How to protect yourself from someone with the flu. How to protect yourself from the flu and ARVI: simple but effective rules

Good afternoon Every year, with the onset of cold weather, we all fear the onset of a flu epidemic. Unfortunately, 2016 was no exception. Swine flu is raging in the country and its victims are becoming more and more every day.

Those who got a flu shot in the fall are lucky; if they get sick, it will be in a mild form. What should the rest of us do, those who have not been vaccinated? during an epidemic?

You will find the answers to this question in today's article. In it I will give 4 simple tips that will reliably protect you from colds and flu, regardless of the type of virus (can also be used to protect against swine flu, the main horror story of 2016).

So, how can you protect yourself from the flu and what should you do if you or your loved ones do get sick?

You need to buy clove spice in the store (not ground). When leaving home, simply place 2–3 cloves on your tongue, and take a small supply of this spice with you in a bag.

While you are away from home, you should suck the cloves in your mouth, bite lightly and swallow saliva. One bookmark is enough for 1 – 1.5 hours of protection against the virus. Then the chewed clove is spat out and replaced with a new one.

Many of you will probably grin skeptically now, but in vain! I'll explain why. The fact is that, thanks to the substance eugenol contained in cloves, this spice simply has enormous antiseptic properties.

This fact proves that it was clove oil, which has a burning taste, that was used to treat the tooth cavity in the dental office. And even earlier they used it to lubricate the belly buttons of newborns in maternity hospitals!

So take this advice. The spice of cloves is pleasant to the taste and costs mere pennies.

Tip #2 is based on regular cinnamon! Eastern medicine calls cinnamon a reliable remedy against infectious colds.

And this is not at all surprising - cinnamon has excellent antiseptic properties and is able to cope with viruses, bacteria and fungi.

By the way, I'll give you one interesting fact. During the Spanish flu pandemic that occurred in 1918, everyone who frequently consumed cinnamon or was employed in its production avoided the disease.

Tea with a pinch of cinnamon will not only warm you from the inside, but will also provide invaluable assistance to your health. To prevent flu and sore throat, this recipe will help:

• Brew 0.5 teaspoon of cinnamon with 1 glass of boiling water, add a pinch of ground black pepper to it and drink with honey 2 - 3 times during the day

For flu-like conditions and the first signs of chills, there is the following recipe:

• Boil a glass of water with half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1 clove bud.
• Add the juice of half a lemon and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey.
• Having wrapped it up, let the drink brew for 20 minutes, and then after drinking it, go straight to bed.

At the first signs of a cold, you can still warm up a glass of Cahors with 0.5 teaspoon of cinnamon added and drink this drink hot, after which you should immediately go to bed.

Important! Cinnamon in any form is contraindicated during pregnancy! It should not be used when high temperature bodies.

Tip No. 3 – inhalation with fir, eucalyptus and juniper oils

If someone in your family is sick with the flu, in addition to the usual sanitary and hygienic measures to maintain cleanliness and order in the apartment where the patient is located, I advise you to purchase the following oils at the pharmacy:

1. fir
2. juniper
3. eucalyptus

All of them have strong bactericidal, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Using these oils you can disinfect the air in your apartment. This is done like this:

• Take a thick towel and soak it thoroughly in cold water.
• Then squeeze lightly, straighten and drop 2 - 3 drops of eucalyptus oil on the left edge of the towel, 3 drops of fir oil in the middle, and 3 drops of juniper oil on the other edge.
• You can drip 2 types of oil or even 1, but you should always drip no more than 3 drops.
• The prepared towel is placed, just as for drying, on the heating radiators. Excellent inhalation and saturation of the room with medicinal phytoncides is guaranteed!

In addition, as a result of this procedure, the dryness of the air in the apartment is reduced. True, such inhalations cannot be done too often. It’s best to do it 1-2 times a day, but generally focus on the patient’s well-being.

Some people use an aroma lamp for inhalation. You can use it, but when using it, the air is not humidified, but remains dry.

When you have the flu, drinking plenty of fluids is essential to maintaining the patient's fluid balance and removing toxins! As such a drink, I recommend using an infusion of linden flowers, which at all times was considered the best diaphoretic for a variety of colds.

Nowadays, linden blossom is used more widely, as it has been proven that it has antipyretic, bactericidal, emollient, anti-inflammatory, expectorant and good analgesic effects. It is freely sold in any pharmacy, and those who live in rural areas They can collect it themselves during the linden flowering period.

Many doctors emphasize that when using linden blossom, the overall detoxification of the body is enhanced directly through the patient’s skin.

