Alternative Cures for the Flu - Part 3

If you do feel that you’re starting to get the flu you can help to decrease the symptoms and shorten the illness by taking a few quick steps. Begin to gargle with salt water three to four times a day to kill the viruses which are breeding in the back of your throat. Use a normal saline spray in each nostril and gently blow the excess fluid out three to four times a day. This accomplishes the same thing as the gargle wash except it addresses the viruses in your nasal cavity and sinuses. Use the Netti pot to flush the viruses out of your sinus cavities. Take vitamin C in divided doses several times each day. Be sure that the vitamin C you are taking is ascorbic acid and take the recommended dosage on the bottle.

Drink plenty of fluids and fresh vegetable juices to help flush out the toxins and give the body added enzymes required to decrease inflammation, pain and flush the viruses from the body. Using zinc lozenges has been shown to shorten the length of colds and flu. (4) It is important to recognize that you must suck on the lozenge and not chew them. If you find that you’re nauseous you should stop immediately because it is one sign of zinc toxicity. However, many people find that zinc lozenges themselves make them slightly nauseous; so evaluate your nausea based on how you feel when you are not sucking on the lozenge.

Go out in the sunlight for at least 20 minutes each day, twice a day, in order to absorb and manufacture vitamin D. Vitamin D has been shown to improve the body’s immune system and help to decrease the length of any illness caused by viruses and bacteria. Garlic is another alternative treatment for the flu. It has antibacterial and antiviral properties that help the immune system to fight infection. Coupled with Echinacea it makes a strong fighting force against many infections. (5)

Ginger is an herbal root that is a natural antiviral. It is also pain relieving and often recommended for individuals who suffer from arthritis. It is valuable both in the prevention and treatment of illnesses caused by viruses as well as inflammation of mucous membranes in the treatment of sore throats. It has a mild sedative effect which helps an individual to rest while ill. It can be added to tea, soaked in hot water or taken as a tincture.

Traditional Western medicine has not yet found a cure for the influenza virus. Although the immune system of most healthy individuals is able to fight off the flu virus after one to three days, those who have underlying medical conditions can experience more severe complications from the influenza virus that can even lead to death. For this reason, it is very important to help bolster the immune system using healthy nutrition to decrease the likelihood of any serious complications.

References:

(1) KidsHealth.org: The Danger of Antibiotic Overuse

http://kidshealth.org/parent/h1n1_center/h1n1_center_treatment/antibiotic_overuse.html

(2) Natural News: The Harmful Effect of Sugar and Choosing Healthy Alternatives

http://www.naturalnews.com/022692.html

(3) Dr. Mercola: The Vitamin Which Can Cut Your Flu Risk Nearly in Half

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/14/study-shows-vitamin-d-cuts-flu-by-nearly-50.aspx

(4) University of Maryland Medical Center: Influenza

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/influenza-000062.htm

(5) Microbes and Infection: Antimicrobial Properties of Allicin from Garlic

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10594976