With flu season just around the corner, many people may be thinking about what to do to prevent getting sick and how to pass through this time smoothly.
What is Influenza?
Influenza is caused by a viral infection causing symptoms of fever, headache, aching muscles, sore throat, cough, nasal congestion, body aches and pains, chills and/or generalized fatigue. It can also appear similar to a cold from the discharges it produces in the form of fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes and possibly more serious respiratory infections.
Duration
The flu infection generally lasts two to three days.
Treatment
Antibiotics should not be taken for the flu since it is a virus and not a bacterial infection. Homeopathic remedies are an excellent way of getting rid of the symptoms and allowing you to recover quickly without any side effects or contraindications with other medication you may be on.
Depending on the type of symptoms being expressed, the remedies most suited from person to person can vary. This is why it is a good idea to have a few of the most common remedies for flu to match it with the symptoms you are having.
Common Flu Remedies
Oscillococcinum
This is a common remedy that you can find in most health food stores. It is most effective for the first 48 hours of the flu, taken at its first signs. It can also be taken as a preventative by taking one dose per week during flu season up to five doses.
Influenzinum
Many health food stores will have one with this year’s strain of Influenzinum (2015/2016) and this can also be used as preventative. Some people may choose to use it in place of a fluvaccination. It is very effective and does not have the same risks and side effects that a conventional flu vaccine carries.If you have the flu and you just can’t seem to kick it, take Influenzinum.
Rhus-tox
This is indicated for those who have aches and pains that are worsened by initial motion but feel better when the motions are continuous. They can be quite restless, easily chilled and have a sore throat and want to sip small amounts of water at a time. They could have a tickling cough and cold sores. If there is sneezing, it is yellow-green, foul mucus. The infection could have been brought on by getting wet, by the cold and by becoming chilled after overheating.
Eupatorium perfoliatum
This is a great remedy for aches and pains associated with the flu. The patient may have chills in the morning, and it may be in the autumn months when these symptoms appear. There is great restlessness, although the symptoms are not improved by motion. There could be chills preceded by intense thirst for cold drinks or nausea, weakness and soreness, but with little sweat. Symptoms are worse with cold air, the morning and motion.
Dulcamara
These symptoms generally appear in damp and stormy weather where you have warm days and cool nights (possibly in autumn). The symptoms include stiffness of neck and back from the cold, irritability, depression and/or mental confusion, coldness and fever from dampness. There may be yellow mucus, a stuffed up nose, chills up the back and sneezing with a lot of discharge. Symptoms are worse from being chilled, too much heat, sudden changes of temperature and damp weather.
Baptisia
This one is good for sore, heavy and aching muscles with a feeling of being too sick to move. There may be mental confusion and may come on in the fall or after humid heat. Heat and occasional chills are also common symptoms. Things are worse from humid heat, pressure, on waking and walking. They feel better with drinking liquids, open air and motion.
Bryonia
The symptoms appear at a slow onset. There may be heat, sweats and/or pain at the root of the nose. Also, there is a dry mouth with an intense thirst, irritability (wanting to be left alone), a frontal headache, dry lips and a dry cough. The person may not like to be moved and is sore with movement. They may be irritable and if it is a child, they dislike being carried or raised up. Symptoms are worse with motion, being raised up, stopping, coughing, exertion, deep breathing, becoming hot, eating and touch. They are better with pressure, lying on the painful part, cool open air and rest.
Gelsemium
This is a remedy for those who feel weak, chills and have a headache. They are also fatigued and tend to have little to no thirst. These flus tend to happen in the spring. There is muscular weakness, dizziness, drowsiness and trembling. Their body may feel achy, tired, heavy and sore. They may not want anyone near them and not wish to speak. Generally thirstless, they may have diarrhea, nervous chills and/or a painful lump in their throat. Symptoms are worse with emotions, dread, shocks, ordeals, humidity and in the spring. They feel better with discharges.
The dose
The key to taking the remedy is to do it frequently. You can take a pellet of the remedy most suited to your symptoms and put it in a glass of water, taking frequent sips from it. Generally, a dose (one sip or pellet) can be taken every 15 minutes depending on intensity of the symptoms. As the symptoms start to decrease, you would reduce the frequency until the remedy is not needed at all.
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