Simple Ways To Prevent Getting Flu Naturally

Nowadays, the world has been shaken by the news of a certain strain of virus currently spreading globally. Commonly known as coronavirus, this group of viruses causes disease in mammals and birds. Most people get infected with these viruses which cause them to have mild to moderate upper respiratory tract illnesses, such as the common cold.

The common cold, also known simply as cold, is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the nose and throat which may also affect the sinuses and the larynx. It is the main reason that children miss school and adults miss work.

What is the difference difference between a flu and a cold?

To briefly explain, both of them share a few common symptoms. People with either illness often experience:

• a runny or stuffy nose;
• sneezing;
• body aches; and,
• general fatigue.

As a rule, flu symptoms are more severe than cold symptoms.

Another distinct difference between the two is how serious they are. Colds rarely cause additional health conditions or problems. The flu, however, can lead to sinus and ear infections, pneumonia, and sepsis.

Personally, I easily acquire cough and colds while the climate changes from summer to winter or vice versa even after taking multivitamins and other supplements every day. It is also possible to get a cold any time of the year. Though I workout during most of the week, I still can’t say that I’m 100% fit and healthy.

What are the common symptoms?

It typically take a few days for the symptoms to appear, and for it to suddenly appear is very rare. Understanding the dissimilarity between cold and flu symptoms can help us decide how to treat our condition and determine whether we need to see the doctor.

Nasal symptoms include:

• congestion
• sinus pressure
• runny nose
• stuffy nose
• loss of smell or taste
• sneezing
• watery nasal secretions
• postnasal drip or drainage in the back of your throat

Head symptoms include:

• watery eyes
• headache
• sore throat
• cough
• swollen lymph nodes

Whole body symptoms include:

• fatigue or general tiredness
• chills
• body aches
• low-grade fever
• chest discomfort
• difficulty breathing deeply

Most of the time, headache and nasal congestion are the main factors which make us, working people, incapable of performing our jobs properly.

Can you imagine working in the office while sneezing and sniffing every now an then while having a strong headache? Urghh.. this is actually, the illness I hated the most, simple but totally makes me feel terrible and incapacitated.

How is it transmitted?

Viruses that cause colds can be spread through airborne and direct transmission, which means that the infection can be acquired through the air or close personal contact. You can also get infected through an exposure to the infected person’s fecal (feces or poop) and respiratory or salivary secretions.

Therefore, this can happen when you shake hands or share eating utensils with someone who has a cold, or touch a surface, like a doorknob that has the viruses on it, consequently touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.

Who are most at risk?

According to the World Health Organization, People most at risk are:

• pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy
• children younger than 5 years
• people older than 65 years
• people with chronic medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS, asthma, heart and lung diseases and diabetes
• people with increased risk of exposure to influenza, which includes health care workers.

How To Prevent Getting It?

For most people, it means a day or a week away from work or school, then life goes back to normal after treatment. However it can be considered serious or even deadly, if you have an existing health condition like asthma, heart disease, diabetes, or a compromised immune system.

The best way to prevent flu is to get vaccinated yearly, but it is highly significant that good health habits and proper hygiene such as covering your mouth when coughing and sneezing and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and respiratory illnesses.

Likewise, there are antiviral drugs that can be used to treat and prevent flu. Over-the-counter medicines may help ease symptoms but will not make your cold go away any faster. Learn more about symptom relief of upper respiratory infections, including colds.

Be informed that antibiotics will not help you recover from a cold caused by a respiratory virus. They do not work against viruses, and they may make it harder for your body to fight future bacterial infections if you take them unnecessarily. Learn more about when antibiotics work.

Here are NATURAL AND PROVEN WAYS to avoid acquiring such disease…

How To Protect Yourself?

If you don’t make an effort to prevent it, odds are that you’ll catch colds this season. The trick is not to get sick in the first place. You may help reduce your risk of getting a cold by:

1. Wash your hands often with soap and water using the Rule of Thumb.

As a rule of thumb, Dr. B. Louise Giles tells parents to teach their kids to rinse their hands with soap for as long as it takes to sing Happy Birthday or Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star so they’re thoroughly washing up.

“We know germs are on hands and with good hand washing – using soap and warm water – you’ll reduce the risk,” Giles, a Canadian doctor and pediatrician at the University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital, explained.

