12 All-Natural Home Remedies for Fast Cold & Flu Relief

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• #1 Know When not to Treat Symptoms
• #2 Blow Your Nose Often (and the Right Way)
• #3 Treat That Stuffy Nose With Warm Salt Water
• #4 Stay Warm and Rested
• #5 Gargle
• #6 Drink Hot Liquids
• #7 Take a Steamy Shower
• #8 Use a Salve Under Your Nose
• #9 Apply Hot or Cold Packs Around Your Congested Sinuses
• #10 Sleep With an Extra Pillow Under Your Head
• #11 Don’t Fly Unless Necessary
• #12 Eat Infection-Fighting Foods
• More

Looking for a natural or alternative treatment for your cold or flu symptoms? Here are tips that may help relieve your symptoms.

Believe it or not, those annoying symptoms you’re experiencing are part of the natural healing process — evidence that the immune system is battling illness. For instance, a fever is your body’s way of trying to kill viruses by creating a hotter-than-normal environment. Also, a fever’s hot environment makes germ-killing proteins in your blood circulate more quickly and effectively. Thus, if you endure a moderate fever for a day or two, you may actually get well faster. Coughing is another productive symptom; it clears your breathing passages of thick mucus that can carry germs to your lungs and the rest of your body. Even that stuffy nose is best treated mildly or not at all. A decongestant, like Sudafed, restricts flow to the blood vessels in your nose and throat. But often you want the increase blood flow because it warms the infected area and helps secretions carry germs out of your body.

It’s important to blow your nose regularly when you have a cold rather than sniffling mucus back into your head. But when you blow hard, pressure can carry germ-carrying phlegm back into your ear passages, causing earache. The best way to blow your nose: Press a finger over one nostril while you blow gently to clear the other.

Salt-water rinsing helps break nasal congestion, while also removing virus particles and bacteria from your nose. Here’s a popular recipe:

Mix 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in 8 ounces of distilled, sterile or previously boiled water. Use a bulb syringe or nasal irrigation kit to squirt water into the nose. Hold one nostril closed by applying light finger pressure while squirting the salt mixture into the other nostril. Let it drain. Repeat two to three times, then treat the other nostril.

Staying warm and resting when you first come down with a cold or the flu helps your body direct its energy toward the immune battle. This battle taxes the body. So give it a little help by resting.

Gargling can moisten a sore throat and bring temporary relief. Gargle with half a teaspoon of salt dissolved in 8 ounces warm water, four times daily.

To reduce the tickle in your throat, try an astringent gargle — such as tea that contains tannin — to tighten the membranes. Or use a thick, viscous gargle made with honey or honey and apple cider vinegar. Seep one tablespoon of raspberry leaves or lemon juice in two cups of hot water; mix with one teaspoon of honey. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before gargling.

Hot liquids relieve nasal congestion, prevent dehydration, and soothe the uncomfortably inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat. If you’re so congested that you can’t sleep at night, try a hot toddy, an age-old remedy. Make a cup of hot herbal tea. Add one teaspoon of honey and one small shot (about 1 ounce) of whiskey or bourbon. Limit yourself to one. Too much alcohol will inflame the membranes and make you feel worse.

Steamy showers moisturize your nasal passages and may help you relax. If you’re dizzy from the flu, run a steamy shower while you sit on a chair nearby and take a sponge bath.

A small dab of mentholated salve under your nose can help to open breathing passages and restore the irritated skin at the base of the nose. Menthol, eucalyptus, and camphor all have mild numbing ingredients that may help relieve the pain of a nose rubbed raw. However, only put it on the outside, under your nose, not inside your nose.

Either temperature works. You can buy reusable hot or cold packs at a drugstore or make your own. You can apply heat by taking a damp washcloth and heating it for 55 seconds in a microwave (test the temperature first to make sure it’s not too hot.) A small bag of frozen peas works well as a cold pack.

Elevating your head will help relieve congested nasal passages. If the angle is too awkward, try placing the pillows between the mattress and the box springs to create a more gradual slope.

There’s no point adding stress to your already stressed-out upper respiratory system, and that’s what the change in air pressure will do. Flying with cold or flu congestion can temporarily damage your eardrums as a result of pressure changes during takeoff and landing. If you must fly, use a decongestant and carry a nasal spray with you to use just before takeoff and landing. Chewing gum and swallowing frequently can also help relieve pressure.

