Remedies for Fighting the Flu
Posted on November 12, 2013 by Michael Martin Leaño
Having the flu may involve getting fever, chills, body aches, fatigue, cough, a runny and congested nose, and watery eyes. In other words, sheer misery. If you have the flu, here are a few remedies you can try to fight its symptoms:
Drink plenty of liquids
It's especially important to drink plenty of liquids when you have flu. Why? Doing so would prevent dehydration, which would only worsen the congestion. More importantly, drinking more fluids would dissolve the mucus building up in your respiratory system. According to studies, hot liquids may be more effective than cold ones, although you should avoid beverages like coffee and liquor, which could lead to dehydration.
Get plenty of rest
Your immune system would need all the energy it could get to fight off the infection. Getting plenty of rest and enough sleep would help provide the energy for the effort. Don't move around or do any chores while you have the flu. When your temperature returns to normal, give yourself a day before going back to your regular activities to avoid a relapse.
Blow your nose
Don't sniff when your nose is congested; you're only sucking the mucus back in your head. Instead, blow your nose regularly, or at least whenever it gets stuffy. When you blow, press your finger over a nostril, and then puff out gently. Blowing hard might cause an earache.
Ways to relieve your throat
Sore throat is a possible symptom of the flu. To relieve the soreness, have a lozenge or gargle a half teaspoon of salt in warm water. If you have dry cough, try taking some over-the-counter cough syrup, a cough drop, or some honey. However, if your coughing expels phlegm, do not supress it as it clears your lungs.
Eat chicken soup
As mentioned earlier, hot liquids are quite effective in fighting flu symptoms, which is one of the reasons why you should eat chicken soup to get better. Furthermore, it accelerates the movement of mucus, which helps ease congestion. Other studies have discovered that chicken soup inhibited white blood cells that cause inflammation.
Take an analgesic
Flu typically comes with fever, which means you have a body temperature of at least 37.8 degrees Celsius or 100 degrees Fahrenheit. To help fight the fever, consider taking analgesics like acetaminophen or ibuprofen and aspirin to ease body aches and pains.
Take note, however, that you should never give aspirin to a child sick with flu. A link was discovered between Reye's Syndrome, a life-threatening disease that affects the brain and liver, and aspirin consumption by children with a viral illness.