In fact, viral colds are a very common problem. It is unlikely that there is a person who at least once in his life has not encountered such a disease. That is why many people today are interested in the question of what to take with the flu.
It is no secret to anyone that in the modern world a cold is far from always perceived as a reason for going to a doctor. Yes, in most cases, the flu goes away after 1-2 weeks, but do not forget that the disease can lead to a lot of complications. So what is better to take with influenza and SARS? What groups of drugs exist? What does the most effective therapy look like? The answers to these questions will be of interest to many readers.
Flu antibiotics - how effective are they?
At the first symptoms of a cold, people often try to get rid of the disease with antibacterial agents. So which antibiotics to take with the flu? In fact, taking such drugs in this case is useless. The fact is that antibacterial agents are simply powerless against viruses. Therefore, when the first symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor. After a thorough diagnosis, a specialist will be able to determine which kind of pathogenic microorganism caused the disease.
An exception may be only those cases when the flu or other acute respiratory viral infection has led to the development of bacterial complications. In connection with the weakening of immunity, an increase in the activity of bacterial microorganisms can be observed. Often the flu is complicated by otitis media, frontal sinusitis, sinusitis. You can add bacterial pneumonia, meningitis, encephalitis, septic conditions to this list (this is extremely rare, most often in people with immunodeficiency).
And in such cases, what antibiotics to take with the flu? The appropriate antibacterial agent will be selected by the attending physician, since much depends on the strain of bacteria and the general condition of the body. Most often, patients are prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics - Flemoxin, Doxycycline, Augmentin, Amoxicycline and others.
What medications to take with the flu? Complex therapy
The common cold is a problem that every person regularly encounters. So what to take with the flu? In fact, it all depends on the variety of the pathogen, the state of the immune system, the severity of the disease, etc. In any case, if you have symptoms, you should still consult a doctor, since other more dangerous diseases may be hidden under the mask of ARI.
Influenza requires complex therapy, which includes not only taking medications, but also the correct regimen, preventive precautions, hygiene, good nutrition, etc. What medications are taken for the flu?
- antiviral drugs;
- medicines containing interferon or stimulating its synthesis (interferon helps to strengthen the immune defense and speed up the healing process);
- symptomatic therapy is also carried out - for example, with a severe cold, drops are needed for the nose, and if there is a cough, appropriate expectorants are prescribed, etc.
The most popular and effective antiviral drugs
Today, there are many antiviral drugs that help cope with the disease, reduce the severity of symptoms, and speed up the healing process.
For example, drugs such as “Daytiforin”, “Adapromin”, “Arbidol” and many others are considered quite effective. These drugs are really effective, but have high specificity - they are active only against influenza A and B. viruses. Of the analogues of the above drugs, Remantadine is the most popular. Some pharmaceutical companies also produce the drug under the name Algirim.
How to take "Remantadine" with the flu? Tablets intended for adults should be drunk after eating. As a rule, doctors recommend taking 100 mg of the active ingredient twice a day. The course of treatment lasts 5-7 days. If you are interested in questions about what is best for a child with influenza, then you should give preference to Remantadin (or Algirem) in the form of a syrup. Children from 1 to 3 years old take two teaspoons of syrup (10 ml) 2-3 times a day. For a child aged 3-7 years, the dose increases to 15 ml 2-3 times a day.
It is worth noting that the above drugs are usually used to treat flu and colds in the early stages. Only the attending physician can prescribe them.
Interferons for the treatment of influenza
What to take with flu to speed recovery Quite often, the so-called interferon preparations are also included in the course of treatment. These agents inhibit the process of virus reproduction in the body, which, accordingly, enables the immune system to defeat the infection. To date, there are many similar drugs.
For example, Viferon is considered quite popular, the active components of which are obtained using genetic engineering methods. This medicine has an antiviral effect, activates the immune system, protects cells from damage, and also acts as an antioxidant. The drug is available in the form of rectal suppositories (for children of different ages), as well as ointments for the nose.
Naturally, modern pharmacology offers other means of this type. For example, Sveferon, Inferon, Egiferon, Leukinferon, as well as Grippferon and Interlock are considered highly effective. All these drugs have similar properties - they block the reproduction of any viruses. They are produced mainly in the form of nasal drops, which, by the way, allows minimizing the likelihood of infection through the respiratory tract (therefore, they can also be used as prophylaxis).
