How to protect yourself from a flu patient. Just no colds! how to protect yourself and loved ones from colds and flu

With the onset of autumn and a sharp cold snap, the number of patients with colds instantly increases. A common cold in everyday life is used to call all acute respiratory diseases. To protect yourself from these diseases, doctors advise you to follow a number of simple recommendations. Healthinfo.ua writes about this.

Colds - illness and colds - hypothermia

A cold can be a consequence of hypothermia, which can lead to the development of the disease: conditions are created under which pathogenic bacteria in the body begin to multiply intensively and provoke the development of acute respiratory infections (ARI). As a result of hypothermia of the body, a disease occurs caused by a malfunction of the mucous membranes in the respiratory tract, and local immunity decreases.

Rosehip decoction strengthens the immune system and saves from colds

Rosehip decoction not only strengthens the immune system and saves from colds, but also gives strength during a hard day. The main condition is that it must be properly prepared.

In no case should the rosehip broth be boiled, since most vitamins, especially vitamin C, which is responsible for strengthening the immune system, are quickly destroyed. When properly prepared, warm tea will replace vitamins, immune stimulants and lemons during a cold.

"Rosehip is important to brew correctly so as not to destroy everything useful vitamins and trace elements that it contains. Before making tea, grind the berries along with the seeds. Three tablespoons of berries should be poured with boiling water in a thermos and left overnight. By morning, the vitamin decoction will be ready. And if you add a few tablespoons of honey to the broth (not hot!) - you will get just a shock dose of vitamins, which will become a powerful shield against infection. This tea can be drunk daily during the cold season, side effects it does not, unless, of course, you consume it in liters," says Lyudmila Babich.

At the same time, it is very important that the drink is infused for at least 12 hours, otherwise most of the vitamins simply will not have time to get into the water.

People, attention!!!
Remember the most important thing: the tactics of your actions are completely independent of the name of the virus. Seasonal flu, swine flu, elephant flu, pandemic flu, not flu at all - it doesn't matter. The only important thing is that it is a virus, that it is transmitted by airborne droplets and that it infects.

There are more than two hundred viruses of different types - rhinoviruses, enteroviruses, adenoviruses, coronaviruses, influenza and parainfluenza viruses, and others. The most common culprits of the common cold are rhinoviruses, which cause illness in 25-50% of cases. Rhinoviruses are relatively environmentally friendly and therefore prefer to live in the nasopharynx rather than deep inside the body, which is why the main symptoms of a cold appear there. The frequency of "colds" depends on age: on average, adults catch a cold 2-3 times a year, children - up to 5-6 times, and the elderly - 1 time per year; There are also those who practically do not get sick. Usually the disease lasts 7-10 days, with its standard development, the symptoms worsen for the first 3-4 days, they remain stable for 1-2 days, and disappear in the remaining 3-4 days.

Infection with the virus that causes SARS occurs by airborne droplets (inhalation of microscopic pieces of mucus from a coughing or sneezing person) or due to self-infection (touching the mucous membrane, mouth or nose) after contact with sick people or objects used by them. Viruses can live on surfaces for several days (they survive longer on smooth, non-porous materials) and retain the ability to cause infection for 24 hours, so you can "catch a cold" in public transport, or through common items in an office, store, or school. The virus cannot enter the body through the skin, so it takes several hours for it to get, for example, from hands to nose - unless we ourselves help it by delivering it to the mucous membranes.

This is the mechanics of infection. When the virus enters the nasal passage from fingers or inhaled air, it is transferred to the back of the nasopharynx. There, it attaches to local receptors with the help of a protein and penetrates through the membrane into the cell, where it “unpacks” its RNA – this is how the virus divides and infects the body. This process takes 8-12 hours, and from the moment the virus enters the nasopharynx to the onset of cold symptoms, it can take from 12 hours to 1-2 days.

PREVENTION OF INFLUENZA AND SARS

If you (your child) are exposed to the virus and you do not have protective antibodies in your blood, you will get sick. Antibodies will appear in one of two cases: either you get sick or you get vaccinated. By getting vaccinated, you protect yourself not from viruses in general, but only from the seasonal flu virus.

Conclusion: how to protect yourself from influenza and SARS? Answer: get vaccinated!

• Get vaccinated

If you have the financial opportunity to be vaccinated (to vaccinate a child) - take root , but on the condition that for vaccination it will not be necessary to sit in a snotty crowd in the clinic. Available vaccines protect against all topical current year influenza virus variants.

• Do not flatter yourself with "folk remedies"

There are no drugs and "folk remedies" with proven preventive efficacy. Those. no onion, no garlic, no vodka, and no pills you swallow or put into a child can protect against any respiratory virus in general, nor against the flu virus in particular. Everything that you kill yourself for in pharmacies, all these supposedly antiviral drugs, supposedly interferon-forming stimulants, immunity stimulants and terribly useful vitamins - all these are medicines with unproven effectiveness, medicines that satisfy the main mental need of a person "need to do something."
The main benefit of all these drugs is. You believe, it helps you - I'm happy for you, just don't spend money on it - it's not worth it.

• The source of the virus is a human and only man.

The fewer people, the less chance of getting sick. Walk a stop on foot, do not go to the supermarket once again - wisely!

• The mask will not protect the healthy.

A useful thing, but not a panacea. It is advisable to see it on the sick, if there are healthy people nearby, it will not delay the virus, but it will stop the droplets of saliva, which are especially rich in the virus. A healthy person does not need a mask.

• Wash your hands!

