Early Flu Intervention Tips

At the first hint of a flu this winter intervene immediately with some tried and true, natural immune-boosting techniques. Flu symptoms include chills, cough, fever of 102F or more, headache, muscle aches and pains, pain with inhalation, scratchy and sore throat, and water red eyes. Is it a cold or the flu? One distinction is that it is rare to have a fever, headache, and exhaustion with a cold.

Keep these early flu intervention tips handy this winter:

Tips for Early Treatment

* Vitamin C: 1,500 mg every 2-3 hours.

* Zinc: 30 mg daily or zinc lozenges.

* Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily.

* Humidify your room or inhale steam.

* Rinse your mouth and gargle with warm saltwater.

* Inhale Olbas to relieve a stuffy nose.

* Get extra rest and enough sleep.

Sore Throat Solutions

* Onion and Honey: Slice one whole white or yellow onion and spread the slices on a thin baking dish; cover with honey. Warm in the oven at 150F for 1 hour. Remove the onions and mix 1 tablespoon of the honey in 1 cup of hot water.

* Myrrh and/or Propolis: Mix 1/3 to 1 teaspoon of myrrh or propolis tincture, or combine them, in 1/2 cup of warm water. Gargle twice a day.

* Raspberry leaves and lemon: Steep 1 tablespoon of dry raspberry leaves with a little fresh lemon juice in 2 cups of hot water; mix with 1 teaspoon of honey. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before gargling.

* Warm saltwater: Mix 1/3 teaspoon of table or sea salt into 1 cup of warm water. It should not be too salty but taste about the salinity of tears. Use as a mouth rinse and gargle as needed to control symptoms.

* Zinc Lozenges: Suck on zinc lozenges as need to control symptoms. Don’t exceed 30 mg per day.

Adapted from Beating the Flu, by J.E. Williams, O.M.D. (Hampton Roads, 2006). Copyright (c) 2006 by J.E. Williams. Reprinted by permission of Hampton Roads.
Adapted from Beating the Flu, by J.E. Williams, O.M.D. (Hampton Roads, 2006).

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Michele W.

3:13PM PDT on Aug 29, 2011

Thank you

send a green star

Citlalli V.

6:45AM PDT on Jul 6, 2010

Thank you! I'm definitely going to try these.

Mervi R.

6:07AM PST on Jan 29, 2010

Interesting and useful, thanks!

Randy P.

7:29PM PDT on Apr 25, 2007

I've become a big believer in the benefit of Zinc to fight colds. I tried it out with great skepticism, but have to admit it really does seem to work (particularly if you start taking it as soon as the first symptoms appear).

I prefer the chewable kind as the lozenges tend to make my tongue numb and can be harsh on the stomach)