How to Fight Your Flu

"I had a little bird.  Its name was Enza.  I opened up the door, and in flew Enza." - A rope jumping rhyme, originated around the time of the 1918 flu pandemic.

The winter of 2015 has seen a particularly high rate of flu incidents.  The stated reason for this, by various health care agencies is that this year's flu vaccine was a poor match for the strains of viruses that have been circulating this year.  Without getting into a debate about the merits, effectiveness, or demerits associated with the influenza vaccine, if you have come down with the flu, these are some of the remedies you can use to help your body kill the virus and have it run its course more quickly.

An H5N1 influenza virion.

What Is Influenza?

Numerous people are mistaken about what the flu actually is.  Influenza is a viral respiratory infection.  Its symptoms are characterized by fever, cough, sore throat, congestion and a runny nose, headaches, severe fatigue, and muscle and body aches.  In some cases, it can be accompanied by vomiting or diarrhea, however this is not common.  There is no such thing as the "stomach flu".  If your symptoms are centered around nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and your respiratory system is not affected, you have either another viral, or bacterial infection.  Defining what you have is an important first step to taking the proper remedies.

First, What You Should NOT Do

Many who are not versed about the nature of influenza, or are mistaken about what it is, resort to taking the wrong measures.  That will either do further harm, or in the best case scenario, will merely do no good.

The first thing you should absolutely not do is take any form of antibiotics.  If you have any left over in your medicine cabinet, do not touch them.  As stated before, the flu is a viral infection, not a bacterial infection.  Taking antibiotics will do absolutely nothing to help you, and if you later get a bacterial infection, it may be able to resist treatment involving that antibiotic.

If your child has the flu, under no circumstances should they be given aspirin.  Using aspirin to reduce their fever can result in them acquiring Reyes Syndrome, which can cause a fatty liver, cerebral edema, and can potentially be deadly.  If you are an adult, you are at very low risk for Reyes.  However, unless you have a dangerously high fever, you should also avoid aspirin, as it is a fever reducer.

Do not overuse cough drops, or other cough medicine.  A cough is annoying, but it is a very necessary and productive action the body takes to rid itself of the flu.  However, adequate rest and sleep is also necessary to help your body fight off the virus.  So, if at all possible, limit your cough medicine to before bedtime.

Do not overuse fever reducers.  A fever, while uncomfortable, is a very effective defense mechanism for your body.  It heats itself in order to kill the invading virus.  Unless your fever is above 102F, do not attempt to treat your fever.  Doing so will make you temporarily more comfortable, however, it will also mean you will be sick longer.

What to Do If You Have the Flu

If you have a headache, use a warm cloth or other compress will help relieve the pain.  Again, do not use aspirin, unless your fever is above 102F.

Drink plenty of water.  With a flu, comes a fever, and with the heat, comes sweat.  Staying hydrated is very important to fighting an illness, especially a virus.  You can also drink some tea, which has antioxidants that will provide your immune system a needed boost.

Get rest and sleep.  Be a couch potato, and a bed bug.  When your energy is this low, this will probably be the easiest part of the fight.

Use nasal irrigation such as a netti pot or a saline squeeze.  The mucus that builds up in your sinuses during a flu, along with an embattled immune system, raises the risk of an accompanied sinus infection.  Irrigation will help flush out the post nasal drip that puts you at risk.

Use a humidifier or take a hot, steamy shower.  Breathing moist air aids in the prevention of your mucus drying or thickening in your passageways, easing their flow out of your body when you cough or blow your nose.

Eat enough, and eat very healthy.  The "starve a fever" adage is false.  Your body needs adequate nutrients to optimize its defenses.

Supplement your diet with Vitamin D, which most people are deficient in anyway.  Also take extra Vitamin A, and Vitamin C.  Most people are also deficient in iodine, so either eating something such as seaweed, or taking iodine in drop form will be helpful.