5 Natural Approaches Which May Help Fight Against The Cold And Flu

Colds and the flu are very common and people all go through it multiple times in a year, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t cause any discomfort. Especially when it progresses, you may have some miserable days where you feel you can’t even do anything and you’re just in constant pain.  

Because of this, you may want to get cured instantly, but this isn’t always the case. It can run for at least a few days to a week. Fortunately, there are now many ways for you to lighten the symptoms, which can either be pharmaceutical drugs or natural means. Lately, the latter option gains widespread favor as many would rather stay away from too much synthetic chemicals and medications, even for illnesses like a cold and flu.

That said, here are five of the best natural ways to help fight against the cold and flu.

 

 

  • Stay Hydrated

 

The most highly recommended natural remedy for colds and flu is to stay hydrated. Apart from just taking in any other beverage, a better option is to opt for water or natural fruit juices.

The importance of hydration has a lot to do with its natural ability to flush out germs and other toxins that are retained in your system. Since water accounts for a majority of your body’s composition, it’s just fitting that you also give importance to hydration.

 

 

  • Get Enough Vitamin C

 

Vitamin C is one of the most essential vitamins that your body needs, which a water-soluble nutrient found in many fruits and vegetables. These include spinach, kale, strawberries, kiwi fruit, and watermelon, among others.  

While there are many Vitamin C supplements you can take, the best ones are through fruits and vegetables that have just been enumerated above. Among all the other benefits that Vitamin C brings, one of the strongest ones is its power to boost your immune system. When battling colds and the flu, boosting your immune system enables your body to fight off the virus or bacteria that cause the cold to arise, helping you heal faster.

Along that line, here are other benefits of having the right amount of Vitamin C in your body:

  • Reduce The Risk Of Chronic Diseases: The body needs antioxidants to fight off toxins and free radicals that are developing. When you let these free radicals accumulate in your body, you’re putting your body in a state of oxidative stress, which is what makes you sick.
  • May Help Manage Blood Pressure: If you’re one of those who suffer from high blood pressure, you should maintain Vitamin C since it may help manage your blood pressure. This is because Vitamin C helps relax the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart, reducing blood pressure levels.

It would also help if you go to clinics, like Rose Wellness, that specialize in integrative medicines, including functional medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, detoxification, and nutritional therapy.

If you can’t take in enough fruits and vegetables daily, such as when you don’t always have the time to cook, vitamin supplements can also help boost your immunity. You can get it from online stores, like VitaLiving. Just be sure that you’ll also take the advice of a medical professional so you can take the right dose.

 

 

  • Give Your Body Time To Heal On Its Own

 

Not every onset of colds and the flu needs medication. You also have to give your body the time to heal. The human body is made to innately heal on its own. Hence, it’s important for you to distinguish when you need and don’t need medication.

The danger of taking too many medications right away is that your body will become dependent on medicines to the point that it’ll no longer learn how to heal on its own.  

One way for you to tell that your immune system is healthy is through its ability to fight off infection. Here’s how your body is able to do this:

  • A fever tries to kill a virus in your body by creating an environment that’s hotter than usual. This warm environment enables your body to create germ-killing proteins that can circulate more quickly and effectively in the body.
  • Coughing is also a good sign as it clears your breathing passages mucus that may carry germs to your lungs and your entire body. Moreover, your secretions can help carry germs away from your body. It’s because of this that it’s highly recommended for you to blow your nose often, especially if you have a stuffy nose, so you can secret mucus that carries the virus and bacteria.

 

 

  • Sleep And Rest Well

 

During the colds and flu season, it’s important for you to catch up on your sleep. This is important since the body can only do so much as it isn’t a machine. After going through so many days of stress and lack of sleep, your body will undoubtedly succumb to its limit.

Hence, once you start feeling some of the early symptoms of a cold or the flu, it’s important to give yourself a break. Take a nap and get the seven to eight hours of sleep that’s generally required. When you wake up, you’ll find that your body feels so much better than it may have been.

 

 

  • Gargle With Salt And Water

 

Salt is a natural anti-bacterial agent. When you have colds and flu, you’ll also most likely have a sore throat as one of the very first symptoms.

The key recipe is to have a teaspoon of salt that’s mixed with eight ounces of warm water at least four times a day. You can even add a bit of honey or apple cider vinegar as these are also natural antibacterial agents. This can help kill whatever bacteria or virus you have, bringing your health to a better state.  

This method goes to show that you can, indeed, treat a cold or flu at home.

 

Conclusion

If you feel like you’re coming down with the cold or flu, the tips above can put you on a good start towards helping yourself heal physically better.  

Now that there’s so much clamor to stay away from the flu as much as possible, even if you aren’t sick with it now, having these tips can be very beneficial to keep your body in a healthier state.  

 

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Written by HealthStatus
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

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