The patient's hands are a source of the virus no less significant than the mouth and nose. The patient touches his face, the virus gets on his hands, the patient grabs everything around, you touch it all with your hand - hello SARS.
Don't touch your face. Wash your hands, often, a lot, always carry wet disinfectant sanitary napkins with you, wash, rub, do not be lazy!
Learn for yourself and teach your children, if you don’t have a handkerchief, to cough and sneeze not into your palm, but into your elbow.
Chiefs! By an official order, introduce a ban on handshakes in your subordinate teams.
Use credit cards. Paper money is the source of the spread of viruses .

Viral particles remain active for hours in dry, warm and still air, but are destroyed almost instantly in cool, humid and moving air.
You can play as much as you like. It is almost impossible to pick up a virus while walking. Therefore, if you have already gone out for a walk, then there is no need for ostentatious walking in a mask through the streets. Better get some fresh air. The optimal parameters of the air in the room are a temperature of about 20 ° C, humidity 50–70%.

Be sure to frequent and intensive cross-ventilation of the premises . Any heating system dries the air. Wash the floor. Turn on humidifiers. Urgently demand humidification of the air and ventilation of rooms in children's groups. It is better to dress warmly, but do not turn on additional heaters.

• Moisturize your mucous membranes!

Mucus is constantly formed in the upper respiratory tract. Mucus ensures the functioning of the so-called. local immunity - protection of mucous membranes. If the mucus and mucous membranes dry up, the work of local immunity is disrupted, viruses, respectively, easily overcome the protective barrier of weakened local immunity, and a person becomes ill upon contact with the virus with a much greater degree of probability. The main enemy of local immunity is dry air, as well as drugs that can dry out the mucous membranes. Since you do not know what these drugs are (and these are some anti-allergic and almost all the so-called "combined cold remedies"), it is better not to experiment in principle.

Moisturizing mucous membranes is very simple: 1 teaspoon of regular table salt per liter boiled water. Pour into any spray bottle (for example, from under vasoconstrictor drops) and regularly spray into the nose (the drier, the more people around - the more often, at least every 10 minutes). For the same purpose, you can buy a saline solution at a pharmacy or ready-made saline solutions for injection into the nasal passages: Salin, Aqua Maris, Humer, Marimer, Nosol, etc. The main thing - do not regret! Drip, puff, especially when you go from home (from a dry room) to where there are a lot of people, especially if you are sitting in the corridor of the clinic. Rinse your mouth regularly with the aforementioned saline solution.

TREATMENT OF FLU AND SARS

In fact, the only drug that can destroy the influenza virus is oseltamivir, the commercial name is Tamiflu. Theoretically, there is another drug (zanamivir), but it is used only by inhalation, and there is little chance of seeing it in our country. "Tamiflu" really destroys the virus by blocking the protein neuraminidase (the same N in the name H1N1). "Tamiflu" is not eaten all in a row with any sneeze. It is not cheap, and there are many side effects, and it does not make sense. "Tamiflu" is used when the disease is severe (doctors know the signs of severe ARVI) or when a person at risk even falls easily - asthmatics, diabetics (doctors also know who are at risk). Bottom line: if Tamiflu is shown, then at least a doctor's supervision is shown and, as a rule, hospitalization is needed.

The effectiveness of other antiviral agents in ARVI and influenza is highly doubtful (this is the most diplomatic definition available).
How to protect yourself from influenza and SARS and how to treat influenza and SARS? Treatment of SARS in general and influenza in particular is not swallowing pills! This is the creation of such conditions that the body can easily cope with the virus.

TREATMENT RULES

If you (your child) are already sick, it's too late to think about how to protect yourself from the flu and SARS. But it's time to do the right thing:

1. Dress warmly, but the room is cool and damp. Temperature 18–20 °C (16 is better than 22), humidity 50–70% (80 is better than 30). Wash floors, moisten, ventilate.
2. Categorically If asks (if you want) - light, carbohydrate, liquid.
3. (to drink). Drink (to drink). Drink (drink)!!!
   The temperature of the liquid is equal to the temperature of the body. Drink a lot. Compotes, fruit drinks, tea (finely chop an apple into tea), decoctions of raisins, dried apricots. If a child sorts out - it will be, but this is not - let him drink anything, as long as he drinks. Ideal for drinking - ready-made solutions for oral rehydration. They are sold in pharmacies and should be there: Regidron, Humana Electrolyte, Gastrolit, Normohydron, etc. Buy, breed according to the instructions, drink.
4. In the nose often drip-pshikate saline solutions.
5. All “distracting procedures” (jars, mustard plasters, smearing the fat of unfortunate animals on the body - goats, badgers, etc.) are classic soviet sadism and, again, psychotherapy (“you have to do something”). Soaring children's legs (topping up boiling water in a basin), doing steam inhalations over a kettle or saucepan, rubbing children with alcohol-containing liquids is insane parental banditry.
6. If you decide to deal with a high temperature - only paracetamol or ibuprofen. Absolutely no aspirin!
   The main trouble is that it is warm to dress, moisturize, ventilate, not to shove food and drink - this is called “do not treat” in our language, and “treat” is to send dad to the pharmacy ...
7. . The defeat of the lower respiratory tract (bronchitis, pneumonia) has nothing to do with self-treatment at all. Medicines that depress cough (the instructions say “antitussive action”) - it’s impossible categorically !!!
8. Antiallergic drugs have nothing to do with the treatment of SARS.
9. Viral infections are not treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics do not reduce, but increase the risk of complications.
10. All topical and oral interferons are medicines with unproven efficacy or "drugs" with proven ineffectiveness. The same applies to homeopathy.

