The Flu (Influenza)

The flu is commonly mixed up with the common cold because they both share some of the same symptoms. When someone contracts the flu virus however, symptoms tend to be a lot worse than the common cold, and can also include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea ad fever. The flu virus or influenza virus is generally separated into two strains: influenza A and influenza B. These two strains change slightly every year, and are responsible for the seasonal flu that affects billions of people every year.

Flu Symptoms

When you catch the flu, your immune system is immediately compromised, and you start to feel tired, achy and overall lethargic. After about a day, other symptoms can start to appear such as nausea and vomiting, headache and dizziness. It is important to understand that if you have these symptoms you should always go to see your doctor, even if you are quite sure you have the flu as these symptoms are fairly universal for myriad of viruses and may be misdiagnosed at home.

Below are some common flu symptoms:

•    Runny nose or stuffy sinuses: The flu directly affects your sinus cavities, causing extra mucus to be produced (as a defence mechanism). Extra mucus can either clog your nose and sinus cavities, or can constantly run or drip.

•    Headache: Probably the most common flu symptom is the onset of a headache. Headaches are difficult to avoid with the flu, but staying hydrated can help.

•    Body Ache: An overall body ache is associated with the flu and the common cold. Bones feel cold and a deep dull ache ensues. Other bones, close to the sinus cavities may have increased aching such as the jaw area.

•    Lethargy: Possibly the worst part of a flu is that you want to fight it, but you’re just too tired. This is because your immune system is busy fighting the flu virus, and needs you to rest.

•    Nausea/Vomiting:  In many cases, flu sufferers will get an upset stomach (sometimes called the stomach flu) and will not be able to keep food down.

•    Sore Throat: More common with a cold, flu sufferers can experience a sore throat or hoarseness when dealing with the flu

•    Fever: A fever accompanies almost any flu and watching your temperature is always important. If your temperature rises above 100 degrees fahrenheit, monitor it in 30 minute intervals and contact your doctor.

Swine Flu and Bird Flu

The swine flu and bird flu refer to the influenza A virus that affects animals. Many animals can get the flu, but in most cases the virus is not transferrable to humans. In the case of the bird and swine flu, the virus is transferrable to humans, and the human body is not equipped to fight the virus. For many, the swine flu can come and go with nothing more than fairly prominent flu symptoms. For others, particularly those with lowered immune systems, it can be deadly. As of July 2009, the swine flu is still a pandemic (reaching across multiple continents) and still claims lives worldwide. A swine flu vaccine is being created and will soon be distributed, first to those in desperate need (the sick and women who are pregnant). If you are getting any flu symptoms, it is best to get tested to make sure it is simply seasonal flu, and not the swine flu.

Natural Flu Treatments

Treating the flu is not much different than treating the common cold. The same logic applies – ride out the flu while treating the symptoms. Below are a few ways you can battle flu symptoms naturally:

•    Echinacea: This wonder herb has been used for centuries to battle the flu, colds and other illnesses. The active ingredient in Echinacea increases production of properdin, which helps boost your immune system and fight the flu.

•    Garlic: Garlic is a great antiviral plant that helps boost the immune system and fight infection (the active ingredient is allicin). Best used as a preventative for the cold and flu, garlic can also be ingested after symptoms arise to help decrease symptoms and duration of the flu.

•    Ginger: Many people use ginger as another antiviral agent.  Ginger is a natural pain reliever and can help sedate a patient thereby encouraging rest. Ginger can also help reduce fever.

•    Vitamin C: What flu fighting routine would be complete without Vitamin C? Vitamin C can help your body fight against viruses and get you back on your feet quicker. Like Echinacea, Vitamin C works best when taken daily as a preventative routine.

•    Licorice Root: (consult your doctor or nutritionist. Liquorice root or honey can be used to sooth a sore throat.

•    Goldenseal: Goldenseal encourages blood supply to the spleen, where white blood cells are created and used to fight infections and inflammation.

•    Washing Your Hands: Perhaps the best way to fight and defend against the flu, washing your hands is recommended worldwide. Most doctors agree that this is the single most important prevention and treatment routine. Wash your hands regularly if you have the flu or if people around you have the flu.

•    Steam Inhalation: The inhalation of steam can relieve headaches and sinus pressure. You can inhale steam in a variety of ways, one being to turn on a hot shower, then sit in the bathroom for about 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can boil water, then place your head over the steaming water (after you’ve taken it off the stove!) inhaling the steam. Some people place a towel over their head to trap in the steam. You can also add eucalyptus in the water for eucalyptus steam inhalation.

•    Rest: Get plenty of rest, your body fights viruses and other illnesses when it can use all it’s energy for fighting.

Hydration: It’s important to keep yourself hydrated. Drinking hot beverages can keep you hydrated just as well as cold ones, and drinking a hot beverage can help reduce sinus pressure. Add some honey and Echinacea to coat your throat and fight the virus!

Flu Vaccines

Flu vaccines are used to prevent the flu by injecting a small amount of flu virus into the body so that the immune system can find it and adjust itself to defend against it. The reason we have new flu vaccines every year is that the influenza virus (seasonal flu) is constantly evolving and changing. Therefore, every year, the immune system needs to change in order to properly defend against it. The downside of the flu vaccine is that it allows the flu virus to evolve quicker, because it finds itself ineffective against the vaccinated body and forces itself to change.

The swine flu vaccine is not the same as the seasonal flu vaccine – it is a vaccine that prepares your body for the specific type of influenza  A virus.