Interferon Inductors
No less effective are drugs that stimulate the body's production of its own interferon, which, of course, ensures a quick recovery. These agents are effective against not only the influenza virus, but also against other acute respiratory infections.
One of the most popular today is the drug "Amiksin". This tool is also available under other names - "Tiloron", "Lavomax". The maximum activation of interferon synthesis is observed 18 hours after taking the pill. How to take Amiksin with influenza? The dosage in this case is determined by the attending physician. But, as a rule, in the first two days the patient is recommended to drink 125-250 mg of the active ingredient, after which take a break for a day, then resume treatment, taking 125 mg. The course of treatment most often lasts about a week, but the maximum number of tablets taken is 6 pieces.
Equally effective are the products containing methylglucamine acridone acetate. The most famous drug in this group is Cycloferon. It is worth noting that this tool has virtually no side effects. It is used to treat not only adults, but also children over a year old. The maximum concentration of interferon in the patient’s blood is observed 8 hours after administration, and the level of this substance remains for another 48-72 hours.
The drug of the latest generation is Neovir, the main active component of which is sodium oxyhydroacridinyl acetate. This product is available in the form of a solution for intramuscular injection and is widely used in modern medicine for the treatment of severe forms of influenza, some other colds and herpes.
Sometimes doctors use the drug "Dibazol" with the flu. How to take this remedy? To begin with, it is worth noting that this medicine has myotropic, vasodilating and antispasmodic properties. And it is mainly used for the treatment of diseases associated with spasm of smooth muscles, as well as hypertensive crisis and some neurological disorders.
However, Dibazol has a mild immunostimulating effect. And in some cases it is used to treat acute respiratory viral infections, but only in combination with calcium gluconate and ascorbic acid. The solution is administered intravenously.
Symptomatic treatment
Of course, in this case, symptomatic therapy is extremely important. So what medicines to take with the flu? In fact, it all depends on the violations present and the general condition of the patient - sometimes additional therapy is not required, and sometimes many additional drugs need to be introduced into the treatment regimen.
- Quite often, patients are prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. For example, "Diclofenac", "Ibuprofen", "Nurofen", "Paracetamol" are considered quite effective. These funds help to eliminate fever, reduce the intensity of the inflammatory process, and also have analgesic properties.
- With a strong increase in temperature (if taking anti-inflammatory drugs for one reason or another is not possible), the doctor may prescribe other antipyretic drugs - Aspirin, Mefenamic acid, etc.
- The common cold is often accompanied by severe nasal congestion, which makes breathing difficult and worsens the patient's condition. What to take with flu? Vasoconstrictive nasal drops are considered quite effective, which reduce swelling, facilitate the outflow of fluid from the sinuses. For example, Otrivin, Xylen, Rinorus, Galazolin are considered quite effective. On the other hand, it is worth remembering that you can apply such drops no longer than 5-7 days.
- Drugs are also needed to relieve sore throat. Of course, the most effective remedy is gargling - for this purpose you can use home remedies, including a weak solution of soda or peroxide, decoctions of chamomile or sage. In the pharmacy you can buy special tablets and lozenges, such as Strepsils, Linkas, Septefril, Lisobakt. If necessary, you can use disinfectant sprays for the throat, in particular, “Orasept” or “Hexoral”.
- With a dry cough, doctors usually prescribe expectorant drugs - it can be Broncholitin, ACC, Lazolvan, Ambroxol, Mukaotin.
- What other medications do you recommend for influenza? The course of treatment includes the administration of antihistamines. Firstly, these drugs reduce the risk of developing an allergic reaction to other drugs taken. Secondly, they relieve swelling of the mucous membrane of the throat, nose and bronchi, which greatly facilitates breathing. The most effective and popular drugs include Loratidine, Semprex, Suprastin, Claritin, Tavegil.
Some helpful suggestions
Of course, your doctor will tell you about what you can take with the flu. But do not forget about some of the rules of treatment. In particular, for colds, it is extremely important to observe the drinking regime - you need to drink at least 2-3 liters of fluid per day. This helps to speed up the process of eliminating toxins from the body and, accordingly, reduce the symptoms of influenza and prevent dehydration. And if drinks contain a large amount of vitamin C (for example, fresh juices, fruit drinks, decoctions of berries and herbs), then this will also positively affect the activity of the immune system.
