An Essential Guide To Fighting Flu Symptoms For Your Whole Family
Preventing infection is the best defense when fighting flu viruses
, especially in light of the recent H1N1 pandemic. Instead of spending several miserable days in bed with the flu, missing school, work, friends and family, and even risking serious medical complications, prevention is the best line of defense against the influenza virus.
Once inside the body, the influenza virus attaches, or binds, itself to host cells, which are then reprogrammed to create more viruses and jeopardizes one's respiratory health. Persons with poor respiratory health or compromised immune systems are especially at risk when fighting flu viruses. Maintaining good, overall health has a significant impact on your body's ability to fight off this infection and there are many preventative measures available to minimize the risk of infection.
Prevention Is The Best Medicine
Influenza viruses are spread through the air whenever an infected person coughs or sneezes, which is why it is so important to cough into the crook of your arm and to use a tissue when sneezing. Coughing into your warm, damp hand provides germs with the perfect habitat for growth and further distribution. Viruses enter the body when these airborne particles come into contact with the mouth, nose, eyes and ears. Viruses can also be spread when any of these body parts are touched after contacting a contaminated surface.
Flu viruses can be rendered harmless with detergents, disinfectants and exposure to sunlight. Families can use this information during flu season to prevent infection and illness. There are several steps families can take to reduce the risk of infection and prevent illness in the first place.
1.Wash your hands properly and often
2.Be cautious when touching potentially infected surfaces
3.Do not touch your eyes, ears, nose or mouth before washing your hands
4.Swab your ears with alcohol to kill germs
5.Use hand sanitizer regularly
6.Maintain a safe distance from other people, sick or not
7.Disinfect your home and car and wipe down pets regularly
8.Take your vitamins
9.Only eat raw food that you have washed with soap for yourself and use a straw
10.Eat well, stay hydrated and get enough rest
Many individuals receive vaccinations against the flu virus, which may or may not prove effective. While recipients of the flu vaccine may not become infected themselves, they can easily carry the virus to others on their hands, clothing and other property, due to the false confidence that, since they are not sick, they cannot infect anyone else.
When Prevention Isn't Enough
All the good intentions and active preventions in the world can't protect anyone entirely. Frequent hand washing, disinfecting the home and car, maintaining a safe distance from potentially infected individuals and maintaining good, overall health can all work together to prevent infection, but there are no guarantees.
Good respiratory health is crucial when fighting flu viruses and other illness, which is why a healthy diet, sufficient hydration and adequate sleep are so important. Even with the best preventative actions, infection can still occur. Fighting flu symptoms often involves getting plenty of extra rest, eating a mild or liquid diet for a few days and staying warm. Warm Epsom salt baths will reduce some of the aches and pains and over the counter pain medications can help relieve some of the discomfort but will do nothing to reduce the duration of the virus' life cycle.
Fighting Flu With Flavonoids
Once infected with the flu virus, family members can take advantage of the scientifically proven benefits obtained from elderberry extract to reduce both the duration and the severity of flu symptoms. Elderberry extract contains flavonoids. Flavonoids are plant nutrients that have been proven beneficial to human health. Recently, the Scientific Journal of Phytochemistry published a report on the successful antiviral characteristics of elderberry extract. Elderberry extract reduces the likelihood of infection by binding to human influenza viruses. This makes the viruses incapable of attaching themselves to human host cells. In effect, this prevents the infection from ever occurring.
Elderberry extract has also been shown to reduce the severity and duration of flu symptoms with its anti-inflammatory effects. Instead of being ill for six or more days, lab results have demonstrated that elderberry extract can cut that number down to as little as only two days. The results of this placebo-controlled, double blind study were published in the July 2009 issue of Phytochemistry, a peer-reviewed scientific journal (Volume 70, Issue 10).
Maintaining good respiratory health and taking advantage of the benefits available from elderberry extract will help families fighting flu infections and symptoms.
by: Chris Harmen
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