ALWAYS!!!
But this is unrealistic. Therefore, we list the situations when a DOCTOR IS MANDATORY NEEDED:
lack of improvement on the fourth day of illness;
elevated body temperature on the seventh day of illness;
deterioration after improvement;
severe severity of the condition with moderate symptoms of SARS;
the appearance in isolation or in combination: pallor of the skin; thirst, shortness of breath, intense pain, purulent discharge;
increased cough, decreased productivity; a deep breath leads to a fit of coughing;
with an increase in body temperature, paracetamol and ibuprofen do not help, practically do not help or help for a very short time.

A DOCTOR IS NECESSARY AND URGENT if observed:

Loss of consciousness;
convulsions;
signs of respiratory failure (difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, feeling short of breath);
intense pain anywhere;
even moderate sore throat in the absence of a runny nose (sore throat + dry nose is often a symptom of a sore throat that requires a doctor and an antibiotic);
even moderate headache in combination with vomiting;
swelling of the neck;
a rash that does not disappear when pressed on it;
body temperature above 39 ° C, which does not begin to decrease 30 minutes after the use of antipyretics;
any increase in body temperature associated with chills and pallor of the skin.

Influenza is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus. different types Viruses cause symptoms of varying severity.

Types of viruses flu:
serotype A,
serotype b,
serotype C.

In addition, different subtypes of the influenza virus appear, which arise as a result of its constant mutation. A person who has been ill with one subtype of the influenza virus will not have immunity to a new, mutated subtype.

pathogen virus transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person by airborne droplets. Droplets of the patient's saliva, with which the virus is transmitted, can spread at a distance of up to 5 meters from the sick person. The influenza virus can survive for 3-4 days on a cloth surface, as well as on furniture covered with oil paint. On glass, the influenza virus survives up to 10-11 days. To prevent the spread of the disease, it is necessary to process objects that surround the patient, because. they can transmit infection.

Symptoms of the disease may not appear from 2 to 48 hours after the virus enters the body. This period is called the incubation period.

Usually the disease begins acutely:
fever with fever up to 40ºС,
weakness and muscle pain, aches,
sweating,
Strong headache,
eye muscle pain, tearing,
cough (usually dry)
perspiration and hoarseness of voice,
runny nose (may appear later).

The patient needs to call a doctor who will prescribe treatment.
The flu is dangerous complications. The disease can be aggravated by complications even with a mild course:
bronchitis or pneumonia
sinusitis,
otitis,
myocarditis, etc.

Many doctors recommend the use of vaccines to prevent influenza. However, here it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the patient's body. Some experts do not see the point in vaccinating against influenza due to the constant mutation of the causative virus. Getting vaccinated against the flu is recommended before an influenza outbreak. During the period of increasing incidence, vaccination is useless.
Medical prophylaxis of influenza must be carried out correctly. Experts note that after the uncontrolled use of antiviral drugs for the purpose of prevention, immunity decreases.

Doctors recommend taking:
multivitamins,
rich in vitamins (infusions of rosehips, rosehip syrup),
herbal preparations with immunomodulatory properties (preparations of echinacea, eleutherococcus, leuzea, magnolia vine).

It is recommended to use foods rich in phytoncides- onions, garlic, as well as vitamins - vegetables and fruits.
Necessary flush nasal passages and eyes sea ​​salt solution (ready-made sprays with sea water can be purchased at a pharmacy).
Need to keep an eye on microclimate at home and at work: maintain the necessary cleanliness, humidity, avoid hypothermia and especially overheating. To maintain optimal humidity, use humidifiers or hang wet towels.
useful to use ultraviolet light devices in order to neutralize the pathogenic flora in the apartment.
Also for this, it has proven itself well, having an antiseptic effect (, etc.)

During an increase in the incidence of influenza:

Avoid crowds;
more and more to be in the fresh air;
avoid hypothermia;
avoid stressful situations;
when coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a paper tissue (after that, it is better to throw away the tissue);
wash hands thoroughly and often with soap, especially after coughing and sneezing;
protect eyes, nose and mouth from contact with dirty hands;
if there is a sick person with flu symptoms nearby, try to avoid contact with him.
in case of infection, do not drown out the symptoms with drugs to avoid sick leave (take care of others, you are the source of infection).

If there is a flu patient in the family, you need to:

Try to isolate him from the rest of the family;
provide him with separate hygiene items, dishes, towels;
regularly ventilate the room, carry out wet cleaning;
caring for a sick person is recommended to wear a mask.

It is no secret that during an influenza epidemic, the virus infection occurs mainly in public transport. During rush hour, both healthy people who are in a hurry to work and the sick stand almost close to each other. Surely someone will start blowing your nose next to you, or even sneezing and coughing for the whole salon. No wonder if after a few days you feel like the flu has gotten to you.

How not to get the flu?

Some believe that it is almost impossible to protect yourself from infection. But it is not so. Here are some helpful tips on how to reduce the risk of infection on public transport and other crowded places.

