Hisham Sarwar
Many people underestimate the seriousness of influenza and consider it just a common ailment that can be cured with over-the-counter available drugs. But flu is a serious contagious disease that if not taken seriously, can lead to hospitalization and sometimes death. This disease spreads so easily and a person might get flu by touching a surface that has been already contaminated with a flu virus. People infected with the virus can easily infect other people from one day before getting sick to about five to seven days of being sick. If a person suffers even the common flu for long, their immune system gets weak and put them at a greater risk of a severe illness.
But flu is a kind of sickness that can be stopped from getting worse with simple remedies at home. So if you have become ill with influenza then you should stay home, take rest along with precautions and you will be able to recover without medical care.
Try gargling:
According to experts, the study conducted involving 400 healthy volunteers who were asked to gargle with plain water as a preventive measure for treating upper respiratory tract infections. Published in the American Journal of preventive medicine, the study revealed that simple water gargling was effective in treating the infection among most of the healthy people.
Chicken soup appeared to have good effects:
Experts suggest that having chicken soup during flu is found really effective for reducing the symptoms. There are some components in eth soup that help to calm down the inflammation that triggers the sickness.
Getting enough sleep:
For a properly functioning immune system, it is necessary to get between seven to nine hours of sleep. Sleep helps to fight off the existing cold and defends you against the possibility of getting any more flu.
Zinc supplements:
According to experts, vitamin C has nothing much to do in treating the common cold but zinc supplements may actually work. It is because the zinc restricts with the replication of rhinoviruses that are the main cause of flu.
Honey as a cough medication:
During flu, coughing makes the situation even worse. But for many people the taste of the cough syrup is undesirable which makes them avoid it at all cost. If you are one of those people, then you can use honey as a cough medication. It not only cures the cough problem but also helps you to get a sound sleep.
Try decongestant:
From ages, people have been considering Vicks as the only remedy to relieve a stuffy nose. But recently studies have proved that the strong odor of menthol in Vicks tricks your brain to believe that you are breathing through an unclogged nose but it does not actually help. Instead, experts suggest using over-the-counter decongestant tablets or nasal sprays for congestion. They are believed to narrow the blood vessels in the nose lining which helps reduce swelling resulting in proper breathing.
Effectiveness of ginger:
Natural remedies are more effective when they are taken from the beginning. For all the nauseated, bloated, and indigestion problems, ginger can be very helpful. Ginger tea speeds up in stomach emptying, relieving gas, and indigestion.
Via: Business Insider
