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Cold & Flu
Natural Remedies To Relieve Flu Symptoms
Date: 01/10/02
Each year, as winter approaches, everyone dreads getting flu and the misery and discomfort it causes. Even once you've recovered from the worst of it, it can still leave you feeling depressed, weak and lethargic for weeks afterwards.
That's why it's a good idea to start taking precautions right now, by taking steps to boost your immunity. This helps lower your chances of contracting the virus, and will help your body fight back if the worst happens and you do fall victim to it.
Flu is short for influenza, a viral disease that strikes your respiratory system - causing persistent coughing, sore throat, runny nose and blocked sinuses. It can progress to affect your entire body - causing you to develop a fever, painful muscles, headache, fast heartbeat and loss of appetite.
While these symptoms can be extremely debilitating, the virus can have far more serious consequences for the elderly or those whose immune systems are already weak. Possible complications include pneumonia, and infection of your heart or brain, which can be fatal. That's why early treatment is vital.
Fortunately, in most cases there are a number of ways to help relieve the symptoms of flu and prevent it from getting worse.
Could you benefit from a flu vaccination this year?
There are several different strains of the flu virus, and the strength and appearance of each changes every year. For this reason, it's difficult to develop immunity against it -- if you had flu last year you're not guaranteed to be free from it this year.
Every year, the World Health Organisation tries to predict which strains of the flu virus are likely to appear and, based on this, a vaccine is prepared. The flu vaccine is strongly recommended for people aged 60 and over, and for those who have chronic illnesses such as diabetes, kidney disease and chronic respiratory disorders. The reason for this is that these people typically have low levels of immunity and may therefore need extra help in fighting the infection.
However, you shouldn't have the flu vaccine if you're allergic to eggs, because the vaccine is grown in egg material. You should also be aware that mild flu-like symptoms may develop shortly after you have the 'jab'.
While conventional drugs may help they can cause harmful side-effects
A virus-fighting drug called Zamivir has been developed to help treat flu. However, it's only effective if given within the first 48 hours after the virus has taken hold, and is only able to shorten its duration by one day at most.
Generally, doctors only prescribe Zamivir to people who may be vulnerable to developing further problems as a result of the flu virus. This includes people over the age of 65, diabetes sufferers and those with heart disease or chronic chest problems. The drug can have serious side-effects, including breathing difficulties, skin rashes, diarrhoea and vomiting.
Other conventional drugs are Amantadine and Rimantadine, both of which can reduce the severity of symptoms but are only suitable for severe cases. Over-the-counter painkillers, such as Paracetamol and Aspirin, can help in the short term. In addition, make sure you drink plenty of fluids and get adequate bed rest.
Fortunately, there are a number of complementary remedies that are both safe and effective in helping to fight the virus. They can even reduce the length of a flu attack, in some cases.
Echinacea is one of the best immune-boosting remedies you can take
The herb Echinacea purpurea is excellent for helping to strengthen your immune system - acting as a preventative and putting you in an even better position to fight back against the flu virus once it's taken hold.
In one study involving 95 flu sufferers, the participants were divided into two groups. One group was given active Echinacea (in liquid form) and the other group was given placebo (dummy treatment). The results showed that the group treated with Echinacea recovered faster - on average by a couple of days - and experienced less severe symptoms than the placebo group.
This benefit was found to be even greater in those who took Echinacea as early as possible, before the flu virus had a chance to fully develop (J Altern Complement Med 2000,6(4):327-334).
A recent report, reviewing the findings of numerous scientific studies into the benefits of Echinacea for helping to fight flu, concluded that it is one of the best complementary treatments available (Curr Infect Dis Rep 2002,4(3):206-210). The recommended dose is 150mg one to three times a day throughout the illness.
Garlic taken with Astragalus provides a powerful defence
Garlic is a traditional remedy for fortifying the body against colds and flu. It works by boosting your immunity and preventing the flu virus from developing. Some herbalists recommend eating two crushed cloves of raw garlic as soon as you start experiencing the symptoms of flu - followed by one clove a day until the symptoms disappear altogether. However, you may prefer to supplement with garlic - if so, take 500mg twice a day.
Garlic taken alongside the herb Astragalus can produce even greater results. Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) extract has been used to counteract the symptoms of colds and flu, at a dose of 500mg once or twice a day. It works by stimulating your immune system and improves the function of your cells (called T cells), that help fight viruses.
Black elderberry extract can shorten a bout of flu by up to 7 days!
Black elderberry is an extract of the plant Sambucus nigra, which grows in central Europe. It possesses potent antiviral properties and is thought to be effective against up to 10 different strains of the flu virus.
Even more promising, researchers carrying out a double-blind study found black elderberry was able to reduce the duration of flu -- which can typically last for up to 10 days - down to just three (Eur Cytokine Netw 2001,12(2):290-296). One of the main ways in which black elderberry works is by preventing the virus from entering your cells.
One well-known remedy, which uses black elderberry as a main ingredient, is the cough remedy Sambucol. In liquid form, the recommended dose is one tablespoon four times a day, and in lozenge form it is taken four to six times a day.
