When flu season comes around, there are steps you can take to reduce your chance of contracting the virus. Studies have shown that when people sneeze, germs expelled by the sneeze can travel as far as 10 feet. Once they land on an inanimate object they can live for up to 8 hours, so use rubbing alcohol pads to clean inanimate objects in your immediate vicinity can reduce your risk of contracting the virus.
When in public, it is very easy for your hands to contact the virus when handling money, door knobs, or any other publicly handled object, so wash your hands frequently using hand sanitizer and warm soapy water, for at least 20 seconds. When exposed to cold germs, Dr. Oz (see reference below) recommends using 4 tablespoons of elderberry, as this has been shown to reduce the chance of the virus entering your body. Liquorice root extract is another natural product which has been found to reduce the ability of flu virus to penetrate into body cells.
During flu season, decrease your contact with publicly shared objects such as phones, keyboards, and toys swapped among children. In case a virus has gotten on your hands, be sure not to rub your eyes, mouth or pick your nose, this is a common way in which germs contact and enter the mucous membranes of the body.
If you do get sick, stay at home and get plenty of rest and liquids. Here are some additional recommendations for natural treatments that can lessen the severity of flu symptoms.
Charles B. Inlander, president of The People’s Medical Society, recommends drinking hot liquids , and gargling with a table spoon of salt diluted in warm water. Other scientifically proven methods for lessening flu symptoms, provided courtesy of Sonya Galea (see below) include drinking hot water with a teaspoon of honey and a slice of lemon, taking warm showers to soothe muscles and moisturize the nasal passages, adding a few drops of menthol to a warm bath to relieve pressure in the sinuses, getting plenty of rest to strengthen the body, drinking a glass of warm milk to help induce sleep, and using a menthol salve under the nose to open up the sinus passages.
Above and beyond these steps, consider taking a natural herbal supplement to boost your immune response to infections. Many supplements can be found by searching online for “natural immunity boosters.” One excellent example of a natural immunity booster is “BioHope+ by eHelps. The natural herbal supplement consists of 8 berries and medicinal mushrooms each of which comes with a history of success against cancer and infections spanning millennia.
References
http://www.associatedcontent. com/article/2489333/natural_ flu_remedies_that_work_pg3. html?cat=68
http://healthybodydaily.com/ dr-oz/dr-oz-elderberry- extract-flu-fighters