It has long been scientifically proven that children who were treated with linden decoction recovered at 10!!! times faster than those who were prescribed antibiotics. In addition, the first category of children did not experience any problems at all.

Therefore, to protect yourself from flu and colds during an epidemic, and also if you are already sick, use the following infusion:

• Pour 4 tablespoons of linden blossom into 2 cups of boiling water, place in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, and then let it brew under the lid for 10 minutes.
• After this, after straining, the resulting infusion can be drunk in medicinal purposes 0.5 cup 6 times a day for at least 4 days.
• To prevent influenza – 0.5 cups 2 – 3 times a day.

At night it is useful to drink a glass of healthy hot infusion of linden blossom with the addition of 2 tablespoons raspberry jam. You can also drink it with honey as a bite.

Cranberry for colds and flu

Special kind words deserves cranberry. It has a tonic, restorative, anti-inflammatory and diuretic effect. Increases the body's resistance to viruses and saturates it with vitamins, removes bacteria and their poisons.

To protect yourself from the flu, it is useful to drink self-prepared cranberry juice. It is prepared quite simply:

• Mash 0.5 cups of cranberries and squeeze out the juice.
• These marcs are placed in an enamel saucepan and filled with 0.5 liters. water and place on the stove over low heat.
• Next, you need to bring the water with the pomace to a boil and boil for 10 - 15 minutes. Then turn off and strain.
• To the strained broth you need to add previously squeezed juice, about 2 tbsp. spoons of granulated sugar, mix everything and let cool.
• Drink 0.5 cups of cranberry juice 4 – 5 times a day for preventive purposes or at high temperatures.

In general, I would recommend that you not get too carried away with sugar. In Rus' there used to be a saying: “If you over-sweet the cranberries, you won’t soon get over your illness.” This statement has the right to life, so let your fruit drink be better sour, although it is not so pleasant to drink, it will have many times more benefits than a sugary drink.

To relieve a cold or fever, you can mix crushed cranberries in equal parts with honey. This mixture is good for coughs.

Important! Cranberries should not be used for peptic ulcers and a sharp increase in the acidity of gastric juice.

That's all for me. Now you know how to protect yourself from colds and flu during an epidemic. My tips are quite simple, but despite this, they are quite effective. You can see this for yourself by trying to apply them in practice. They will always be relevant, no matter what year it is - 2016, 2017 or 2018. Good luck and health to you!

With the onset of autumn and a sharp cold snap, the number of patients with colds. In everyday life we ​​are used to calling all acute respiratory diseases a cold. To protect yourself from these diseases, doctors advise adhering to a number of simple recommendations. healthinfo.ua writes about this.

Cold - illness and cold - hypothermia

A cold can be a consequence of hypothermia, which can lead to the development of a disease: conditions are created under which pathogenic bacteria in the body begin to multiply rapidly and provoke the development of acute respiratory diseases (ARI). As a result of hypothermia, a disease occurs caused by impaired functioning of the mucous membranes in the respiratory tract, and local immunity decreases.

Rosehip decoction strengthens the immune system and protects against colds

Rosehip decoction not only strengthens the immune system and protects against colds, but also gives strength during a hard day. The main condition is that it must be properly prepared.

Rose hip decoction should never be boiled, as most vitamins, especially vitamin C, which is responsible for strengthening the immune system, are quickly destroyed. At proper preparation warm tea will replace vitamins, immunostimulants and lemons during a cold.

“It is important to brew rosehip correctly so as not to destroy all the beneficial vitamins and microelements it contains. Before making tea, grind the berries along with the seeds. Three tablespoons of berries should be poured with boiling water in a thermos and left overnight. By morning, the vitamin decoction will be ready. And if you add a few tablespoons of honey to the decoction (not hot!), you will simply receive a shock dose of vitamins, which will become a powerful shield against infection. You can drink this tea every day during the cold season. side effects it doesn’t, unless, of course, you consume liters of it,” says Lyudmila Babich.

It is very important that the drink steeps for at least 12 hours, otherwise most of the vitamins simply will not have time to get into the water.

ARVI (acute respiratory viral infection), which everyone is accustomed to calling a cold, is caused by more than 200 subtypes of different viruses: rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, adenoviruses, bocaviruses. There is no vaccine against them yet, but the problem is usually limited to low fever, runny nose, cough and general malaise.

The influenza virus can cause more severe illness and more often leads to life-threatening complications, but vaccination is the most reliable way of prevention. The average effectiveness of flu vaccination is 60 percent, which is not much, but if you do get infected, the disease will be milder than in unvaccinated people. Vaccination is especially important for people from:

• small children (over six months and under four years);
• women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant;
• people over 50 years old;
• people with chronic diseases (for example, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, nervous system disease).

