How to Feel Better and Fight the Flu
The flu, or influenza, is one of the most common viral infections that many people will contract at some time in their life. Flu is more likely to affect people with weak immunity. The lack of proper immune system functions reduces the ability of the body to fight the flu and other infectious viral and bacterial pathogens.
Strengthening your immunity and supporting the body’s natural disease-fighting processes are considered the most effective ways to clear infections more efficiently. Here is a brief discussion about the natural body mechanisms that would help you fight the flu.
Natural body mechanisms for fighting infections
Drink plenty of fluids
Drinking plenty of fluids including water, fruit juices, alkaline water, and soups would keep the respiratory passages well hydrated and support the production of mucus to wash away the flu viruses more easily.
When your body is exposed to pathogens such as influenza and the virus is trying to take hold and replicate, immune cells trigger acute inflammation that causes swelling and redness of the part along with excessive mucus secretions.
The mucus secretion is evident in the forms of symptoms like cough and running nose. Increased mucus secretions help to wash off the bacteria and viruses from the body and thus, clear the infection.
It is possible to support these normal disease-fighting mechanisms of the body by increasing the intake of fluids.
Drinking plenty of fluids including water, fruit juices, alkaline water, and soups would keep the respiratory passages well hydrated and support the production of mucus to wash away the flu viruses more easily.
Drinking more water would also turn the thick mucus discharge into a thin liquid that can be easily coughed up. This can reduce the build-up of viruses and thick secretions in the lungs and clear the infection more rapidly.
Avoid medications that dry out the mucus. While it may appear to provide temporary relief from congestion, this could interfere with the natural process of bathing affected areas and could lead to the pathogen remaining in the body for longer.
Delaying fever medications
Allow the body’s natural mechanisms to clear the infection.
Fever or increased body temperature is another defense mechanism of the body to help you fight the flu. The increased body temperature promotes blood circulation thereby enhancing the number of healing nutrients reaching the damaged tissues.
A rise in body temperature may also create unfavorable conditions for the viruses to survive in the body thereby clearing away the infection. Hence, it is advisable to avoid taking fever reducers when the fever is mild to allow the body’s natural mechanisms to clear the infection.
Support sweating
Fever is often followed by increased sweating to help your body temperature to return to normal. Sweating produces a cooling effect and eases the discomfort.
Sweating may also help to drive out toxins accumulated in the body. Hence, fever followed by sweating is considered the body’s own self-medication for fighting the flu.
Take adequate rest
Taking adequate rest when you have flu can enable the immune system to repair the damaged tissues and restore health in a shorter duration. Resting is important not just during the flu but even for a few days after you have recovered to avoid severe fatigue.
Allow your body to guide you as to how soon to resume regular activities, strenuous exercise and a return to work and school. Fatigue is the body’s way of telling you it needs more TLC and boosting.
Take steam inhalations
Symptoms of flu, as well as other respiratory infections such as bronchitis and COVID-19, can be improved effectively by taking steam inhalations. It can help to loosen up cough and mucus secretions in your nose and respiratory passages and ease breathing.
Steam inhalations may provide relief from the symptoms of respiratory infections like running nose, nose block, cough, chest pain, and even headache caused due to the accumulation of mucus in the sinuses.
You may also run a humidifier, especially if the air is dry. A vaporizer or mist humidifier would moisten the air in your house and ease congestion and cough.
Saline nasal spray as well as nasal irrigation can also be soothing and provide relief from headaches and sinus pressure.
Focus on Nutrients to Support Immune Health
Consider a lozenge with zinc and avoid ones with high sugar content, which may help to support the pathogen.
Sucking on soothing lozenges is another way to support the body’s natural mechanisms to clear respiratory infections and fight the flu. It would moisten your throat and relieve congestion and irritation. Lozenges may also create a coating along the inner lining of the throat and provide relief from cough and sore throat.
Consider a lozenge with zinc and avoid ones with high sugar content, which may help to support the pathogen.
Your immune system plays a key role in supporting these natural mechanisms. However, immunological abnormalities can reduce the efficiency with which your body can promote these natural mechanisms due to which the infection may flare-up.
Hence, it is advisable to follow measures to support immune system functions. Ensure adequate amounts of nutrients that help to support immune functions, such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Zinc. The use of immunity-boosting supplements such as BioPro-Plus has also been found to help manage infectious diseases.
BioPro-Plus helps to maintain immune efficiency and support the body’s natural mechanisms thereby allowing you to overcome the symptoms of flu or other respiratory infections like COVID-19 and bronchitis in a safe and effective manner.
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