Here are some good foods to eat when you’re battling a cold or flu:

• Bananas and rice to soothe an upset stomach and curb diarrhea
• Vitamin C-containing foods like bell peppers
• Blueberries curb diarrhea and are high in natural aspirin, which may lower fevers and help with aches and pains
• Carrots, which contain beta-carotene
• Chili peppers may open sinuses, and help break up mucus in the lungs
• Cranberries may help prevent bacteria from sticking to cells lining the bladder and urinary tract
• Mustard or horseradish may helps break up mucus in air passages
• Onions contain phytochemicals purported to help the body clear bronchitis and other infections
• Black and green tea contain catechin, a phytochemical purported to have natural antibiotic and anti-diarrhea effects

Remember, serious conditions, such as sinus infections, bronchitis, meningitis, strep throat, and asthma, can look like the common cold. If you have severe symptoms, or don’t seem to be getting better, call your doctor.

Top Picks

12 All-Natural Home Remedies for Fast Cold & Flu Relief

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• #1 Know When not to Treat Symptoms
• #2 Blow Your Nose Often (and the Right Way)
• #3 Treat That Stuffy Nose With Warm Salt Water
• #4 Stay Warm and Rested
• #5 Gargle
• #6 Drink Hot Liquids
• #7 Take a Steamy Shower
• #8 Use a Salve Under Your Nose
• #9 Apply Hot or Cold Packs Around Your Congested Sinuses
• #10 Sleep With an Extra Pillow Under Your Head
• #11 Don’t Fly Unless Necessary
• #12 Eat Infection-Fighting Foods
• More

Looking for a natural or alternative treatment for your cold or flu symptoms? Here are tips that may help relieve your symptoms.

Believe it or not, those annoying symptoms you’re experiencing are part of the natural healing process — evidence that the immune system is battling illness. For instance, a fever is your body’s way of trying to kill viruses by creating a hotter-than-normal environment. Also, a fever’s hot environment makes germ-killing proteins in your blood circulate more quickly and effectively. Thus, if you endure a moderate fever for a day or two, you may actually get well faster. Coughing is another productive symptom; it clears your breathing passages of thick mucus that can carry germs to your lungs and the rest of your body. Even that stuffy nose is best treated mildly or not at all. A decongestant, like Sudafed, restricts flow to the blood vessels in your nose and throat. But often you want the increase blood flow because it warms the infected area and helps secretions carry germs out of your body.

It’s important to blow your nose regularly when you have a cold rather than sniffling mucus back into your head. But when you blow hard, pressure can carry germ-carrying phlegm back into your ear passages, causing earache. The best way to blow your nose: Press a finger over one nostril while you blow gently to clear the other.

Salt-water rinsing helps break nasal congestion, while also removing virus particles and bacteria from your nose. Here’s a popular recipe:

Mix 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in 8 ounces of distilled, sterile or previously boiled water. Use a bulb syringe or nasal irrigation kit to squirt water into the nose. Hold one nostril closed by applying light finger pressure while squirting the salt mixture into the other nostril. Let it drain. Repeat two to three times, then treat the other nostril.

Staying warm and resting when you first come down with a cold or the flu helps your body direct its energy toward the immune battle. This battle taxes the body. So give it a little help by resting.

Gargling can moisten a sore throat and bring temporary relief. Gargle with half a teaspoon of salt dissolved in 8 ounces warm water, four times daily.

To reduce the tickle in your throat, try an astringent gargle — such as tea that contains tannin — to tighten the membranes. Or use a thick, viscous gargle made with honey or honey and apple cider vinegar. Seep one tablespoon of raspberry leaves or lemon juice in two cups of hot water; mix with one teaspoon of honey. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before gargling.

Hot liquids relieve nasal congestion, prevent dehydration, and soothe the uncomfortably inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat. If you’re so congested that you can’t sleep at night, try a hot toddy, an age-old remedy. Make a cup of hot herbal tea. Add one teaspoon of honey and one small shot (about 1 ounce) of whiskey or bourbon. Limit yourself to one. Too much alcohol will inflame the membranes and make you feel worse.

Steamy showers moisturize your nasal passages and may help you relax. If you’re dizzy from the flu, run a steamy shower while you sit on a chair nearby and take a sponge bath.