1. Leaving the house, lubricate the inside of the nose with oxolin ointment or ointment with viferon, special cold balms or just boron vaseline. Infection most often occurs through the nasal mucosa, on which airborne viruses settle. Covered with "lubrication", the nasal mucosa becomes almost immune to viruses, they die, not having time to penetrate further through the respiratory tract.
2. Try to avoid places where there is a lot of dust - most viruses settle in it.
3. Carry a handkerchief dipped in lavender, mugwort, or fir scented oil with you and hold it to your nose periodically, especially if someone nearby is sneezing or coughing. Substances contained in these oils kill microbes.
4. While traveling in transport, keep a piece of calamus root, cloves, just a peel of an orange or lemon in your mouth - this will also help destroy viral particles that have “flyed” into the nasopharynx.
5. Try not to touch your nose, lips, eyes while traveling in public transport. Arriving home, immediately wash your hands thoroughly with soap and rinse your mouth with tincture of calendula, propolis or chlorophyllipt. The microbes that cause colds often get on the mucous membrane of the nose, eyes or mouth from hands that have previously touched handrails, handles, doors, on which the smallest drops of saliva or sputum of a sick person have fallen.
6. At work, try not to talk for a long time with people who have a cold (among our compatriots there is a category of “hard workers” who, demonstrating their diligence, come to work completely sick and infect everyone else). Do not be afraid to offend a person and do not risk your health, it is better to explain to him in a friendly or joking manner that he or she would be better treated at home.
7. In the evening, eat a clove of garlic or a salad with fresh onions. This will help you strengthen your immune system and deal with germs that have nevertheless entered your body.

What means should be used to prevent influenza?

As you can see, all these tips are quite simple. Of course, their observance will require some attention and foresight, but still getting sick with the flu is much more unpleasant than leaving home and making sure that your purse or briefcase contains the necessary things to comply with “safety precautions”. In order not to forget to lubricate the nose, you can, for example, put a tube of balm or oxolin ointment in a prominent place in the hallway. By the way, it is useful to lubricate the nose and children going to school or kindergarten.

What medications will help with the flu?

If there is every reason to believe that you still picked up an infection, then when you come home, take precautions - drink an aspirin tablet and 2 tablets of rimantadine (carefully read the contraindications or consult your doctor!). Also a good means of preventing and treating influenza is interferon in the form of nasal drops. Before going to bed, prepare yourself warm milk with honey or just eat a spoon natural honey without drinking anything. Most often, this helps to wake up healthy the next morning and not think about colds and flu, and if you happen to get sick, transfer the infection as easily as possible.

Annual influenza epidemics, colds, from which many suffer with the onset of a cold period, can be prevented or slightly alleviated. Preventive measures are to strengthen the body and carry out preventive measures.

Instruction

1. Get vaccinated against influenza- This is the main preventive measure that will help protect yourself in the midst of an epidemic. It does not completely protect against the disease, but in case of infection with influenza in a vaccinated person, it proceeds much easier and without complications. Vaccination should be done before the onset of the epidemic and against the background of full health.
2. Be more outdoors - walks in the cold strengthen blood vessels, strengthen immune defenses. It is most useful to walk in the forest and the park area, and exercise in the fresh air enriches the body with oxygen and brings double benefits.
3. Set the optimal mode of sleep and wakefulness - sleep at least 8 hours a day, go to bed no later than 22 hours, try to do everything during daylight hours and leave yourself time to relax in the evenings. Try to avoid stress that undermines the immune system, and do not overwork.
4. The degree of body resistance depends on good nutrition - eat fresh fruits and vegetables, drink juices, bran bread, sour-milk products. Try to avoid stagnation in the intestines, clean it regularly and monitor the balance of microflora. Drink tea with lemon, raspberry jam, viburnum - vitamin C contained in such drinks stimulates the immune system.
5. Reception of multivitamin complexes in winter and early spring is mandatory in terms of maintaining the body in good shape. Choose a balanced composition that meets your needs depending on lifestyle, activity, age, etc.
6. Use folk methods prevention - eat onions and garlic, add them fresh to first courses, salads, etc.
7. Monitor the condition of the nasal mucosa - in dry conditions, pathogens multiply rapidly. Humidify the air, drink more fluids, after visiting crowded places, irrigate the nasal mucosa with saline. Lubricate the nasal passages with antiviral ointments before leaving the house. Wash your hands often.
8. If possible, try to avoid crowded places during an epidemic. Wear a thick gauze bandage if visiting such places is unavoidable.

How to protect yourself from the autumn cold and not get sick

The transition period from winter to summer is a well-deserved record for the number of people who get sick with a cold or flu. At this time, there is a peak of ARVI, acute respiratory infections, influenza and tonsillitis. To avoid this, you should learn how not to get sick in the fall. There is nothing difficult in this: you need to take precautions, strengthen your immunity, dress according to the weather. In most cases, a cold occurs due to the negligence of the person himself.

How to reduce the risk of colds in the fall

There are many important factors. Will help:

1. Nutrition. Scientists have proven that there is a relationship between what we eat and the risk of starting to get sick with a cold. For example, sweets attract microbes due to the high content of sucrose, which is a breeding ground for many microorganisms. Food with a high protein content has a protective effect: fish, cottage cheese, chicken. They do not like cold infections food high in iron (buckwheat, meat, pomegranate).
2. Feet are warm. More often, a cold occurs due to hypothermia that occurs in the legs. This condition is optimal for the development of a cold, so it is important to dress according to the weather so that the legs, head and hands are well insulated.
3. Wash your hands more often. They are constantly in contact with other objects on which the infection is located, which increases the risk of getting sick. During the dangerous period of the rise of colds, it is important to wash your hands regularly after a walk.
4. Rinse your nose and eyes. In order not to turn white with a cold, you should clear the path of infection into the body. It usually occurs through the respiratory organs (nose and mouth) or through the mucous membranes (eyes). For washing, it is better to use sea water, isotonic salt solution. The procedure should be carried out 2-6 times a day.
5. Ventilate rooms. Fresh air tempers the human body, strengthens the immune system. Doctors advise to go out regularly, but do not forget to dress for the weather.
6. Cold and hot shower. A method of hardening and strengthening the immune system, which is recommended to protect against colds regularly, and not just in the fall.
7. Do sport. This is a way to strengthen the immune system, protect against colds. It helps to get rid of toxins and toxins, improve all metabolic processes in the body. It has been proven that those who play sports are much less likely to get colds.

