Can’t afford to get sick these days? If you are one of the million of women over 40 who need to lie down and rest because of these pesky and almost persistent flu bugs, it is rather comforting to know that there are things that you can do to help your body as it wins its war against the flu bug. There are countless flu home remedies that have been used for generations to treat flu symptoms, making the fact of “just lying down” less aggravating that it is supposed to be.
But before we get to the details of flu home remedies, just a quick reminder: Flu is something that you shouldn’t take too lightly, especially when you are down in bed for more than three days. Call your doctor if your flu symptoms have turned for the worst after taking flu medications. Not quite sure if you have flu? A fever of over 102 degrees and widespread body aches are two good indicators.
Flu Symptom: Stuffy Nose
If you just want get over your labored breathing, you may want to mix a saline solution to make you a decongestant nasal spray for good night sleep. But don’t just take your friend’s word for it; research shows that saline nasal irrigation or decongestant nasal spray is one of, if not, the most effective flu home remedies to de-clog stuffed nose. Saline solutions works to thin mucus, add moisture, decrease postnatal drip, and kill bacteria and viruses so you can just feel and breathe better.
What you need
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces of water
Bulb syringe
Instruction
Mix baking soda and salt. Dissolve it in 8 ounces of warm water.
Use the bulb syringe so you can easily squirt, or introduce, the formula into your nose. Hold one nostril while you squirt the mixture into the other. Let the formula drip; gently blow your nose to help clear your nose. Introduce the formula at least twice in each nostril.
For Women Who Want It Fast
4 Way Nasal Spray Saline Moisturizing Mist
What to expect: For instant relief, 4 Way Nasal Spray Saline Moisturizing Mist is one of the few ENT specialist-recommended flu home remedies that can help clear clogged nasal passages. Alcohol-free and non-habit forming, the 4 Way Nasal Spray Saline Moisturizing Mist can be used to complement your other flu medications for faster relief from flu symptoms.
Specially formulated to work well for wide range of nasal and sinus discomfort, the 4 Way Nasal Spray Saline Moisturizing Mist provides soothing moisture to help ease irritated nasal passages caused by allergies, colds, seasonal allergens, dry air, and even overuse of decongestant sprays.
Ingredients: Benzalkonium Chloride, Boric Acid, Eucalyptol, Menthol, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80, Water
Why we recommend it: The only nasal spray that features menthol and eucalyptus, we love 4 Way Nasal Spray Saline Moisturizing Mist simply because it provides quick relief, a good value for your dollar, and just really better than plain saline solution.
Flu Symptom: Pain and Body Aches
Need to rest but the pain just won’t let you? There are definitely easier ways to get to sleep easier than just lying around and trying to ignore the pain. Here are undeniably practical and “feel good” ways to help ease your pain:
Take a warm bath. To help soothe your aching muscles, simply melt your ways and pains away by dipping into a warm, relaxing bathe. Close the door in your way in to create your very own relaxing, personal sauna. Why it will make you better: Warm bath are known to moisten and thin the mucus clogging your sinuses while helping to open up your airways.
Use heat compress. If your head is throbbing that it feels like it is being unmercifully hammered, you can easily ease the pain by just reaching to a warm, slightly moist, not wet, compress and gently applying it to your sinuses and cheeks. Prefer a more convenient hot compress? We love using moist heat for water-less and, indeed, dry hot compress for instant relief. Only make sure that the heating pad is comfortable enough for two to three minutes of application.
Make your very own aromatic steam. For women who are just too tired for some tub-time, you may want to do some quick steam session over a bowlful of hot water and freshly chopped ginger. Simply drape a towel over your head to enjoy the maximum benefit of the steam. Another great alternative to the freshly chopped ginger is, simply one of our all-time favorite flu home remedies, Vicks VapoRub®. Simply drop a teaspoon or two of the ointment and stay in the steam until you get relief.
Stay hydrated. Though all you just want to do is lie in your bed and sleep, you may want to get up to a grab at least 8 glasses of water to prevent dehydration. Drinking water or freshly squeezed juices keeps your respiratory system healthy and also encourages productive cough (more on this on our last article on flu home remedies) so you can clear out and release mucus that may lead to respiratory infection. But which is better? Hot liquid or the cold ones? Research shows that hot liquids like chicken soup are far superior to a pitcher of cold water. If you have been on your bed for a day, chances are you are missing your java. Strive to stay away from caffeinated drinks or alcoholic beverages while your body recovers.
Rest. If your fever goes over 102, it is one way of telling you that it is working hard to combat viral infection. So give it some encouragement and do what it has long asked: Stay in bed and rest. To help ease muscle pain, pop OTC medications like ibuprofen or aspirin. Do not ask your hubby for acetaminophen, these tabs are meant to suppress fever, which is your body’s natural reaction when it is fighting flu bugs. Again, only take these flu medications when necessary or when your doctor advised you to.
Flu Symptom: Cough
When it comes to cough, all experts agree that not all coughs should be, ehem, controlled and suppressed. Yes, a dry cough, or, what we’d love to call as unproductive cough, may be something that won’t help and can only make you feel worst, but do you know that there is a cough type that doctors would love to hear from you? Productive coughs, or those that can help clear out mucus, are, in fact, encouraged by experts simply because letting those mucus out prevents respiratory infections.
For dry coughs, reach for OTC cough syrup. To help you put your throat at ease, OTC cough reliefs can be your best allies to calm that cough that came with the flu. What are your choices then? Experts recommend two tablespoons of expectorant or cough suppressant. If you have asthma or other lung infection, you may want to see your doctor for what will work in your case. Cough suppressants are known to interact with a number of lung diseases; self-medicating is something that you shouldn’t practice, no matter how many of your friends tell you that it is just a flu.
Have suck cough drops. For an irritated throat, you may want to chew on a suck cough drop or hard candy for the much needed moisture and relief. Tickle your throat with sugar-free cough drops or, for a natural take on dry throat, a teaspoon of honey to calm your dry throat with a bit of sweetness.
Chicken soup: No matter how old women get, women still remember how their mother lovingly prepare a bowl of hot chicken soup when the pesky flu bugs get them down. Now there are more reasons why women over 40 just need to remember their mom’s recipe for chicken soup; research shows that a hot bowl of chicken soup is actually an excellent mucus stimulant, making it the perfect, tasty liquid that you need to encourage productive coughs. The secret is not really on the chicken broth but on the pungent spices that gives the soup its distinct flavor. Ask your hubby to throw in more pepper, hot curry powder, and, of course, garlic while stirring the pot.
Advertisement
No comments:
Post a Comment