Influenza and its homeopathic cure
Overview
Influenza, commonly called "the flu," is an illness caused by a virus that infects the respiratory tract – the nose, throat and bronchi and rarely also the lungs. The infection may usually lasts for about a week. Influenza rapidly spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics and imposes a considerable economic burden in the form of hospital and other health care costs and lost productivity.
Cause
Influenza viruses are divided into three types, designated A, B, and C. Influenza types A and B are responsible for epidemics of respiratory illness that occur almost every winter and are often associated with increased rates of hospitalization and death. Type C infection usually causes either a very mild respiratory illness or no symptoms at all; it does not cause epidemics and does not have the severe public health impact that influenza types A and B do
Variants of flu virus are sometimes named according to the species the strain is endemic in or adapted to. The main variants named using this convention are:
Bird flu
Human Flu
Swine Flu
Horse Flu
Dog Flu
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1, commonly known as "Bird flu", is a subtype of the Influenza A virus that is capable of causing illness in many species, including humans. Influenza viruses continually change over time, usually by mutation. This constant changing enables the virus to evade the immune system of its host, so that people are susceptible to influenza virus infection throughout life. This process works as follows: a person infected with influenza virus develops antibody against that virus; as the virus changes, the "older" antibody no longer recognizes the "newer" virus, and infection can occur. The older antibody can, however, provide partial protection against reinfection.
Transmission
The virus is easily passed from person to person through the air by droplets and small particles excreted when infected individuals cough or sneeze. The influenza virus enters the body through the nose or throat. It then takes between one and four days for the person to develop symptoms. Someone suffering from influenza can be infectious from the day before they develop symptoms until seven days afterwards. Disease spreads very quickly among the population especially in crowded circumstances.
Incidence
Tens of millions of people in the United States get the flu each year. The statistics for India is lacking. Influenza reaches peak prevalence in winter. Cold and dry weather enables the virus to survive longer outside the body than in other conditions and, as a consequence, seasonal epidemics in temperate areas appear in winter. People are indoor more often during the winter, and they are in close contact more often, and this promotes transmission from person to person. Another reason is that cold temperatures lead to drier air, which may dehydrate mucus, preventing the body from effectively expelling virus particles. The virus may also linger longer on exposed surfaces (doorknobs, countertops, etc.) in colder temperatures.
Symptoms
Symptoms start 24 to 48 hours after infection and can begin suddenly. Chills or a chilly sensation are often the first indication of influenza. Fever is common during the first few days, and the temperature may rise to 102 to 103° F. Many people feel sufficiently ill to remain in bed for days; they have aches and pains throughout the body, most pronounced in the back and legs. Respiratory symptoms such as,
cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose are common. The patients may feel an extreme fatigue. Although nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea can sometimes accompany influenza infection, especially in children, gastrointestinal symptoms are rarely prominent.
Complications
Most get better within a week or two, but thousands become sick enough to be hospitalized. Anyone at any age can have serious complications from the flu, but those at highest risk include:
People over 50
Children between 6 months and 2 years
Women more than 3 months pregnant during the flu season
Anyone living in a long-term care facility
Anyone with chronic heart, lung, or kidney conditions, diabetes, or weakened immune system
Possible complications, especially for those at high risk, include, pneumonia, encephalitis (infection of the brain), bronchitis, sinus infections, ear infections.
Prevention
To help prevent any contagious disease, eat right, get enough sleep, exercise regularly and wash your hands often. And this applies to flu too. In addition, if you're at high risk, try to avoid crowds when flu season is at its peak. Even though Flu vaccinations are recommended and are compulsory elsewhere in the world, their effectiveness remains a question. Its effectiveness varies based on the length and intensity of each flu season and the health of each person vaccinated. Because the strains used in the vaccine are chosen months before a particular flu season, there's a slight chance the strains may change before the flu season actually starts. All of these factors make the degree to which the vaccine works difficult to measure.
Treatment
Allopathic
Conventional medicine offers little to treat the viral infections such as the common cold and flu. Conventional drugs for the flu sometimes stop the nasal discharge, but this does not cure you. In fact, these drugs often make you worse because they weaken your body’s efforts to get these dead viruses and dead white blood cells OUT of your body. Dr. Randall Neustaedter MD, founder and President of the Holistic Pediatric Association, candidly acknowledges that no conventional drug treatment for the flu presently exists.
Homeopathic
Because homeopathic medicine is a method that strengthens the body’s own immune and defense system, these natural medicines provide an effective way to help the body heal itself. And numerous scientific studies have verified the effectiveness of these natural medicines in treating these common infections. And because these natural medicines are so much safer to use, increasing numbers of people are using these natural remedies.
During the first stage of the Flu if you can take “Oscillococcinum” there is a good chance of aborting the flu attack. The best results with this remedy come when you use this remedy within the first 48 hours of the onset of flu symptoms. Made by the leading homeopathic drug company in France (where 40% of French MDs use homeopathic medicines!), this medicine is France’s most popular remedy for the flu, even more popular than ANY conventional drug for this common ailment.
If the flu symptoms have already come and you are in the second stage of flu then you should decide among the following remedies, depending upon your symptoms.
Arsenicum album If the onset of symptoms is sudden, with profuse discharge from nose and eyes and heavy sneezing, extreme tiredness and if the patient feels better by warm drinks (taken in sips) this medicines will make you alright after 3 –4 doses in the 30th potency.
Gelsemium sempervirens If the onset is slow, with sneezing and a dull sleepy headache, aching in muscles and a general weakness and thirstlessness this drug in the similar potency & dosage will cure. Baptisia tinctoria If the onset is sudden, with high fever and profuse thirst, intense thirst; with sore or bruised feeling in the body; with vomiting or diarrhea.
Eupotorium perfiliatum If there is much bone pain with chilliness, especially in the back; thirst for cold drinks (!) and a bursting headache.
Rhus toxicodendron If the flu is associated with sore throat. Chilliness with much aching in the joints and backache that is better if you move about. Restless and fearful.
Bryonia If the onset of symptoms is slow with high and dry fever. Painful cough, headache and bruised pain throughout the body. Thirst for large quantities of water. And if the patient does not want to move because it makes him worse this medicine in 1000 potency will clear his complaints in a jiffy.
It is very helpful to stock these homeopathic medicines at home. They will be more than handy when a flu epidemic strikes your city.