Soap and water work best but if you must, use anti-bacterial hand gel. In that case, make sure you aren’t using just a dime-sized amount. There has to be enough liquid to coat your hands.

Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives
Tips on hand washing and using alcohol-based hand sanitizers 

2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

In addition, viruses that causes flu can enter the body through this way and make us sick.

3. Stay away from people who are sick.

Sick people can spread viruses that cause the common cold through close contact with others.

4. Strengthen your immune system.

As much as possible, sleep at least seven and a half to nine hours per night. Similarly, maintain a regular physical activity routine — at least 30 minutes, three times a week.

In addition, eat a healthy, nutrient-rich diet, as well. Limit sugar, junk foods, and fatty foods. Rather, eat a variety of fruits and vegetables which are full of vitamins and antioxidants.

How To Protect Others?

1. Avoid large crowds. and direct contact with others.

Stay at home while you are sick and keep children out of school or daycare while they are sick. Move away from people before coughing or sneezing. Likewise, avoid close contact with others, such as hugging, kissing, or shaking hands.

2. Wash your hands regularly.

Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.

It’s a SNAP Toolkit: Handwashing external icon
Hand washing resources from the It’s A SNAP program, aimed at preventing school absenteeism by promoting clean hands. From the School Network for Absenteeism Prevention, a collaborative project of the CDC, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Cleaning Institute.

3. Cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing.

To avoid touching your face, cough or sneeze into a tissue then throw it away or into your elbow or upper shirt sleeve, completely covering your mouth and nose.

4. Clean and disinfect surfaces.

Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as doorknobs, telephones, toys, light switches, and other surfaces several times each day.

How To Feel Better?

1. Hydrate properly.

Drink water regularly. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is:

• About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men
• About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women

And when you have a cold or flu, drink a minimum of eight 250 mL cups (total of 2 liters) of fluid each day. The more fluid intake, the better.

2. Gargle salt water.

“Ew, gross! I’m not gonna gargle with that!”

Indeed, this isn’t the most pleasant experience, but gargling with warm salty water can significantly make sore throats feel better.

According to Segal-Maurer, “You’re creating a high-salt barrier and you’re pulling out a lot of fluids from the tissues in the throat area, so you’re washing the virus out. The salt functions as a magnet for water. It’s good for symptomatic relief. And you end up swallowing some of it, so it’s sort of helping you with dehydration as well.”

To clarify, swallowing a bit is incidental. It just tends to happens when gargling. You’re not meant to actually drink the warm salt water though. 🙂

3. Get enough rest and sleep.

Feeling sick means being lethargic and irritable than normal. Stay at home and rest until the cold has cleared.

4. Eat healthy.

Eat a balanced diet. You may also indulge with a chicken noodle soup, hot tea, yogurt and popsicles. Like hot tea, popsicles may help numb and ease the pain of a sore throat. Avoid caffeine and alcohol while you’re recovering from a cold. Both can make symptoms of a cold worse.

5. Pamper with a warm bath.

A warm bath can also help reduce a fever and ease mild aches and body pains that are commonly present with a cold.

6. Quit smoking.

You smoke even though you have the flu? This is a really bad idea as both have a direct impact on your respiratory functions. Therefore, you should avoid this combination if you want to avoid any serious health problems.

According to medical studies, the chances are multiplied by 4 for unvaccinated people. Cigarettes make it twice as likely to contract a respiratory infection and the flu has more chances to cause complications.

In addition to everything else mentioned, smoking gives a lot of negative effects to your body, from increasing your risk to having cancer to giving you premature wrinkles and now, it could make you more likely to get the flu.

Discontinuing from this bad habit is just one more reason to talk to your doctor about ways to quit smoking.

Conclusion

The flu virus is dangerous among the youngsters and the elderly since it can lead to life-threatening complications. Take preventive steps to protect yourself and reduce the risk of acquiring the disease and getting ill.

Talk to your doctor about getting a flu vaccination, and be proactive about strengthening your immune system and avoiding contact with sick people.

Author’s Notes

It’s quite a contrary that I was having a flu the time I finished writing this article. I was even on a sick leave from work. However, it was an achievement for me finishing this as it has been a week now since I got sick and I haven’t been able to publish anything.

See how getting a cold or flu affects our daily lives? I believe taking supplements is not enough. Nonetheless, it would be beneficial to be hygienic and physically active to prevent acquiring such disease.

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