How not to get infected from a patient

The danger of most colds in the autumn is that the infection can be transmitted from person to person. If you do not know how not to get sick in the fall, strengthen your immune system, it is better to take measures to protect yourself from infection when communicating with other people. This problem is especially relevant for women who have recently become mothers: infant does not yet have strong immunity. Also at risk of getting a cold are older children who attend school and communicate with a huge number of other people.

During pregnancy and lactation

Mom and newborn are a single whole not only on a spiritual level, but also in the matter of immunity. It is known that the baby receives protection from colds at first along with milk. The health and immunity of the baby is affected by the health of the mother, which should be worked on. During pregnancy and after childbirth, the following actions should be taken to protect against infection:

1. Vaccination. All girls, regardless of trimester, are encouraged to get regular vaccinations against common strains before epidemics of colds and flu. This should not be done if the pregnancy is less than 2 weeks. Modern vaccines do not harm the fetus or mother. You can also give injections while breastfeeding.
2. General strengthening of the body. Mom's strong immunity is the best advice on how not to get a cold in the fall. To do this, you need to strengthen the defenses, stimulate the body's natural mechanisms to fight infections during pregnancy.
3. Prevention. It is necessary to exclude or minimize communication with sick people, do not use common objects with them, even if it is a husband. Do not visit public places during the epidemic of colds. If you are going to go out somewhere, you should wear a mask (to be replaced every 2 hours). You can lubricate the nasal mucosa with Oxolinic ointment.
4. Be sure to cover your face when interacting with your child, and keep tissues handy to use if you sneeze or cough.
5. You should breastfeed even if you have a cold and a high fever. Antibodies are passed along with milk to the baby, which fight infection.
6. Keep your distance if you are already sick. Do not lean too close to the child, do not kiss him on the lips, even on the forehead.
7. To reduce fever, as a rule, paracetamol is prescribed 4 times a day every 6 hours. It can be taken even by infants with colds. In the absence of temperature, you can steam your legs for the night, put on warm clothes and crawl under the covers.

To a small child

Recommendations on how not to get a cold in the fall for a schoolboy are no different from general rules. The immunity of older children and adolescents no longer depends on the mother, therefore, it needs the same precautions as for an adult. Dr. Komarovsky, a well-known pediatrician, makes the following recommendations:

1. Warm clothing for the weather.
2. Food high in vitamins and protein. Less sweet.
3. Wash your hands often and ventilate the room, drink plenty of fluids.
4. Avoid contact with sick people.
5. If necessary, go to public places, wear a mask, lubricate the nose with Oxolinic ointment. After returning home, gargle.
6. General wellness procedures, regular sports.

What to do if you feel like you are getting sick

It is necessary to start treatment for the disease at the first sign of a cold, it is impossible to delay it so as not to aggravate the condition. Symptoms of the disease will manifest as fever, stuffy nose (runny nose), sore throat, possibly in the ear. The person will feel lethargic and tired. Most medicines are designed to simply relieve the symptoms of a cold, but they do not always cure the ailment itself. In the worst case, the infection will spread, cause complications, and antibiotics will have to be taken.

Our body must cope with colds on its own, so it is important for a person not to do all the work for him, but to maintain immunity. To protect yourself from developing the flu or a cold, you need to quickly take protective measures:

1. Increase the amount of liquid consumed per day.
2. Eat natural remedies for colds: honey, garlic, onions. They are excellent antiviral, natural remedies for colds.
3. on drink vitamin complex.

Methods for preventing influenza and SARS at home

The best advice on how not to get sick in a rainy autumn is prevention. It is wiser not to catch a cold at all than to treat the consequences. In addition to the methods listed above, there is much more that can be done to protect against the flu and colds. For more information on preventive actions:

• Get vaccinated. This is not a cure for the flu, but introducing a small dose of the virus into the body will cause our body to develop antibodies to it and effectively resist. Injections are performed according to the rules:

1. Vaccination is done once a year. After 12 months, the vaccine no longer works.
2. Begin to vaccinate at the age of 6 months and up to 65 years. After 65, as a rule, an injection of pneumococcal vaccine is given.
3. The injection site may ache a little - this is normal.
4. The vaccine may be distributed in the form of a spray. Its effectiveness is lower than that of vaccination.
5. There is no vaccine for the common cold. The best way to protect yourself from the disease is to follow the rules of hygiene, strengthen the immune system, and drink a vitamin and mineral complex.

• Many people believe that alternative medicines help treat the flu or colds. As a rule, they take echinacea, vitamin C, zinc, but there is no scientific evidence of their effectiveness at the moment. At the same time, patients note the following effects of these drugs for colds:

1. echinacea, when the first symptoms of a cold appear, reduces the severity of the common cold, its duration;
2. zinc is able to reduce the symptoms of a cold only on the 1st day of their appearance.

