What is Influenza?
What are the Symptoms of Influenza?
The symptoms of influenza are very similar to any other virus-related disease, Most of the people with this condition may experience symptoms like, mild to moderate fever. However, the fever may shoot up if the person has any other infections. Muscle aching with fever is also a very common symptom of this condition. Sometimes you may suffer from headaches and eye pain. Getting chills and sweating are also very popular symptoms of influenza. If the virus affects your lungs, you may develop a dry, and persistent cough, shortness of breath, and sore throat.
What are the Causes of Influenza?
As Influenza is highly contagious, it can be spread easily from person to person. Influenza viruses move across the air in droplets while somebody with the virus coughs, sneezes or talks. You can gasp the droplets immediately, or you can pick up the viruses from an item — for example, from a mobile or door knobs or maybe from a computer keyboard — and then again transport them to your eyes, nose, or mouth. Individuals with the infection are possibly infectious from around a day before signs begin till nearly five days after they begin.
When to see a Doctor?
- In most cases, influenza heals on its own with over-the-counter medication and doesn’t need any medical interventions. However, there may be some emergency symptoms that may need to be checked by a doctor.
- In case you have shortness of breath, that can be fatal. So immediately rush to the doctor. Chest pain can be a cause of concern and needs to be checked by a physician. If the fever shoots up over 103 F then a person may have seizures. This is also a severe condition so call your doctor. Other than that, if you are suffering from severe muscle pain or headaches, or ongoing dizziness then do not delay booking an appointment with your physician.
Lifestyle Prevention of Influenza
- Getting flu vaccines every year is the best preventative for influenza. So, everyone over the age of 6 months should be vaccinated which will reduce your risk of the flu and its severity. Other than that, few more lifestyle preventions may help you avoid the severity of the disease.
- We already know that influenza can spread very quickly so in case you have influenza-like symptoms, you should not go near any other person. Additionally, you should always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing, then throw it out and wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.
- People over the age of 65 and children below the age of 5 years are at a higher risk. So in case you are one of them please take extra precautions. Also, pregnant women and people with other chronic diseases have a higher risk of developing severe symptoms of influenza. So they also need to be extra cautious.
Common Ayurvedic Remedies for Influenza
There are some great Ayurvedic remedies to treat the symptoms of Influenza. Herbs and spices like clove buds, Turmeric, Cayenne, Ginger, Tulsi, Mahasudarshana Churna, etc can do wonders in treating this condition.
- Clove Bud: It’s known to heal coughing. Take 3 full clove buds and put them into your mouth during a coughing spasm, itchy throat, or anytime necessary. Suck on them till they start to fall away from each other and no longer have any taste. Repeat as frequently as necessary.
- Turmeric, salt, and cayenne gargle for sore throat and swollen glands: Combine half a teaspoon of turmeric, a quarter teaspoon of salt, and a little bit of cayenne pepper in a cup of hot water. Stir up completely. Make use of this as a gargle by tipping your head back fully and gargle for about 20 seconds then spit it out. It is suggested to allow a small amount to drip down your throat to coat any lower infectious areas. Repeat this three times in succession and perform every 6 hours for prevention or cure of a painful throat or enlarged glands.
- Ginger juice for nausea: Wash off half pound of ginger and chop it into slices to fit out of the juicer. Juice and store in a sealed glass container. One ½ pound of ginger should make about half cup of juice. Mix 1 teaspoon of this juice in half cup of hot water. Drink this every 2 to 3 hours during sickness or as much as necessary.
- Mahasudarshana Churna, the Ayurvedic antibiotic: During illness, take half teaspoon of Mahasudarshana Churna in hot water every 2 to 4 hours. Once the signs have lessened, go on to take the same dose but lower to 2 to 3 times each day. Take constantly till 3 to 7 days after the last signs have stopped to avoid the illness coming again.
Tulsi I Licorice roots I Garlic I Coconut I Ginger I Amla I Guduchi I Mentha piperita I Neem I Bael I Andrographis paniculata I Terminalia chebula
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