A small dab of mentholated salve under your nose can help to open breathing passages and restore the irritated skin at the base of the nose. Menthol, eucalyptus, and camphor all have mild numbing ingredients that may help relieve the pain of a nose rubbed raw. However, only put it on the outside, under your nose, not inside your nose.

Either temperature works. You can buy reusable hot or cold packs at a drugstore or make your own. You can apply heat by taking a damp washcloth and heating it for 55 seconds in a microwave (test the temperature first to make sure it’s not too hot.) A small bag of frozen peas works well as a cold pack.

Elevating your head will help relieve congested nasal passages. If the angle is too awkward, try placing the pillows between the mattress and the box springs to create a more gradual slope.

There’s no point adding stress to your already stressed-out upper respiratory system, and that’s what the change in air pressure will do. Flying with cold or flu congestion can temporarily damage your eardrums as a result of pressure changes during takeoff and landing. If you must fly, use a decongestant and carry a nasal spray with you to use just before takeoff and landing. Chewing gum and swallowing frequently can also help relieve pressure.

Here are some good foods to eat when you’re battling a cold or flu:

• Bananas and rice to soothe an upset stomach and curb diarrhea
• Vitamin C-containing foods like bell peppers
• Blueberries curb diarrhea and are high in natural aspirin, which may lower fevers and help with aches and pains
• Carrots, which contain beta-carotene
• Chili peppers may open sinuses, and help break up mucus in the lungs
• Cranberries may help prevent bacteria from sticking to cells lining the bladder and urinary tract
• Mustard or horseradish may helps break up mucus in air passages
• Onions contain phytochemicals purported to help the body clear bronchitis and other infections
• Black and green tea contain catechin, a phytochemical purported to have natural antibiotic and anti-diarrhea effects

Remember, serious conditions, such as sinus infections, bronchitis, meningitis, strep throat, and asthma, can look like the common cold. If you have severe symptoms, or don’t seem to be getting better, call your doctor.

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Treatment of influenza and SARS | Dobromed

Influenza, colds, SARS are common diseases that people face every year, and sometimes several times. A particular danger of infection is observed in the cold season. A weakened body with autumn slush and severe stress becomes easy prey for many dangerous viruses. But in order to prevent complications and dangerous consequences, you need to know how influenza and SARS are treated. Doctors recommend starting it immediately after the first symptoms appear, this can save you from serious health problems.

Symptoms of influenza and SARS

First of all, it is worth finding out that the patient has influenza or SARS, and after that it will be possible to choose the appropriate treatment. These states have similar symptoms, so they can be easily confused. ARVI unites a large group of acute respiratory diseases. It includes such species as parainfluenza, rhinovirus, adenovirus, they have the same course as the flu. Note! Both diseases are included in a single group of pathologies, they affect the respiratory tract. Provoke the development of intoxication of the body with varying degrees.

• general weakness throughout the body;
• malaise and fatigue;
• increased dry mouth;
• sore, sometimes sore throat;
• sometimes there may be damage to the vocal cords, leading to hoarseness. The presence of manifestations of laryngitis;
• pain in muscles and joints;
• swelling of the respiratory tract.

However, it should be borne in mind that there are distinctive symptoms that will help to recognize that the patient has ARVI: Each person develops the disease in different ways. Sometimes at the initial stage, only weakness and headache can be observed, so it is not possible to identify the flu immediately, and in the future it causes severe complications and health problems.

Use of drugs

So how to treat SARS and influenza? Often, drug therapy is used to eliminate these diseases. It allows not only to eliminate the symptoms, but also to suppress the underlying causes of the disease. But still it is worth consulting a doctor, he will be able to choose the most effective and effective medicines.

Drug treatment of influenza and SARS in adults consists of three main activities:

• annual vaccination;
• use of antiviral drugs;
• use of IFN inducers (Kagocel).

Treatment of colds is usually performed with the help of etiotropic, anti-inflammatory, detoxification therapy. It is based on the use of various drugs – chemotherapy drugs, antihistamines, cough medicines, expectorants.

Are antibiotics needed?

