In slushy times - in the fall, and in the early spring, and in the winter thaw - with enviable regularity, the population is followed by a variety of viral infections. The main task of a person who does not want to spend a lot of money on treatment and get disapproval from his superiors for being absent from work, albeit for good reason, is to decide how not to get the flu or SARS. Especially the first, because, as you know, the flu in many cases gives severe complications, the result of which is at least a longer treatment. That is, additional cash injections into medicines and the risk of being left without work due to a too long absence.
Flu Symptoms
You need to not only know how not to get the flu, but also be able to recognize its symptoms in time. Unfortunately, even a professional doctor with experience will not always distinguish this dangerous disease from less severe ones. In the vast majority of cases, the temperature rises from the very beginning of the flu, and by no means subfebrile, but above 38. The headache and myalgia - muscle pains are almost indispensable. The people often indicate this condition with the phrase "bones hurt." An additional symptom is the absence of cough and runny nose, although in some cases they may already be present as the consequences of an influenza condition. In any case, even if you are not sure of the diagnosis (and you cannot be sure of it, because you do not have a medical education), immediately start taking antiviral drugs - they will greatly facilitate the course of the disease in the future and simplify its treatment.
Behavioral precautions
In many ways, influenza prevention is entirely up to you. There are simplest actions, compliance with which will minimize the risk of infection:
- Prevention of hypothermia. The same frozen nose significantly loses its position in defense against airborne “aggressors”. Vascular spasm also does not increase the resistance of the body and its ability to resist the invasion of pathogens. At the same time, it’s not worth wrapping up. Sweating and cooling off sharply, you wide open the gates of a wide variety of infections.
- Be sure to warm your feet. A huge number of nerve endings contained in the feet, is also responsible for the condition of the nasal mucosa. Yes, and other "charms" drawn by frozen legs (for example, kidney problems) you clearly do not need.
- Nasal breathing. Firstly, the air passing through the nose warms up quite well. Secondly, a significant part of the harmful organisms is retained by its “cilia”. Thirdly, all kinds of laryngitis can lead to the flu, as the body weakens.
- Tactile caution: try to do without handshakes, kisses, hands touching your face.
- Minimization of being in public places. And this applies not only to refusal to attend exhibitions, performances, etc., but also to the use of buses, trolleybuses and the metro, where the probability of meeting an already sick person is very high. If you go just a couple of stops - it's better to walk. Walking is generally good, and even more so for those who are concerned about how not to get the flu.
Protective measures at home and at work
What SanPiN particularly insists on: influenza prevention should include regular treatment of rooms where a person or group of people has been staying for a long time. Wet cleaning is very important in this regard , and it should not be neglected at home, and this should be done as often as possible. Thus, viruses that settle on surfaces are washed off and neutralized. Constant airing will also significantly reduce the risk of infection, although in a good way this procedure should be carried out not by the clock, but after each sneeze of one of those present. But, since this seems impossible, you need to do this at least three times in a working day.
Basic hygiene
In times of epidemic, preventive medicine recommends washing your hands regularly after being in the community. Objections that the flu is transmitted through the air, and not tactilely, are not very correct: viruses released into the air settle on any surface. In particular, on the railing and handrails. Touching such a place, and then - to the face, you quietly introduce into your body a pathogen hostile to it. If there is no way to wash your hands with sufficient frequency, carry wet antiseptic wipes and use them after leaving any public place - from transport to the supermarket.
Proper prevention of influenza in adults and children involves frequent washing of wearable items. Viruses in the tissue can remain infectious for a fairly long time after getting on it.
In the presence of a cold, it is advisable to use disposable scarves. There is no need to carry bacteria colonies in your pocket and voluntarily return them to your body.
Drug prevention
There are certain drugs that preventive medicine recommends using at the height of epidemics. One of the best measures to prevent infection is rinsing the nose after each "collision" with a large number of people. For this, ordinary saline solution and warm salted water are suitable. However, there are two obstacles:
- it is not always possible to carry out such a procedure (yet not everyone dares to wash their nose at the height of the working day);
- if you have a runny nose, this manipulation can be harmful.
Therefore, washing should be done in the morning and evening. And in order to protect yourself from a virus attack during the day , it is worth lubricating the nasal passages with oxolinic ointment - it creates a fairly reliable barrier to bacteria and viruses. You can also start taking epidemic immunostimulants and preventive doses of antiviral drugs (if health allows and only after consulting a doctor).