• Consume chicken broth. It's popular folk remedy from colds really has a positive effect on the body. If you start eating it at the first symptoms of the flu, it can help fight the infection or reduce its symptoms. The broth acts as an anti-inflammatory tonic, unloads the body and the gastrointestinal tract.
• Get more rest. To strengthen the immune system or fight a cold, the body needs to get proper rest. Avoid going to school or work. You need to allocate at least 8 hours a day for sleep. Sleep in a place convenient for you, ventilate the room regularly.

Every year during the cold season, the number of people with colds and flu increases sharply. It is easy to catch some kind of viral infection in a big city, among a large crowd of people. It has even come to be taken as a self-evident and tolerable evil, and many who become infected lightly carry their disease on their feet, infecting dozens and hundreds of other people along the way. It is especially difficult to protect yourself from the flu for pregnant women, whose body works for two and is therefore more defenseless against viral attacks.

Instruction

1. One of the main sources of influenza infection is public transport - buses and subways. Any crowded places are potentially dangerous. Therefore, if you have such an opportunity, use your own car. And if there is no car, but the distance to your work is measured by only a few stops not too far apart, try walking. Walking in the fresh air will serve as one of the means of improving health.
2. If you can't avoid public transport or crowds, wash your hands, wipe your face, and clear your nostrils after traveling or interacting with people. In all open places of your body, droplets and dust particles with some kind of viral particles can remain.
3. In the event that you have to constantly use the subway and other modes of transport, it makes sense to get vaccinated against the flu. But keep in mind that vaccination at the beginning pregnancy Not recommended. It can be carried out only after the 14th week. Protection against the virus then appears after another two to four weeks. Therefore, take care of the vaccination not during an epidemic, but in advance and only after consulting a doctor who can advise which vaccine is best to use.
4. You can prevent infection with certain types of viral infections by using oxolinic ointment and preparations with interferon. If you are advised to use any other chemicals, do not rush to follow such advice before consulting with your doctor. They can be dangerous for you and the unborn child.
5. You can strengthen your immunity by using vitamin complexes for pregnant women, as well as natural "antiviruses" - fresh vegetables, fruits and juices. Ask your doctor to advise you on drugs that increase immunity against viral diseases. But we should also not forget about such widely known effective remedies as lemons, onions and garlic. They should always be in your diet.
6. To some extent, a disposable mask or gauze bandage can help protect against infection. But it must be truly disposable: after using it when exiting the subway or bus, throw it in the trash, otherwise it will itself become a source of infection.
7. If you have sick people at work or at home, try to isolate yourself from them as much as possible. Use only your own dishes, separate towels and soap, wipe door handles, switches, etc. The room should be clean, dirty things and, especially, handkerchiefs, should be washed as quickly as possible.
8. In order not to catch a cold or get sick, dress according to the weather. You should not go out during frosts in thin tights and without a hat. But also one should not wrap up excessively, allowing the body to overheat and sweat profusely.
9. If an influenza epidemic has begun, and you have the opportunity to change the situation for a while, do it - go to the village to relatives or to the country.

With the onset of the cold season, the question of how to protect your child from the flu becomes relevant. Of course, no one wants to get sick, but adults are still less susceptible to virus attacks than small children, whose immunity is still very weak, as it is not fully formed.

How to protect children from flu and colds?

The most effective remedy that can protect a baby from influenza by 70-90% is vaccination. Unfortunately, if a child is vaccinated with a vaccine of one strain, and then an epidemic of another suddenly begins, which was not expected, then protection from such vaccination will be zero. So you have to protect yourself from the disease in other ways.

Such a remedy as Oksolin ointment is quite popular. Going out into the street, it lubricates the nasal passages of the child, thereby blocking access to the mucosa, through which microbes penetrate.

Do not forget about such a simple procedure as regular hand washing with soap and water. When you get home, you can also rinse your child's nose and drip saline into it. Older children can be given an antiseptic gel with them, which can be used to clean their hands several times a day.

How to protect a one-year-old child from the flu virus?

A well-known Kharkov pediatrician, who is listened to and trusted by thousands of young mothers, Yevgeny Komarovsky, knows effective ways to protect a child from the flu. These are banal and familiar methods that are often undeservedly ignored:

1. Vaccination or vaccination- the answer to the question of how to protect a child from the flu, without it, all methods will be only additional actions. But a well-known doctor does not recommend vaccinating children who are not yet attending kindergarten due to a weak immune system and a possible adverse reaction of the body. It is better to get vaccinated for family members and everyone who comes into contact with the baby, so as not to become a carrier of the infection.
2. In the room where the baby is daily wet cleaning.
3. Humidity in the house should be at least 60% and then the baby's mucous membrane will not dry out and will not become a good soil for microbes to enter.

In addition, the doctor advises with a preventive purpose give your child plenty of fluids- tea, juices, compotes, as well as observe the correct temperature regime in the room. That is, in the room where the baby is, the thermometer should show a mark of 19-20 ° C, no more.

Why is the flu virus dangerous?

The main danger of the disease is severe complications, which it gives mainly to the lungs (pneumonia) and ears (acute otitis media). Inflammation of the lungs, which the flu can develop into, is difficult to treat and can even be fatal. And inflammation of the middle ear leads to damage to the meninges (meningitis).

Of course, the likelihood of complications with the common flu is low, especially if you follow bed rest and doctor's prescriptions. What can not be said about the H1N1 strain - the swine flu virus, which is especially dangerous for a child, since it is impossible to protect yourself from it with the help of vaccination - there is simply no such vaccine. This disease is extremely difficult in children under three years of age, and therefore during the epidemic it is better to reduce contact with people to nothing.

