Influenza and flooding are two phenomena that affect us every winter, and although expected - they always surprise us with their intensity. While the first phenomenon we can try to solve ahead of time, flu is a kind of puzzle that the best minds and researchers try to solve every year.
Every year, with the beginning of the fall, recommendations from the health funds and the Ministry of Health are issued to vaccinate against the disease, but the truth is that although significant protection is not always effective vaccines. So what else can be done against the flu, how much can we protect ourselves from the disease and how can grandma flu medicines help us beat it?
What is the flu and why is it considered a dangerous disease?
Flu is a disease that manifests in high fever, muscle pain, weakness, and bad general feeling, and is accompanied by headaches, sore throats, runny nose, and cough.
This is just the flu, it will soon pass, we tell ourselves every year. But the flu is not a cold, despite the many similarities in symptoms. Influenza can be a serious and dangerous disease, getting involved in pneumonia and other diseases, requiring hospitalization and even causing death. There is no flu cure, although there are drugs that may shorten the duration of the disease, and of course - there are quite a few grandmother flu medicines that can relieve the symptoms.
Why should you be vaccinated against the flu every year?
We know vaccines: anti-measles, pertussis, polio. We know that vaccines are usually effective for life. So why should the flu be vaccinated every year?
Influenza is a disease caused by a virus (Influenza) called the Influenza Virus. This is usually true, but when it comes to the flu - we have a particularly cunning virus. A virus that can evolve and change, so our immune system has trouble identifying it, even if we were vaccinated against it last year.
As is well known, many vaccines contain parts of viruses that cause infectious diseases but cannot cause the disease themselves, so when they enter the body the immune system produces special proteins called antibodies, which learn to identify and fight the virus. But when it comes to the influenza virus, cunning as you remember, the system is confused by the changes and loses efficiency. That is why every year the virus manages to spread to the world and cause the flu of next year, and the vaccine we have taken this past year loses its effectiveness. In addition, every few years a new strain of influenza virus appears, which can cause particularly severe morbidity. It happened at the turn of the last century - the Spanish influenza virus that killed millions around the world, and even 10 years ago - with the advent of the swine flu virus.
To try to protect us from new influenza viruses, the World Health Organization monitors the world's most common influenza virus, publishing its recommendations for a flu vaccine that includes 3-4 strains of the virus that may be active, allowing pharmaceutical companies to prepare new vaccines in advance. However, since the composition of the vaccine is based on projections that are not always accurate, the vaccine sometimes provides only partial protection.
In such cases, grandmother drugs for influenza come into play.
What are influenza grandmothers found to be effective?
Herbs, proper nutrition, and various preparations can certainly be helpful as a grandmother for flu, and some have even been proven in studies. Here are some recommendations for faculty:
medical herbs
Echinacea: A medicinal plant used to prevent and treat infections by boosting the immune system. Studies have found that taking echinacea helps increase the production and activity of white blood cells. Echinacea is taken in capsules for ingestion, like pills for sucking or drinking syrup.
Black sambok: A medicinal herb that stimulates immune system activity and is effective against throat and fever pain. Use black bamboo flowers as infusions and as capsules for swallowing.
Astragalus: A medicinal plant that stimulates the activity of the immune system and helps in its resistance to various viruses. Studies have shown that using astragalus may shorten the course of the disease. The preparations are extracted from the root of the plant and can be taken in capsules for ingestion or drops.
It is important to note that there are many preparations that combine the various herbs to increase their effectiveness.
Aromatic Oils
The oils can be poured into a humidifier or oil burner or used for massage.
Eucalyptus Oil: Painkiller and Disinfectant. It can be tricked into a humidifier and used for a massage.
Peppermint oil: analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, and perspiring.
Lavender Oil: Anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and virus.
Rosemary Oil: An analgesic, effective for reducing nasal congestion.
It is important to note that there are different blends that combine different types of oils.
Flu Nutrition:
There are quite a few vitamins and minerals that can relieve symptoms and help recover from the disease in them. They can be consumed with food and of course, you can use nutritional supplements:
Iron: a mineral necessary for the functioning of the immune system. Lack of iron can impair body resistance to disease.
Zinc: An essential mineral for immune function. Zinc deficiency can weaken the immune system's function and expose the body to infectious diseases.
Selenium: An antioxidant that helps boost the immune system and heart functions.
Copper: A mineral that helps prevent inflammatory processes in the body and is therefore essential for the proper functioning of the immune and nervous systems.
Vitamins and Gene C: One of the most essential vitamins for the immune system for being a strong antioxidant. In addition, vitamin C helps the absorption of iron. Some believe that taking large amounts of vitamin C (mega-doses) in early winter prevents the infection of the flu, and may even help to heal and shorten the disease.
Vitamin E: is considered an effective and powerful antioxidant that is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous and immune systems.
Group B vitamins: Lack of B group vitamins can cause a decrease in lymphocyte activity, disrupt blood antibody production, and reduce immune system activity.
Vitamin A (beta carotene): Increases immune system activity and contribute to healing various tissues in the body.
Propolis: Royal food, it is the second name of the substance produced by bees. Propolis contains various acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Thanks to them, propolis is considered a grandmother drug for influenza and other bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. You can take propolis preparations as sprays, like pills for ingestion, like pills for sucking and as a liquid.
Infusions and drinks containing spices: Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger, and turmeric are known in folk medicine as helpful in preventing and relieving winter diseases and especially respiratory, cold, flu, and rhinitis diseases.
Chicken Soup: It's unclear why, but chicken soup is considered a grandmother's cure for the flu and cold so it is called "Jewish penicillin". Studies have found that eating and drinking hot chicken soup can alleviate nasal and respiratory congestion, and is an easy-to-digest diet rich in vitamins and minerals during illness. The Chinese recommend adding a little grated ginger to the soup.
Ginger: We use it as a spice, but ginger is a well-known and esteemed herbal medicine in Chinese medicine, with anti-inflammatory properties that help fight infections.
Green Tea: Studies have found that consuming 5 cups of green tea a day may protect against infection, relieve colds and flu symptoms, and reduce the duration of the disease.
Onion and Honey: Syrup that can be made at home, is considered an effective exfoliator and helps to cough.