Eating a high protein diet can help you recover from a bout of flu. This is because protein helps boost flagging energy levels and builds up cell proteins which have been damaged by the virus.
Back to topThat's why it's a good idea to start taking precautions right now, by taking steps to boost your immunity. This helps lower your chances of contracting the virus, and will help your body fight back if the worst happens and you do fall victim to it.
Flu is short for influenza, a viral disease that strikes your respiratory system - causing persistent coughing, sore throat, runny nose and blocked sinuses. It can progress to affect your entire body - causing you to develop a fever, painful muscles, headache, fast heartbeat and loss of appetite.
While these symptoms can be extremely debilitating, the virus can have far more serious consequences for the elderly or those whose immune systems are already weak. Possible complications include pneumonia, and infection of your heart or brain, which can be fatal. That's why early treatment is vital.
Fortunately, in most cases there are a number of ways to help relieve the symptoms of flu and prevent it from getting worse.
Could you benefit from a flu vaccination this year?
There are several different strains of the flu virus, and the strength and appearance of each changes every year. For this reason, it's difficult to develop immunity against it -- if you had flu last year you're not guaranteed to be free from it this year.
Every year, the World Health Organisation tries to predict which strains of the flu virus are likely to appear and, based on this, a vaccine is prepared. The flu vaccine is strongly recommended for people aged 60 and over, and for those who have chronic illnesses such as diabetes, kidney disease and chronic respiratory disorders. The reason for this is that these people typically have low levels of immunity and may therefore need extra help in fighting the infection.
However, you shouldn't have the flu vaccine if you're allergic to eggs, because the vaccine is grown in egg material. You should also be aware that mild flu-like symptoms may develop shortly after you have the 'jab'.
While conventional drugs may help they can cause harmful side-effects
A virus-fighting drug called Zamivir has been developed to help treat flu. However, it's only effective if given within the first 48 hours after the virus has taken hold, and is only able to shorten its duration by one day at most.
Generally, doctors only prescribe Zamivir to people who may be vulnerable to developing further problems as a result of the flu virus. This includes people over the age of 65, diabetes sufferers and those with heart disease or chronic chest problems. The drug can have serious side-effects, including breathing difficulties, skin rashes, diarrhoea and vomiting.
Other conventional drugs are Amantadine and Rimantadine, both of which can reduce the severity of symptoms but are only suitable for severe cases. Over-the-counter painkillers, such as Paracetamol and Aspirin, can help in the short term. In addition, make sure you drink plenty of fluids and get adequate bed rest.
Fortunately, there are a number of complementary remedies that are both safe and effective in helping to fight the virus. They can even reduce the length of a flu attack, in some cases.
Echinacea is one of the best immune-boosting remedies you can take
The herb Echinacea purpurea is excellent for helping to strengthen your immune system - acting as a preventative and putting you in an even better position to fight back against the flu virus once it's taken hold.
In one study involving 95 flu sufferers, the participants were divided into two groups. One group was given active Echinacea (in liquid form) and the other group was given placebo (dummy treatment). The results showed that the group treated with Echinacea recovered faster - on average by a couple of days - and experienced less severe symptoms than the placebo group.
This benefit was found to be even greater in those who took Echinacea as early as possible, before the flu virus had a chance to fully develop (J Altern Complement Med 2000,6(4):327-334).
A recent report, reviewing the findings of numerous scientific studies into the benefits of Echinacea for helping to fight flu, concluded that it is one of the best complementary treatments available (Curr Infect Dis Rep 2002,4(3):206-210). The recommended dose is 150mg one to three times a day throughout the illness.
Garlic taken with Astragalus provides a powerful defence
Garlic is a traditional remedy for fortifying the body against colds and flu. It works by boosting your immunity and preventing the flu virus from developing. Some herbalists recommend eating two crushed cloves of raw garlic as soon as you start experiencing the symptoms of flu - followed by one clove a day until the symptoms disappear altogether. However, you may prefer to supplement with garlic - if so, take 500mg twice a day.
Garlic taken alongside the herb Astragalus can produce even greater results. Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) extract has been used to counteract the symptoms of colds and flu, at a dose of 500mg once or twice a day. It works by stimulating your immune system and improves the function of your cells (called T cells), that help fight viruses.
Black elderberry extract can shorten a bout of flu by up to 7 days!
Black elderberry is an extract of the plant Sambucus nigra, which grows in central Europe. It possesses potent antiviral properties and is thought to be effective against up to 10 different strains of the flu virus.
Even more promising, researchers carrying out a double-blind study found black elderberry was able to reduce the duration of flu -- which can typically last for up to 10 days - down to just three (Eur Cytokine Netw 2001,12(2):290-296). One of the main ways in which black elderberry works is by preventing the virus from entering your cells.
One well-known remedy, which uses black elderberry as a main ingredient, is the cough remedy Sambucol. In liquid form, the recommended dose is one tablespoon four times a day, and in lozenge form it is taken four to six times a day.
Eating a high protein diet can help you recover from a bout of flu. This is because protein helps boost flagging energy levels and builds up cell proteins which have been damaged by the virus.
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