Doctors usually advise getting the vaccine before the start of the flu season, however, you can get vaccinated now; antibodies to the virus will appear in two weeks. There is no need to be seriously afraid of the undesirable consequences of vaccination.

It makes sense to give preference to foreign vaccines. Domestic developments contain immunomodulators, they contain less antigen, and although it is believed that this does not interfere with obtaining a sufficient immune response, there are no confirmatory studies.

Hygiene

Infection with ARVI and influenza occurs when the virus gets into the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth or eyes, and people often touch their face with their hands without realizing it. Therefore, to stop the spread of germs and protect not only yourself, but also those around you, you should:

• Try your best not to touch your face with dirty hands and wash your hands often with soap (the process should take 15 to 30 seconds). If water and soap are not nearby, disinfectant gel will suffice. It is also better to wash your face more often.
• Sneeze and cough correctly, covering your nose and mouth with a paper tissue (then throw the tissue away immediately), or into the crook of your elbow, so that drops of saliva containing viruses do not fall on objects that other people touch with their hands. The sick person can wear medical masks; they help protect others from drops of saliva. But healthy person a mask is not needed; only respirators of the FFP2 and FFP3 classes protect against the influenza virus.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay home if you have the flu. Specialists from the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believe that you can return to your normal life 24 hours after the fever subsides on its own (there is no need to bring down the temperature with the help of drugs). With ARVI, a person is especially contagious for the first 2–3 days.

Medicines, dietary supplements and folk remedies

Garlic was previously thought to have antiviral properties. for many years There was talk about preventing colds with vitamin C and echinacea, but the effectiveness of all these remedies could not be confirmed by research.

Medicines popular in Russia against influenza and ARVI can be divided into three groups. Some medications (Kagocel, Arbidol) have not proven their effectiveness and safety - there are no high-quality studies. Others are homeopathic remedies, such as “Anaferon” or “Oscillococcinum”. There are also Tamiflu and Relenza, they work against the most dangerous type A influenza, but they should not be used independently as a prophylaxis - the potential benefits outweigh the risks of developing undesirable effects, in addition, the symptoms cannot accurately diagnose influenza (it is responsible for symptoms in approximately 5–15 percent of cases), and test strips to determine the subtype of the virus are practically not used in Russia. And there is not a single medicine that can protect against acute respiratory viral infections and cure colds.

The best method of protection against flu and colds is to gradually strengthen the human immune system and increase the protective properties of his body. This is precisely why a variety of methods are used: vaccination, certain diets, rules of personal and public hygiene, the use of antiviral tablets, etc. How to protect yourself from the flu and colds will be discussed later in the article.

There are many ways to protect yourself from flu and colds.

First, let's look at the main differences between the flu virus and the common cold. Influenza involves the presence of an infection in the body that causes fever, damage respiratory tract, joint pain and other unpleasant symptoms. As a rule, the causative agents of the disease are viruses type A and B.

The main symptoms of influenza are in many ways similar to the symptoms of a cold, but they are more pronounced: general weakness of the body, cough, dizziness, sudden changes in the oropharynx and nasopharynx, cardiovascular disorders.

Colds are classified as acute respiratory diseases; they are caused by bacteria and microbes that are transmitted by airborne droplets. Signs of such an illness most often appear gradually: first, hoarseness and nasal congestion appear, then coughing, sneezing, weakness, chills and fever.

Any of these diseases must be treated, although it is much better to prevent the disease than to deal with its consequences. That is why here you will find answers to the question of how to avoid flu and colds.

Personal hygiene: basic rules

First of all, you need to carry out preventive measures aimed at improving the quality of personal hygiene. This involves the following rules:

1. Isolation from places where large numbers of people gather.
2. The use of disinfectants, especially during the most active flu season.
3. Wash your hands regularly using soap or antibacterial products after being outside.
4. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose with unwashed hands.
5. Lead a lifestyle that will help protect the body from harmful and dangerous microbes (healthy and adequate sleep, proper nutrition, stay on fresh air, absence of bad habits).

To prevent flu and colds, it is important to wash your hands with soap or antibacterial agents.

Public hygiene: adherence to basic rules

In order to have an idea of ​​how to protect yourself from flu and colds, let us recall the basic measures of public hygiene:

1. Do not contact at all or minimize the time spent with infected people and do not approach them closer than 1 meter.
2. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when sneezing and coughing.
3. Avoid visiting crowded places while the virus is spreading.
4. Ventilate rooms in which there are a fairly large number of people more often, which is especially important for company offices and classrooms in educational institutions.
5. Use masks when interacting with people who have the influenza virus.