Methods of infection

In order for children to protect themselves from the flu, they need to know how it spreads and is transmitted from person to person. Parents themselves need to clearly understand this and with early age tell your children to give them the necessary knowledge about how to protect against an insidious disease.

Like all viruses, influenza is volatile - that is, it is transmitted mainly by airborne droplets. A sick person releases microparticles when sneezing, coughing, and even when talking. Microbes, getting into the respiratory system of a nearby person, immediately, under favorable conditions, begin to actively multiply.

In addition to the airborne method of transmission of the virus, there is also contact. That is, the patient, touching with dirty hands the door handles, buttons in the elevator, handrails in the bus and subway, leaves microparticles of infected saliva on these objects. The sick person touches his face countless times while sneezing, wipes his nose, and covers his mouth when coughing, which means that there are a huge number of dangerous microorganisms on his hands.

But in an open place, that is, outside the room, the virus quickly disappears with air currents, losing concentration. Thus, during an epidemic, walking the streets is not scary, but visiting crowded places - supermarkets, pharmacies, schools, and traveling by public transport is very unsafe.

How can parents protect their children from the flu?

Many parents associate winter time not only with the New Year holidays, but also with such a dangerous disease as the flu. How to protect your child from the flu? This issue becomes important for every family. When the outside temperature drops below 20°C, families, especially those with small children, frantically search for ways to protect them from the flu and its consequences.

The influenza virus is a dangerous and very insidious disease that does not spare even the smallest children. Its consequences are especially dangerous.

flu danger

Influenza is an acute viral disease that affects children of different age categories, accompanied by general intoxication of the body, catarrhal phenomena, such as rhinitis, runny nose and severe cough. The flu is especially dangerous for babies. Every year, medical statistics show how many children die from this terrible disease.

The causative agent of this disease is the influenza virus, which is transmitted by airborne droplets when coughing, sneezing, and even talking and shaking hands. The first signs of the disease begin very quickly and intensely. The incubation period is 2 to 6 days. How difficult the flu is, depends on many factors: age, immune status, general health.

The greatest danger of influenza is fraught with damage to the cardiovascular system of the child, his respiratory organs, as well as the central nervous system. Having attacked the body, it sharply and quite strongly reduces its protective properties, which causes a number of dangerous and intractable complications for the child. Children with chronic diseases are more likely to receive them. This virus is especially dangerous for a newborn baby and his nursing mother.

flu symptoms

The symptoms of the influenza virus in infants and older children are different. The main symptoms are high body temperature, general malaise, pain in the joints and muscles, headache, intense cough, runny nose, dryness of the nasopharyngeal mucosa. Sometimes children have diarrhea and vomiting, and nosebleeds.

Infants are characterized by such symptoms of the disease as:

• loss of appetite;
• change in the frequency of stool (it happens more often or less often);
• tearful and irritable state;
• change in skin and hair odor;
• restless sleep;
• hoarse breathing;
• inhibition in development.

The danger of this disease in infants is much higher, due to the fact that the baby cannot clearly describe his condition, say what and where he hurts. Moms can only be guided by the diagnosis that the pediatrician conducts. He prescribes an examination and a series of blood and urine tests that can determine that it is the flu, and not SARS or acute respiratory infections.

To protect the child from the flu, when the first signs of a cold appear: high fever, weakness and severe cough, treatment should be started immediately, but only after examination and appointment by a doctor. The flu is not a disease that can be cured on its own. Self-medication can lead to dire consequences.

Causes of the disease

The flu is most dangerous for a newborn baby in the first four months of life. Breastfed babies can overcome the disease in its first stages on their own thanks to the antibodies present in mother's milk. The immunity of infants who are bottle-fed is much weaker. Every year, the influenza virus mutates, its course passes with more serious complications, therefore, in the first months of a baby’s life, it is worth reducing its contact with others to a minimum, especially in winter.

Most often, parents of children have to deal with catarrhal conditions of their child during the first three years of life. The reason can be climatic conditions, dampness, contact with sick children and many other factors. If a child attends a children's institution, the incidence in this case occurs more often than in children who are at home.

The fault is not only the fact that some unscrupulous parents bring their babies with signs of a cold. Good conditions for the emergence of the influenza virus in a preschool institution are insufficient ventilation of the premises in winter, dryness of the premises from centralized heating, which makes it possible for pathogens to multiply. A big misconception, especially among young mothers, is the opinion that the flu can start due to drafts or hypothermia of the legs.

Treating people with the flu

Often, young mothers begin to fight the disease, bringing down the fever, without thinking about the fact that this is a manifestation of the protective properties of the child's body. At temperatures up to 38 ° C, it is not recommended to give medicine to children. It is much more effective to drink them with a warm decoction of herbs or dried fruits. This is one of the most effective ways to remove dangerous toxins from the body at the first sign of malaise.

Over time, every mother begins to understand how to protect her child from the flu in the early stages of this dangerous disease.

There are several generally accepted rules that parents adhere to when symptoms of the disease appear:

1. Often ventilate the room in which the baby is located, carry out wet cleaning with a disinfectant solution (soda or a chlorine-free product).
2. It is necessary to bring down the temperature only at a mark of more than 38 ° C and the first signs of febrile convulsions appear.
3. Increase your baby's sleep.
4. Limit contact with others.
5. Transfer the child to a special diet.
6. Give plenty of fluids.
7. Regularly clean the baby's intestines, especially with constipation.
8. Conduct breathing exercises and water treatments.
9. Massage feet, hands, back at temperatures up to 38.5 ° C.
10. Give cough and cold medicines, alternating them every two hours.
11. Transfer to strict bed rest.