Many people often ask how to treat influenza and SARS in adults, but only the attending physician can answer this question. With the development of bacterial complications, antibacterial drugs are usually prescribed. But they must be taken only in accordance with the rules specified in the instructions. Antibiotics are not able to cure the flu, they are used only to suppress complications. They help with severe community-acquired pneumonia, severe cough, severe respiratory failure, uremia, leukopenia, hypotension. So what antibacterial drugs for influenza and SARS are prescribed in adults? Consider the most effective:

1. Cefepime.
2. Ertapenem in combination with macrolides (intravenously).
3. Moxifloxacin.
4. Meropenem.
5. Imipenem.

In addition to antibiotic therapy, drugs such as oseltamivir or zanamivir may be added. The duration of treatment depends on the age of the patient, the individual characteristics of the organism, the degree of neglect of the disease.

Use of antivirals

Antivirals for the treatment of influenza and SARS in adults help to alleviate the condition and eliminate unpleasant symptoms. Often during these diseases, interferons are prescribed, which are included in the group of drugs with antiviral action.

Let’s highlight the most effective antiviral drugs for the treatment of influenza and SARS, which are interferons:

1. Human leukocyte interferon. This medicine is available in powder form. It dissolves in water, which should be at room temperature. It is recommended to take as part of therapeutic and prophylactic therapy for influenza, SARS.
2. Grippferon. This medicine contains recombinant human alpha-interferon. It is necessary to apply this remedy internally. You can not use during the bearing of a child, in the presence of individual intolerance.
3. Viferon. The composition includes alpha-interferon. Available in the form of rectal suppositories. This tool is suitable not only for adults, it can be included in the treatment of influenza and SARS in children. During pregnancy during colds can be used for a period of 3-4 months.

Effective treatment of influenza and ARVI in adults should include the use of other antiviral agents – interferon inducers, cyclic amines. Let’s consider several effective drugs that are often included in antiviral therapy:

1. Amiksin. This tool is used as part of the treatment and prevention of influenza, colds, SARS. Before taking, it is worth considering the instructions for use, because this medicine has contraindications, and side effects may occur at the time of its use.
2. Arbidol. When it is used, the activity of interferons is stimulated, and cellular immunity is strengthened. It is not recommended to use in case of individual intolerance, in the presence of somatic diseases.
3. Tamiflu. The drug is available in two forms – in the form of tablets and powder for suspension. Applies to adults and children.

The use of symptomatic drugs

To determine exactly how you can treat influenza and SARS, you should pay attention to the nature of the disease. Often, during these ailments, symptomatic drugs are prescribed, the action of which is aimed at eliminating the main signs of the pathological process – pain in the joints and muscles, fever, cough, headache, runny nose. In order for the treatment of influenza and SARS to be effective, it is necessary to use drugs from the list below :

• antipyretic drugs based on paracetamol and ibuprofen – Paracetamol, Nurofen, Ibuprofen;
• anti-inflammatory drugs – Septefril. They are used to eliminate pain in the throat;
• vasoconstrictor drugs – Galazolin. This group includes various drops, sprays that treat a runny nose and restore full breathing;
• drugs with antihistamine effects – Suprastin. Eliminate swelling of the nasal mucosa;
• cough medicine – ACC.

Worth noting! These are not all SARS and influenza medicines that can be prescribed for adults. They should be selected only by a doctor, depending on the symptoms and severity of the disease. In no case should you self-medicate.

Vitamin complexes

To quickly overcome influenza and SARS, treatment should include various vitamin complexes. They will be able to strengthen the immune system, increase the protective properties of the body. So what is the treatment for influenza and SARS in order to increase immunity and resistance? Consider the popular vitamin complexes:

1. Theraflu immuno. The composition of this drug includes ascorbic acid, echinacea extract, zinc. Available in the form of a powder, which is immediately poured into the oral cavity. It is recommended to use when the first symptoms of a cold appear, as well as as part of preventive therapy;
2. Direct. This complex contains vitamin C, A, zinc, plant extracts. Boosts the immune system, speeds up recovery;
3. Multi-Tabs Immuno Plus. This tool is a multivitamin complex that strengthens the body, is an excellent prevention against colds.

Treatment of influenza in children

Treatment of influenza and SARS at home in children is carried out according to the same principle as in adults: . It improves health and boosts the immune system.

Important! In addition to taking medications, the child needs to ensure complete rest and rest. You also need to drink plenty of water, good nutrition containing the required vitamins and nutrients.

