Cold and flu (or influenza) are both types of upper respiratory infections (URIs) that are caused by viruses. The cold is the most commonly occurring illness known to humankind and is accompanied by symptoms like sneezing, runny nose and a scratchy throat. On the other hand the flu has similar but much more sever symptoms in addition to fever and chills, and unlike the common cold, a flu left untreated can be fatal for an immuno-comprimised patient.
If you have cold or flu it may take 1 to 2 weeks to recover. If symptoms worsen or last longer, please see a doctor. As you recover, these home remedies may alleviate symptoms and duration of the cold or flu:
1. Breathe steam
Steam inhalation is a very popular home remedy that people use to open and soothe the nasal passages so that they can get relief from the symptoms of a sinus or cold infection. Also known as steam therapy, the process consists of inhaling water vapor. The warm moist air helps to loosen the mucus in the throat, lungs and nasal passages. Since the cold and flu virus causes the blood vessels in your nasal passage to become swollen and inflamed, this can prove to be an effective solution to minimize symptoms.
2. Chicken soup
Chicken soup is often touted as a cure-all solution. While this may not be the actual case, it does wonders when you are sick with the cold or flu. This is because it is packed with vegetables which can help to slow the movement of neutrophils. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that help to fight infection. When they move slowly they are able to concentrate on areas within the body that need to be healed.
3. Take vitamin C
Vitamin C plays a critical role in the overall health of your body. Excellent sources of vitamin C include oranges, leafy greens, fruits, vegetables and grapefruits. Vitamin C provides your immune system with the fuel it needs to fight upper respiratory tract infections and other illnesses.
4. Drink lots of fluids
Ensuring that you drink lots of fluids is one of the most critical things you can do when you catch the cold or flu. This is because flu and cold symptoms include symptoms like sweating and runny noses, which causes your body to lose water. Therefore you have to drink additional liquids to compensate for the loss of fluid.
5. Use a humidifier or vaporizer
Vaporizers and humidifiers add moisture to the air. They are typically used to combat dryness by making the air moist. This makes them ideal to alleviate symptoms associated with having the cold or flu such as a dry nose, skin dryness or congestion. In fact most pediatricians recommend that parents get humidifiers and vaporizers, because when a child gets sick, adding moisture to the air can help to calm a sore throat, alleviate coughs and ease congestion.
While a common cold is easy to get over, the flu is a different beast altogether. One of the things you can do to eliminate your chances of getting the flu is to ask your doctor to pre order Fluzone high dose. This good cold medicine works by helping your body to recognize the virus. It is able to do this by giving your body an inactivated (dead) flu virus. In this dead state, it is not able to affect the body. But, the immune system will identify it, fight it, and take note of the virus so that if it reenters the body, it will quickly rid the body of it, before it becomes a problem.