Influenza or flu shows many types of symptoms and it can affect a person and can disrupt normal routine, home remedies for flu can provide relief and also cure the root cause of the problem. Flu is caused by influenza virus and there are vaccines available to protect the body from invasion of this virus, people who get vaccinated either do not catch a flu infection or even if they do catch it the symptoms are mild. These vaccines are very useful for kids as kids are biggest victims of this virus. One has to get flu vaccine every year due to new types of viruses affecting every year and also viruses evolve themselves over a period of time which requires updated vaccine to provide proper protection against the infection. Home remedies for flu provide relief from the symptoms and also elevate the immunity system of the body which is best defense against flu virus.
The cause of flu is virus and it is highly contagious. It spreads from one person to another and if one person gets infected others if living in the same area usually catch the infection very soon and easily. This virus can spread by droplets of breath sneezed or coughed out of infected person's respiratory system. Even touching, shaking hands, sharing clothes like bed sheet or towel also allow the virus to spread causing flu. Children 6 months to 4 years old, pregnant women, people with lower immunity, people suffering with medical conditions like asthma, people recovering from long illness, people coming in contact with infected people like kids and people above the age of 50 years are at higher risk of catching flu infection frequently.
Home remedies for flu are effective ways and completely natural ways to get rid of the problem very soon and also to prevent its reoccurrences. Fever, headaches, chills, muscle aches, dizziness, loss of appetite, tiredness, cough, sore throat, runny nose, vomiting, nausea, ear pain and diarrhea are few commonly seen symptoms of flu. These symptoms can become severe with infection and come and go in some cases. Usually fever and chills go away in five days but cough and weakness last for few more days. Home remedies for flu help in curing the problem in quick time and also provide faster recovery from all the symptoms. Use of natural ways like home remedies for flu work well for improving immunity and are suitable for children, adults, older people and even for pregnant women and are very effective.
Mix one teaspoon of bayberry bark, half teaspoon of cayenne powder and one cup of grated ginger in a cup of boiling water. Allow the mixture to sit for 20 minutes at least, later strain the mixture and drink it once in a day. This is one of the most effective home remedies for flu which helps the body in flushing the toxins and infection out and also relieves symptoms like body ache, fever and chills.
Mix a tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of lemon with a glass of warm water. Consume this mixture in the night before going to bed when first symptoms of flu arrive. This can control the infection at an early stage and prevent further problems. Gargle with a drop of tea tree oil mixed with a glass of warm water and juice of half lemon. Do not swallow this mixture, this opens nasal passages and cures sore throat and cough. These two home remedies for flu together can relieve the symptoms and can control the infection effectively.
Take a tablespoon of honey and heat it slightly on a burner. Add a one-forth teaspoon of cinnamon powder with honey and consume this mixture once in a day. This is one of the excellent home remedies for flu as it elevates the immunity system and which inhibits the viral activity.
Take a cup of water and add a small piece of grated ginger to it, boil the mixture and add a pinch of black pepper powder to it, one can also add a teaspoon of honey to the mixture. Drinking this concoction two to three times in a day works wonderfully to cure the problem. This is another one of the effective home remedies for flu.
If one is suffering with high fever due to infection taking catnip tea with half teaspoon of lobelia tincture works as one of the useful home remedies for flu. Take this remedy after every four hours till symptoms and fever subsides.
Drink vegetable juice like mixture of spinach, beet root and cucumber mixed together to boost up immunity system, vegetable soups mixed with spices like turmeric, ginger, garlic and coriander are also very useful in treating flu and its symptoms. Taking hot water tub bath with 10-20 drops of lavender oil, tea tree oil, lemon or eucalyptus oil mixed with the water everyday also helps in curing flu and relieving its symptoms effectively. All of these are useful and effective home remedies for flu.
Drinking plenty of water and other liquids helps in clearing infection quickly, hydrated body produces more urine and sweat which allows the body to flush toxins out and inhibit the activity of virus. Using handkerchief while sneezing and coughing is very necessary to protect others from getting infected. Do not share towels, clothes, sheets or utensils with others. Stay warm by wearing either thick cotton clothes or woolen clothes and maintain proper humidity in the room to avoid dry nasal passage and scratchy throat, extra humidity in the room also promotes sweat secretion which is good for curing the infection. Consuming juices of dark grapes, pomegranate, apples, pears and cranberry is very good for combating flu infection. Regular consumption of these juices is also beneficial for preventing the infection effectively. Avoid fried foods and always eat low fat diet, do not go to the places with lot of dust and chemicals and avoid sudden temperature changes. Regularly wash hands with soap, completely stop smoking and alcohol intake and take proper rest and sufficient duration of sleep, stressed out people are prone to suffer with viral infections.
