Treating Flu At Home –The Dos and Don’ts

Every individual knows how uncomfortable it can get when one gets flu. Flu and common cold appear like minor illnesses, but cause major discomforts when working. Sometimes one loses their appetite, and this can resort to one getting weak, thus worsening the situation. The good thing is that with flu, one doesn’t have to rush to the hospital every time they catch a cold. There are home remedies that heal or help minimize the duration the flu could last. Listed are the dos and don’ts to ease your flu.

What to Do to Treat Flu At Home

Hydrate: This is always recommended. It is good to take lots of water on a daily basis, and even better to take more water when sick. Hot water especially, lessens nasal congestion and soothes the membrane next to the throat and nose. Other than water, you can also take fresh natural fruit juices to avoid dehydration. It is however not recommended to take caffeinated drinks, as they increase the excretion of urine.

Ginger: Due to the numerous amounts of antioxidants present in ginger, the plant has been an effective remedy for viral infections. It has compounds like gingerol and shagelol that are excellent for treating flu. Ginger is anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory. You can use dried ginger roots, extracts, fresh oils or ginger powder.  One can add ginger to their beverage in hot water.  For ginger roots, crush a small piece in your mug and add water or tea, wait for it to settle then sieve it. Drink the mixture while hot. Ginger powder should be added to drinks moderately. To combat the flu, add a tablespoon or two to your water or tea and stir till everything settles down. Adding excess ginger will lead to irritation in the mouth or even diarrhea. Consumption of more than 4g of ginger per day can lead to complications.

Garlic: When taken raw, garlic is not pleasing in the mouth. It is however one of the most effective remedies for treating flu and cold at home. Crush two to four cloves of garlic, cut your lemon into slices in the same cup and add warm water. Sieve the mixture to a different cup and wait for about ten minutes before drinking. If you feel like the water is too bitter, you can add a tablespoon of honey to better the taste. Garlic improves immune function.

Salt Water: Use warm salt water to gargle. This will remove the mucus that collects at the back of your throat. Keep swishing and spitting the water and don’t do this while lying on your back. Doing this could also aid in alleviating stuffy ears. Gargling salt water keeps the throat moist and relieves soreness.

Take Chicken Soup:  Chicken soup and other broth based soups have for years been used to treat flu. Once taken, the chicken soup reduces inflammation and aids in clearing thin mucus, making one cough it up. Chicken soup is also good for sore throat.

Keep Warm And Take A Rest: If you are one who is always active and engage in a lot of physical exercises, you may want to take a rest when down with flu. Being a couch potato is something you should be. Take all the rest you need, and only engage is simple personal activities like cooking. Always keep warm anytime you go out.

Steamy Shower: A steamy bathroom does wonders to you if you’re stuffed up. Take hot showers as many as four times a day. You can also sit in the bathroom while the shower is running and breath in the moist steam. If you have menthol rub, add a teaspoon of it to the bathroom sink filled with hot water. The steam keeps your airways clear, and makes breathing easy for you. Congestion around your nasal cavity is reduced.

Herbal Tea: Taking herbal tea is calming and soothing to irritating sinuses. Taking clove tea is among the most common ways of dealing with flu while at home. The cloves enable the sinuses to open and reduce the congestion around your nose. Peppermint tea has menthol which aids in stopping congestion. Yarrow tea presses your body to sweat, and thus naturally reduces the fever. To make herbal tea, place the herbs in a mug with water and allow them to soak. Licorice tea calms spasms in the lungs and is super effective in reduction of soreness around the throat area. For your tea to be super strong in potency, you can add three tablespoons of the herb to your water. Two tablespoons per mug are however enough.

What Not To Do While Treating Flu At Home

Taking Alcohol: Taking alcoholic drinks cause dehydration. This is the last thing you may want to happen when you’re down with flu. Drinking will make you sluggish and disrupt your sleep pattern. You need lots of water in your body, and alcohol intake will not help you achieve this.

Cold Showers: Avoid contact with cold water at all costs. Don’t go for swimming and don’t bath with water that is not warm enough. The cold water will reduce the chances of your fever going down, even if you treat the flu with natural remedies.

Manual Labor: Stay at home and avoid any heavy lifting. Don’t go to work as the flu will prevent you from giving enough output at your work place. There is also the possibility of you infecting your colleagues with the flu, as viral infections are easily communicable. Don’t do anything that may hinder a quick recovery.

Avoid Lying On Your Back: Rest is important, yes. Take plenty of rest when infected by the flu, but avoid lying on your back throughout the day. Lying down makes it difficult for the lungs to function as they should. Sit upright with your head up as you take the rest. Sitting upright stops continuous coughing, as the congestion at the back of the throat is stopped.

Don’t Take Antibiotics: Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, they do not treat flu, which is caused by a virus. When treating flu with home remedies, don’t mix antibiotics. Using antibiotics will not speed up your recovery. Just stick with natural home remedies to treat your flu, and only take antiviral prescription drugs if your immune system has complications.

Flu normally lasts about seven days, but with the remedies mentioned above, your flu could only last for three days. Viral infections often leave the body fatigued and weak. Dry coughs make it difficult to exercise. While treating the flu, also remember to eat healthy and drink plenty of fluids. If you wish to take juices in place of water, lemon juice is the best. If you follow any of the remedy listed above, be sure that your flu will disappear faster than you anticipated.