Do not forget about the protective mask. If you have to spend some time among a large number of people, use it without any hesitation. Health is more expensive. And if a “mask mode” is introduced in your office, do not violate it for aesthetic reasons. In a sick form, you will definitely look worse.
Nutrition in Flu Times
When considering the issue of "how not to get the flu," it is with regard to nutrition that certain disputes arise. There is an opinion that during the epidemic you need to become a fan of vegetarianism. And in recent years, this point of view is gaining more and more fans. However, professional preventive medicine strongly disagrees with this. On the contrary, she advises in influenza times to completely abandon all kinds of diets and eat hearty and wholesome. In the winter months, the body spends a huge amount of energy on resistance to adverse circumstances. To deprive him of full-fledged “fuel” means to undermine his resource. The only thing that both the "traditional" and the "alternative people" agree on is the need to refuse or at least limit themselves to the consumption of any alcohol. Alcohol reduces the body's immune capabilities.
Additional measures
An air humidifier can also be included in flu prevention products. The mucous membrane of the nose is greatly weakened by its drying out. And the radiators of the working central heating dry the air very noticeably.
This also includes the adjustment of battery heating, if it is provided in your home. Too hot climate in the apartment comes into conflict with the cold outside. From such a sharp drop you can just catch a cold; in addition, in this case, again, mucous membranes suffer, and therefore, your ability to resist the flu epidemic.
Vaccination: pros and cons
However, official medicine believes that all these measures are only half measures. The only reliable option in resolving the issue of “how not to get the flu” is vaccination against it. Among the people walking certain objections to vaccination. The most significant among them is the rapid mutations of the virus and the emergence of ever new strains. In second place among the arguments is the danger of the vaccine to the body. However, actually safe drugs were developed more than half a century ago. Yes, they do not counteract all types of influenza, but are quite effective against the four most common and “ferocious” strains. And the influence of the others is weakened to a large extent, making the course of the disease easier and practically guaranteeing the absence of complications. Preventive vaccination, thus, will protect the vaccinated almost a hundred percent. To the category of people who should avoid it, it is possible to classify only those who at the moment already have some health problems, for example, have a cold or have recently suffered such a disease.
Who should not refuse vaccination
Healthy adults, of course, can be prankish. However, this is not recommended for the most vulnerable categories of the population. These include:
- schoolchildren spending a lot of time among a large number of people;
- babies from six months of age to five years old - their resistance to flu is still quite low;
- elderly people 65 and older who have low immunity due to age. Even if vaccination does not prevent the disease, it will significantly reduce its severity;
- ladies "in position." They are given a vaccine in an inactivated state, so that the risk to the fetus is minimal - in contrast to the consequences that may occur in case of illness;
- teachers, doctors, drivers, sellers - all those who are forced to communicate with different people by profession;
- people who are often sick: this suggests that their immunity is not at that level, so they have a great chance of catching the flu.
Do not forget that the vaccine only affects the incidence of influenza. She does not insure against other types of acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections.
What people advise: prevention
Folk remedies against influenza can be a good help in prevention. Naturally, they should not be dispensed with, but it is also ignored. The most effective and proven are:
- A quarter kilogram of honey is combined with aloe juice. It is infused in the cold for 10 days, it is drunk on an empty stomach for a month: adults in the dining room, children - in a teaspoon.
- Dried apricots, honey, walnuts and lemon are mixed in equal amounts. The drug is infused for 5 days, and they use it in the morning and before bedtime in a spoon.
- In 3 liters of water, a quarter kilogram of dried rosehip is boiled for 20 minutes. Drink in any quantity instead of tea.
Garlic recipes
The most reliable at all times was considered garlic from influenza. There are a great many recipes with it. Here are a few:
- 3-4 garlic cloves are choked, kneaded in a glass of fresh carrot juice, and five days half an hour before a meal, half a glass of the drug is drunk.
- Bones are removed from 10 lemons (peel is left); citruses rub finely. 10 garlic heads are sliced and squeezed. Both masses are combined, diluted with 3 liters of water, insisted. Drink the medicine twice a day (on an empty stomach!) In a large spoon.
Combining folk remedies against influenza with the recommendations of official medicine, it is quite possible to survive the flu season without shocks and damage to health.