hardy – easily transmitted through handshakes, door handles, and handrails in public transport.
- Energize your body with vitamins and natural immunomodulators. The best of them – rose, Rhodiola Rosea, echinacea, black currant. Let your menu will also be plenty of fresh dairy products. On the growing moon to pursue a course of strengthening immunity: daily in the morning on an empty stomach to drink a glass of warm water with dissolved for 1 hour a spoonful of honey… It is also useful to chew honeycomb and eat pollen.
- Drink a lot of green tea – polyphenols contained in it, preventing the development of viral diseases.
- Eat garlic or simply squeezes it into butter. If you are confused by the smell, take garlic capsules. Garlic – a natural antibiotic. If even a few minutes to chew a small piece of it, in the mouth it will be practically no bacteria.
- Sauna or steam bath – it is always useful, and in the cold season also helps to strengthen the body’s defenses. Try to alternate between cool and hot water – it strengthens the immune system.
- In the morning, take a contrast shower, and after a bath to rinse with cool water.
- If the home is sick, use protective gauze bandages, often ventilated area, permanently lubricated nose oxolinic ointment. Spreading on a saucer with a flat extruded garlic or onion cut into pieces, you will create a natural germicidal atmosphere, which will help prevent infection. In addition, well disinfects the air with aromatherapy oil of eucalyptus or tea tree.
Saves whether from disease vaccination?
Immunity is formed to a specific strain of the influenza virus. He persists for many years, but the flu is insidious in that it is the virus mutates almost every year, and you never know 100% what kind of strain will attack us this year. Vaccination weakens the immune system, is formed by the influenza virus protection, and in this time, it is easy to pick up other infections. The vaccination does not protect against the flu, but only makes it easier for influenza can be confused with the common cold (unless you are ill, otlezhus home to avoid complications). It is recommended to vaccinate the elderly: they have a high risk of development of fatal complications.
To avoid the disease, as often as is possible in the open air: on the nature of the airways are cleared, the immune system is strengthened and viruses retreat!