Home remedies

Treatment of influenza and SARS at home can be carried out using various folk remedies and available methods that can eliminate unpleasant symptoms. Doctors recommend using them as an addition to the main therapy.

1. Complete peace and relaxation. During the illness, bed rest should be observed.
2. Drinking plenty of fluids must be ensured. You can drink different teas with lemon, medicinal herbs, decoctions, compotes.
3. Inhalations over herbal decoctions with eucalyptus oil, soda solution.
4. Decoction of coltsfoot leaves. A small amount of leaves must be poured into a thermos, pour hot water and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. It is worth taking 1 teaspoon at a time. It is allowed to drink up to 4 times a day.
5. A complete diet, which should consist of broths, vegetables, fruits and other healthy foods.

But still, only a doctor can tell you how to properly treat influenza and SARS in adults and children. He conducts a full examination, determines the severity of the disease, the state of health. After that, he selects the appropriate drugs. Together with the main therapy, you can additionally apply home treatments, they will speed up the process of recovery and recovery.

Effective remedies for the first symptoms of a cold – article on the site Aptechestvo, Nizhny Novgorod

The common cold is a clinical syndrome caused by an acute inflammatory process that affects the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract. The inflammation usually involves the throat, larynx, and sinuses. The main cause of SARS are viruses, of which there are hundreds of varieties. Penetrating into the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx, the pathogen begins to actively multiply, spreading to healthy tissues. a cold lasts an average of 7 to 10 days, sometimes longer. The first symptoms of a cold: fever, deterioration in general well-being, headaches and joint pain, sore throat, nasal congestion. With ARVI, antiviral and symptomatic therapy is carried out. The selection of drugs and the appointment of a treatment regimen should be handled by a doctor.

General

ARVI is transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person by airborne droplets. The causative agent of the disease are mainly viruses. The epidemiological situation worsens in the cold season.

There are mild, moderate and severe forms of SARS. In the first two cases, the patient does not need hospitalization, treatment is carried out at home under the supervision of a local therapist. In severe cases, the patient is placed in a hospital, where he will be monitored by the attending physician and medical staff.

Influenza symptoms

Influenza symptoms in an adult or child develop suddenly and acutely. The incubation period averages 1-2 days. During this period, you may be concerned about:

As soon as the immune system is included in the fight against infection, the temperature rises. First, the temperature reaches 37.5-37.7 ° C. With SARS, the thermometer usually does not exceed 38.5 ° C. In addition to an increase in temperature, the patient’s condition is also aggravated. The following symptoms are attached:

• general weakness, lethargy, drowsiness;

• headache, muscle pain;

• swollen lymph nodes;

• increased sweating;

• chills;

• fever;

• cough, sore throat;

• acute rhinitis;

• symptoms of intoxication: nausea, vomiting, dizziness.

Flu symptoms in children are almost the same as in adults. May also be observed:

Effective remedies for the first symptoms of a cold

If you have the characteristic symptoms of SARS, you should consult a doctor. Self-medication is fraught with serious consequences. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor draws up an individual treatment regimen, taking into account clinical data and the nature of the course of the disease.

First of all, the patient is recommended bed rest and drinking plenty of fluids. If an increase in temperature is accompanied by a deterioration in general well-being, it is necessary to take an antipyretic. Well known to all Paracetamol copes well with the task. A more pronounced antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect is possessed by drugs of the NSAID group:

• ibuprofen;

• Nurofen;

• Nimesil.

To help the body cope with the virus, antiviral agents are used:

• Interferon;

• Ribavirin;

• Anaferon.

With a dry painful cough, expectorants are recommended to facilitate sputum discharge:

In order to desensitize the body, antihistamines are used:

• Claritin;

• Loratadine;

• Chloropyrami.

To increase the protective functions of the body, vitamin C must be included in the treatment regimen, the dosage of which for each patient is determined individually.

To facilitate breathing complicated by rhinitis, vasoconstrictors are prescribed:

• Naphthyzin;

• Farmazolin;

• Oxyphrine;

• Vibrocil.

To wash the nasal mucosa, saline sprays are prescribed, which must be used at least 6-8 times a day. For washing the nose, you can use:

With conjunctivitis, the treatment regimen is as follows: during the day, the eyes should be instilled with eye drops, for example, such as Torbex, Floksal, Oftalmoferon.