Top 3 Ways to Beat the Cold and Flu this winter!

What is the flu?

Influenza or “flu” for short is a virus. Viruses contain either RNA or DNA but never both in one viral cell. They work by entering human cells via adsorption and exploiting the functions of the nucleus, in the healthy human cell, to replicate the  nucleic acid and place it inside capsules called nucleocapsids  which are then budded off and released out of the cell to go onto infect more healthy cells in the body; a vicious cycle.

1 Prevention

Washing your hands

I recently just shared a great blog post by Draw Science about washing your hands and how beneficial it is to everyone’s health. By just washing your hand you’re eliminating the risk of transmitting the infection to everyone you meet / shake hands with.

Antibacterial hand gel

When you’re out and about you’re not always going to have water and soap handy so keeping a bottle of antibacterial hand gel is useful to use. For example you should use it just after you get off a train (especially the London underground!) or have met someone who is coming down with the cold.

Flu vaccine

The flu vaccination is recommended to those who are over 60 years of age, children and to those who have health complications or are in an “at risk” group. The vaccination stimulates the body’s immune system to make antibodies to attack the flu virus (and also to store the “memory” or the viral infection so that when the body comes into contact with the virus again the immune response will be much quicker).

2 Prevention at initiation of viral infection

Anti-viral nasal spray

This spray is clinically proven to have antiviral effects on the cold virus and targets the area within the nasal cavity where cold virus first take hold and multiply and stopping the virus from spreading and multiplying. This product has been found to work and stop the cold virus before it extends throughout the body.

3 Treatment after infection

This section includes the normal remedies that everyone is aware off and we all recommend them to each other when we're ill but I thought I shall include it anyway. 

Sleep & rest

It’s usually recommended that, since a cold will take at least 3-5 days before it gets better, you should rest in bed and let it take its course. “Taking it on your legs” will only make you feel worse. Because your body is already under stress from the viral attack it’s recommended that you don’t stress it further by working or exercising to give your body time to fight off the viral infection.

Staying hydrated

Since the body looses a lot of water when you have a cold the best solution is to stay hydrated. Just make sure fluids get into your system through drinking water or making herbal or lemon & honey teas but avoid caffeinated drinks and alcoholic drinks which can dehydrate you.

Painkillers

Paracetamol can massively help in reducing aches and pains and that throbbing sensation in the head when you have a blocked nose.

Decongestants

The types of medicines can be given as tablets or nasal sprays which can clear the nasal passage so you won’t have difficulty breathing.

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References

[1]Activity and Sickness

[2]NHS Flu Vaccine: how it works

[3]Flu Remedies 

[4]virus image  [5]tissues image [6] mint tea image