Flu and Remedies
Influenza, a viral infection, causes an illness that can range from mild to life-threatening. It is commonly known as flu and is a viral infection of the respiratory tract that affects the nose, throat, and sometimes even the lungs.
For most people, the flu is an unpleasant but short-lived illness while for others; flu can pose serious health risks.
Typically, flu lasts one to two weeks, with severe symptoms that subside in a couple days or so. However, weakness, dry cough, and laziness can linger for a week. If an adult is infected with influenza, it may be contagious from day one before symptoms start to appear after a week, give or take, of becoming sick. However, children may continue to be more contagious for longer than a week.
When flu develops and the symptoms worsen, a person will likely be sick for longer than a week or two — that is, it depends on the severity of the complication and how quickly a person receives treatment and how well they respond to the treatment.
Below are a few natural remedies for the flu:
- Drink up.
There is almost no disease in the world that does not get better with increasing water intake. The flu can leave you dehydrated, especially if have vomiting or diarrhea accompanying. So be sure to get enough fluids. Water need not be the only thing you intake; fresh fruit juices and electrolyte beverages can be helpful too.
- Stay away from caffeinated drinks; because they are diuretic, meaning that the body will lose the water your body needs during the flu.
- Have herbal tea with honey. This can soothe a sore throat.
- Sip some soup. For generations, caring parents have been serving chicken soup for kids with colds and flu. They are known to help with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections like the flu.
- Be a couch potato. Listen to your body. If it is telling you not to exercise, do not. If it is urging you to spend all day in bed, do it. Don’t press on with daily chores even in the face of severe cold or flu symptoms. Rest is essential.
- Do not skip on nighttime sleep.
- Breathing moist air helps ease the nasal congestion and sore throat pain you experience with the flu. One good strategy is to indulge in a steamy shower several times a day — or just turn on the shower and sit in the bathroom for a few minutes, inhaling the steam. Another is to use a steam vaporizer or a humidifier. Clean it often to make sure it is free of mold and mildew.
Now, that we have talked about the flu and some home remedies, it is important for you to know that you are required to see a doctor when the conditions get out of hand; when these home remedies don’t work and the flu does not leave you be healthy and active.
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