Home Remedies for Flu

The root cause of flu cannot be cured by medicines you buy over the counter as they will only treat its symptoms. Any symptoms that might be present will be relieved however the flu will not be cured.  The intake of remedies from herbs and vitamins should be enough to give relief if the flu is not very grave or bad.  You should feel relief from the discomforts of your ailment with these mentioned medications.

The natural way –self medication:
Take some rest and spend a few days in bed.  Recovery will come sooner than you think.  Give your body the rest that it is longing for.

Avoid doing any form of exercise as this may be too tiring for your lungs and your heart.  Your body is doing its best to crush the virus that is making it sick, give it a helping hand.

Intake of fluids such as soup, juice made from vegetable or fresh fruits and water must be increased.
You can give relief to your sinuses with steam from water you have previously boiled with peppermint or eucalyptus dissolved in it.  The environment around you will be cleansed and your phlegm will be loosened.
You can have a massage to soothe you muscles on your shoulders and back by using oil such as rosemary, tea tree oil, grapefruit or lavender or you can enjoy its benefits in your bath with a few drops of these oils or use a burner.

Your doses of vitamin C should be increased to 1000-2000mg and vitamin A to 10 000 IU’s (3mg RE activity) daily (divide these doses throughout the day).  You can then go back to your normal doses of these vitamins when you have gotten better.

According to studies done, how long the symptoms of the illness can last and it’s how grave it is can be helped with the intake of vitamin C.

Medicines from herbs are good to use.  Bacteria, even fungi and also viruses can be fought off by natural “antibiotics” – herbs such as golden seal, garlic and Echinacea.  The mucosal linings can be dried up gently by these herbs which are known also as decongestants. There are no side effects related to the use of these herbs. The immune system is also benefitted by the mentioned herbs.

A cold that is just about to start can actually be stopped on its tract and existing colds and flu can be prevented from getting any worse and its duration cut short by Echinacea purpurea as suggested by researches that are double-blind placebo controlled.
A cure for colds that has promise is andrographis.  It is India and all around Asia that you can find this shrub.  It gives the same benefits as the Echinacea purpurea thus it is also oftentimes known as Indian Echinacea.  Immunity is given a boost by andrographis as shown by some instances but how it works in the treatment of colds is not yet pin pointed. 
For a runny nose you can use a zinc nasal spray and to soothe a throat that is sore you can use zinc lozenges.  For throat that is sore, simmer in boiling water some sage, dried or fresh, when making tea, and add one teaspoon of honey.  Tea with sage can also be used as gargle to relieve sore throat.
And what does chicken soap do?  A body that is suffering from thirst can be quenched by chicken soup as passageways that are clogged can be cleared and throat that is sore can be relieved also.  Substances that give medical benefits can be found in chicken soup as suggest by new researches.  Infections in the upper respiratory tract that are symptomatic can be given relief with the mild anti-inflammatory effect that is one attribute of the chicken soup.
 

Recipe which offers relief to thickened mucus, sinusitis and flu:
You can make a drink that is delightful in taste and spicy:  in hot water, put a pinch of ginger, mustard, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, tumeric, honey, little lemon juice and the optional fresh clove of garlic.  A little bit of brandy can be added to it. When you notice green or yellow colour in the mucus, a pinch of thyme and sage can be added. Until such time that you will be feeling better you will need to drink this on a regular basis.  
(Information taken from Health & Happiness by Tafelberg Publishers 2000 and Choose Wellness by Modern Publisher 2001, both by author Dr. Arien van der Merwe)
It should be noted that any medical advice must not be taken for granted as the guidelines in this article are not meant to take their place.  You must seek the help and immediately consult your doctor when bronchitis or sinusitis is developing as your condition is getting worse when three days have passed without improvements seen and something is worrying you.  Western medicine and technology are still the best way to go in saving lives in the event that these diseases develop or occur:  pneumonia, a lung infection, asthma attack that has become acute and croup.