What needs to be done to avoid getting sick yourself and not infecting others?

Naturally, no one is immune from illness, and you cannot constantly avoid communicating with people, whether at work or in everyday life. However, during the flu and cold season, you should use the following recommendations:

• Limit your contact with people if possible.
• Keep your hands moisturized to protect yourself from germs.
• Maintain indoor humidity at 50-60%, which will slow down the effect of viruses.
• Wash your hands often and treat any wounds or scratches on your hands with disinfectants.
• Get enough sleep and rest, which helps restore your immune system.
• Eat more vitamins and foods that contain minerals and essential trace elements.
• Wipe down things you use daily. Such things include a telephone, keyboard, desk and other items. Such actions will help stop the spread of viruses.
• Even members of the same family must observe certain hygiene measures (allocate separate dishes for the sick person, wear a mask, do not come close, etc.).

It is necessary to use medical masks so as not to infect others and not to get sick yourself.

In this way, you will be able to remain absolutely healthy, the body’s resistance will improve, and those bacteria and viruses that have already entered the body will soon be destroyed.

Is vaccination worth it?

There are different opinions about vaccination among people, including doctors, but one cannot deny the fact that vaccinations help strengthen a person’s immune system and reduce the likelihood of contracting flu and colds.

The purpose of vaccination is not to destroy influenza as an infection, but to improve the body's protective functions and alleviate the course of the disease, saving a person from complications, exacerbations and severe consequences.

It is noteworthy that new types of vaccines are being developed every year, as viruses appear that can cope with previous types of antiviral drugs. Carrying out such vaccinations helps to significantly reduce the incidence of disease in all age groups.

Important! It must be remembered that there must be some preparation for vaccination, and there are also some contraindications when vaccination is strongly not recommended.

How to protect yourself from the flu with diet?

How to protect yourself from flu and colds by eating certain foods and dishes? This can be done by following the basic principles of a diet to prevent the above diseases:

1. As many vitamins as possible. These organic matter can be obtained by including it in your diet fresh vegetables and fruits. A large amount of vitamins can be found in oranges, lemon, cabbage, carrots and other natural products. They can be used in almost any form.
2. Antimicrobial products. These include garlic and onions, because these plants cope well with influenza and ARVI viruses.
3. As little as possible of spicy, floury and fatty foods. Such food enhances the inflammatory processes occurring in the upper respiratory tract and puts additional stress on the stomach, while all the body’s forces should be aimed at fighting microbes.
4. Drink more fluids. It is advisable to drink purified water, which moisturizes the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and removes toxins from the body, but you are also allowed to drink various drinks based on milk, honey, and all kinds of medicinal herbs.

Citrus fruits are the best food for preventing flu and colds

Antiviral drugs

Protection against colds and flu can be organized with the help of special antiviral drugs which can be purchased in pharmacies:

• Arbidol. An inhibitor drug that is used for the prevention and treatment of type A and B viruses.
• Theraflu. It is a comprehensive remedy for protection against colds and flu, quickly relieves nasal congestion and can reduce body temperature.
• Umkalor. The drug contains herbal ingredients, which protect cells and tissues of the body from damage as a result of the action of microbes, the product prevents acute diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
• Coldrex. Different quick effect in the fight against respiratory diseases, softens cough, normalizes breathing.
• Viferon. Effective in the treatment of viral infections, prevents the proliferation of microbes inside the body.
• Grippferon. Is antiviral immunomodulator, which is considered an indispensable remedy in the autumn-winter period, when the epidemic of influenza and colds intensifies.

Grippferon is an important antiviral immunomodulator

Is it possible to be 100% protected from colds and flu?

Even strict adherence to all of the above measures and rules does not guarantee that you will not get the flu or a cold. However, these activities help to significantly protect the body and strengthen the immune system for the entire upcoming season. Even if you get sick, the disease is much easier, there are no pronounced symptoms or complications, which is already extremely important for any person.

Now you know how to protect yourself from colds and flu, all that remains is to put this knowledge into practice, and then you will definitely be able to protect yourself from an unpleasant illness and significantly strengthen your own immunity.

1. Wash your hands more often and for longer.

This is the simplest prevention of respiratory viral diseases. A study by the US Naval Medical Research Center in which 40,000 participants washed their hands 5 times a day showed a 45% reduction in the incidence of respiratory illnesses. And researchers from Columbia University in New York found that washing your hands once and quickly is not enough to “wash away” germs. Wash your hands twice, with soap and water for at least 15 seconds.

