The flu is particularly widespread in the cold season. The typical symptoms of such flu are cough, runny nose and hoarseness as well as fatigue and, not infrequently, a high temperature or fever. For these and other signs of the flu, home remedies and alternative remedies can help relieve the symptoms.
What helps against the flu?
It is not uncommon for body temperature to rise during the flu. This is how the body helps itself. Therefore, when the temperature and fever are high, a lot of rest and drinking is often enough.
If the fever rises too much or if it lasts for a long time, it can make sense to lower the temperature. Wraps have proven themselves as home remedies, such as vinegar wraps, which are made from a mixture of cold water and fruit vinegar. A cloth soaked in the cold-wet mixture is wrapped around the calves. The coldness of the vinegar wraps makes it possible to dissipate the heat from the body so that the body temperature can slowly drop again.
Cold washes can also help reduce the fever caused by the flu. The body is simply washed off with a damp cloth that has been soaked in cold water. Aching limbs is another typical symptom of the flu, which often occurs with a fever. A cold bath with the addition of essential oils, for example with eucalyptus or menthol, can help relieve painful limbs and stimulate blood circulation. The essential oils also have a positive effect on the bronchi and a cold nose, because they can loosen the secretions and make coughing up and sneezing easier.
To cleanse the nose, a nasal rinse with salt water can also help, and herbal and onion teas are said to have beneficial effects on coughs. However, it doesn't always have to be tea, because the antibacterial effect of the onion can also be achieved with a mixture of finely chopped onions, brown sugar and honey. This mixture should help against dry coughs and be able to loosen the mucus.
Quick help
Particularly quick help against the signs of flu promises first of all to take in plenty of fluids, because this prevents the mucous membranes from drying out so quickly. Warm drinks such as herbal teas work best in this context.
The classic chicken soup is also one of the home remedies that should provide quick relief. However, it should be a homemade chicken soup with fresh ingredients. Because it contains a particularly large number of valuable ingredients that have an antibacterial effect. Pain in the limbs and upper respiratory tract infections are said to be relieved by enjoying chicken soup.
A ready-made soup can only help if it is significantly weakened. At the same time, the warmth of the soup helps the body to heal itself. Even a cold bath with soothing essential oils can provide relief from the first signs of a cold and help relieve the body. If your nose is runny and a headache occurs, a warming foot bath can quickly have a positive effect on these symptoms.
Alternative remedies
In addition to home remedies, alternative remedies can help against the symptoms of flu. For coughs, for example, tablets containing the natural active ingredient echinacea can be taken. But solutions with chamomile or preparations with eupatorium and thuja can also help against coughs.
If, on the other hand, a sore throat occurs, then herbal remedies based on gentian, sage or arnica can have beneficial effects. Teas with elderberry or linden blossom have also proven themselves to reduce fever. At the same time, gargle solutions that have been mixed with essential oils can help with flu.
A few drops of tea tree or lemon oil and tyhmian oil can be gargled mixed with warm water. The effect of lemon or eucalypthus oil, on the other hand, comes into its own particularly well with a head bath. To do this, a few drops of the selected oil are placed in hot water. The fumes are best inhaled when a towel is pulled over your head. Ten minutes of alternating breathing through the nose and mouth is sufficient.