The patient also needs rest and bed rest. Physical activity, stress, lack of rest increase the likelihood of developing certain complications.
The main methods of prevention
Of course, sometimes it is much easier to prevent the development of the disease than to treat it. And so many patients are interested in what to take to prevent flu. In fact, to prevent the disease, doctors, as a rule, prescribe the same drugs as for its treatment, but only in other quantities. For example, the drug "Remantadine" is considered quite effective, which is affordable and sold in almost every pharmacy.
No less popular is Arbidol. In the event that you have been in contact with a sick person, you need to take 0.2 g of the active substance per day for 1-2 weeks. With a seasonal outbreak of the disease, you can drink 0.1 g of the drug every few days - this will help prevent infection. Naturally, there are other means to help prevent the disease. For example, Aflubin helps to strengthen the immune defense, it can be given even to small children.
Nevertheless, it is not enough just to know what to take for the prevention of influenza. It is important and observe some precautions. For example, avoid direct contact with an infected person. Do not forget that for some time, viral particles can be stored on household items and food, so it is important to adhere to the rules of personal hygiene, wash hands, etc.
The state of the immune system is also important, because influenza or acute respiratory infections develop only if the immune system is not able to withstand infection. Therefore, carefully monitor the diet (the diet should contain a sufficient amount of nutrients, vitamins, minerals), observe the regime of work and rest (a depleted organism is more susceptible to infectious diseases), exercise regularly, spend time outdoors, give up bad habits, Avoid stress and emotional stress.
Vaccination: how effective is it?
Many people, having come to the doctor's office, ask about what is better to take with the flu and how successful vaccination can be. It’s worth mentioning right away that modern pharmaceutical companies produce a wide variety of vaccines. Moreover, the composition of these drugs changes every year.
As a rule, patients are vaccinated against the kind of virus that caused the outbreak of the disease last season, so they do not guarantee absolute protection, because the virus is constantly changing. However, a similar procedure can be effective.
To date, there are several varieties of vaccines:
- Whole-virion preparations that contain whole but inactivated viral particles. Due to the high likelihood of side effects, such drugs are not used today.
- Split vaccines contain only individual particles of the virus, so they cause side reactions and complications much less often.
- Subunit vaccines are highly purified agents with minimal risk of complications. These medicines are used to vaccinate children.
It is worth noting that immunity, as a rule, is developed within 1-2 weeks after vaccination. That is why vaccination is recommended to be done even before the epidemic.
Gastric (intestinal) flu: features of the disease and treatment methods
Viral infection affects not only the respiratory tract. And today, people quite often face such an unpleasant problem as gastroenteritis. So what to take with stomach flu? The answer to this question is interesting to many readers.
To begin with, it is worth noting that different types of viruses can act as the causative agent of this disease - these are rotaviruses, enteroviruses, noroviruses and some others. The virus enters the body through contact with an infected person. Also, quite often, food is the source of infection, since viral particles can retain the ability to live, being in water, meat, dairy products.
As a rule, regardless of the type of pathogen, the symptoms of gastric (intestinal flu) are the same. A few hours after the penetration of the virus, the first signs appear - this is general weakness, fever, decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting, and repeated diarrhea. The appearance of standard flu symptoms, including nasal congestion, cough, hoarseness, etc., is also possible.
So what to take with intestinal flu? In fact, some specific therapy in this case does not exist. Quite often, patients are prescribed the same antiviral and immunomodulating agents that are described above. And in this case, extremely important symptomatic therapy, because constant vomiting and diarrhea can lead to dehydration.
The patient is recommended to drink as much fluid as possible. With prolonged vomiting, an anti-emetic drug is prescribed, in particular, “Priphinia bromide” or “Tserukal”. Diarrhea can be stopped with Enterofuril - this medicine is safe, it can be given even to children. Since gastroenteritis is most often associated with dysbiosis, the course of treatment necessarily includes taking medications that contain live strains of beneficial bacteria - it can be Bifiform, Acylact, Linex, Kipatsid.
In any case, it is worth remembering that only a doctor can tell you which drugs to take with the flu. Do not self-medicate.