2. Wash often.

Wash your bed linen more often, and during an epidemic, change towels in the bathroom and kitchen every 3-4 days. Wash in hot water to destroy viruses.

3. Touch your face less with your fingertips.

On average, we rub our eyes or nose or scratch our face 20 to 50 times a day. It is better to do these not with the tips, but with the knuckles of the fingers: there are viruses and bacteria on them. that come into contact with the skin door handles and other surfaces, accumulates less.

4. Get vaccinated.

Ego best way prevent the flu. It is better to get vaccinated in the fall, but it is not too late to get vaccinated in winter. Vaccination is primarily indicated for people over 65 years of age, as well as those who suffer from kidney disease, heart disease or diabetes, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.

5. Use paper napkins.

Place them in different places so that they are always at hand. They are convenient for wrapping door handles and taps in public places, which are places where microbes accumulate. If you want to sneeze or cough, you can always cover your mouth with a napkin. Do not cover your mouth with your palm when sneezing or coughing. This is how bacteria migrate to our hands, and we transfer them to different objects - and to other people.

6. Fight bacteria.

Carry antibacterial wipes and hand cleansing gels with you and remember to use them. Typically, colds are not transmitted by airborne droplets, but through handshakes and objects touched by the carrier of the infection.

7. Use a humidifier.

Dry air is an ideal environment for cold viruses. Use a room humidifier, the main thing is to change the water in it every day and clean it every few days.

8. Be less nervous.

People who live under constant time pressure, are nervous and worry a lot, are much more susceptible to colds and flu: stress gradually undermines the immune system. Learn to relax, do yoga, master the basics of meditation.

9. Eat “live” yogurt daily.

According to recent studies, this helps you get sick less often. And a recent review of ten studies conducted by Korean scientists found that eating yogurt within 3 months of catching colds and flu helps protect against these viruses.

10. Go to the sauna.

Australian scientists closely monitored the health of a large group of people for 6 months. It turned out that those who visited the sauna weekly were 2 times less likely to get a cold than those who did not go to the sauna. Perhaps the hot air kills the bacteria. In addition, paired procedures have a positive effect on the immune system, which also helps to avoid colds.

11. Be careful with antibiotics.

Due to widespread use, antibiotics are rapidly losing their effectiveness. The more and more often we take antibiotics, the greater the likelihood that they will not “work” at the right time - smart microbes adapt and become invulnerable.

In our country, antibiotics are bought without a doctor and used at the onset of a cold, “so as not to get sick,” to lower the temperature. This is not only dangerous, but also pointless: colds and flu are caused by viruses, and an antibiotic only kills bacteria. A powerful barrier to viruses is strong immune cells. One of the effective and simple means their fortifications are known to everyone fish oil. Omega acids included in its composition make immune cells literally invulnerable.

12. Warm your nose.

The colder it is outside, the more colds and flu we get. Scientists have proven that exposure to low temperatures on the nose reduces the body’s resistance to viruses that are located in the nasal passages. The simplest thing is to cover your mouth and nose with a scarf. But be warned: rough wool can be irritating, so choose scarves made from soft wool or cashmere.

13. Get enough sleep.

Adequate sleep is the key to strong immunity. Numerous studies have established a connection between lack of sleep and the increasing frequency of colds.

14. Engage your taste buds

Warm drinks are considered a panacea for colds. But keep in mind: not every drink is effective. It is best to choose drinks with a pronounced taste, such as juices, fruit drinks or tea with honey and lemon. They promote the production of saliva, reduce nasal discharge and provide relief from sore throat and cough.

13. Move more.

Sign up for dancing, go to the pool or fitness, take a walk. Scientists observed the well-being of a group of women for 12 months. It turned out that women who worked out 5 times a week for 45 minutes exercise, suffered from colds 3 times less often than less active women.

14. Drink green tea.

15. Change your toothbrush every 2-3 months.

Many people neglect this advice from dentists, but in vain: over time, the toothbrush becomes an ideal haven for bacteria. It is also better to replace your brush after you have had a cold or flu to prevent re-infection.

16. Eat garlic.

Its bioactive substances fight viruses and strengthen the immune system. Of the 146 volunteers who participated in the study, some took garlic extract tablets daily during the winter months, while others took a placebo, that is, tablets that did not contain any medicinal substances. As a result, the former got colds much less often, and if they did get sick, they recovered faster.