If the child has a temperature of up to 40 ° C, you need to call a doctor, and before he arrives, provide the baby with plenty of fluids. We must not forget that at a very high temperature, any thermal procedures, the intake of solid food are prohibited. If the baby is hot, it can be dressed lightly, if it is cold - warmer. In any case, he should be under a blanket in a room with fresh air.

With sufficiently serious symptoms of influenza, children are prescribed inhalations, compresses and wraps, the use of children's antipyretics according to the age of the baby, the introduction of vitamin preparations that increase immunity.

Since the flu negatively affects the state of the respiratory tract, frequent airing and wet cleaning will help strengthen the child's immunity, protect his nose and throat from the penetration of harmful viral bacteria. When caring for a baby, parents should always wear a gauze bandage, and since the virus is transmitted through dirty hands, follow the rules of personal hygiene and wash their hands often. Balanced diet together with measures to strengthen the immune system and the correct treatment procedures will help to quickly defeat the disease.

Flu Prevention

So that the health of the baby does not have to be protected from an already existing disease, parents should think about how to prevent its occurrence. The most effective way is to take preventive measures.

The nose, mouth, and hands are prime breeding sites for infections, so washing your hands frequently cold water will help to temper and protect the child.

During the winter exacerbation of diseases with the influenza virus, oxolinic ointment will help, which is lubricated with the nasal mucosa for prevention before going outside. Getting enough sleep (at least 10 hours) and eating a large number vitamins will help strengthen the child's body. Summer is the best time for hardening, and the sun, air and water are the child's constant friends.

If we properly protect our child from external negative factors, lead the right way of life, take preventive measures, then we can safely hope that he is not afraid of the flu.

How can a pregnant woman protect herself from the flu?

With the onset of the cold season, many people are faced with seasonal viral diseases - influenza and SARS. During the period of bearing a baby, any ailment causes anxiety in the expectant mother, because it is not only about her health, but also about the future of the baby. How a pregnant woman can protect herself from the flu so as not to harm her condition is a question that every woman should study, because it is better to take precautions than to get sick with this disease.

How to protect yourself from the flu during pregnancy?

Whoever says what, but all doctors agree that it is better not to get sick with the flu while carrying a baby. And this is due not only to the serious symptoms of the disease, but also to the complications that this disease can cause. There are three ways that a pregnant woman can protect herself from the flu, which can be divided into the following categories:

1. Vaccination. To date, vaccination is considered the most reliable way to fight against infection with the flu. However, it is worth remembering that you need to be vaccinated not at the height of the epidemic, but earlier, approximately 4 weeks before the possible onset of the disease. In addition, this method is only suitable for those expectant mothers whose gestational age has crossed the line of 14 weeks. Therefore, if you have decided that it is better to get vaccinated than to be afraid of infection all winter, then choose imported medicines: Begrivak, Influvak, Vaksigripp, etc. They do not contain hazardous components.
2. Medical prevention. The main drugs that doctors recommend using in order to protect against influenza during pregnancy are both interferon products and Okoslin ointment. The latter has a pronounced antiviral effect and is one of the safest remedies during pregnancy. It is applied to the nasal passages 2 times a day. Interferon can be found in the drug Viferon, which is available in suppositories and gel. Rectal suppositories can be used from the 14th week of pregnancy, 1 suppository twice a day for 5 days. The gel will help protect a pregnant woman from the flu both in the 1st trimester and in the next, and it can be used for quite a long time. The scheme of application for him is the same as for Okoslin ointment: 2 times a day.
3. General prevention. In order to protect a pregnant woman from the flu, she needs to carry out both activities aimed at maximizing the protection of her body from external carriers of the disease, as well as strengthening the immune system. To do this, doctors recommend following these rules:
   • wash your hands regularly with soap;
   • every day rinse your feet with water at room temperature;
   • do gymnastics for pregnant women;
   • walk every day for more than 2 hours in the fresh air (with the exception of places with a large crowd of people);
   • sleep well and eliminate stress;
   • introduce a vitamin complex into your diet, but it is better to make a menu in which 50% will be occupied by fresh fruits and vegetables;
   • if there is no allergy, do aroma sessions once a day, where you can breathe in tea tree, lemon, eucalyptus, pine, etc. oils.
   • ventilate the room and arrange wet cleaning once a day.

How to protect a pregnant woman from the flu if one of the family members falls ill?

However, the most difficult moment is the one that forces the future mother to face carriers of the virus every day. In this case, doctors recommend that you always use medical masks or cotton-gauze bandages, and also do not forget about ointments that can be applied to the nose. In addition, it is necessary to carefully monitor the hygiene of family members: the sick person must have separate dishes, a towel, a separate bed, etc., because this virus is very contagious.

So, our recommendations will help a pregnant woman protect herself from both the flu and the common cold, because it is not difficult to follow them. Remember that it is better to breathe a little aroma oils and walk around in a mask than to lie down for a week with a high temperature and worry about your baby.

During pregnancy, a woman's immunity decreases. This is due to the fact that the protective forces tend to reject the foreign body from the body. Suppression of their activity is necessary for the pregnancy to develop safely. Of course, in such conditions, the risk of catching a viral infection is significantly increased.

Instruction

1. Try to avoid crowds. If possible, refuse to travel by public transport - at least for short distances. Walking in and of itself is very beneficial and will help you avoid contact with virus and bacillus carriers.
2. Before going outside, lubricate the nasal mucosa with oxolin ointment. If you work in a large team, wear a gauze bandage during outbreaks of viral diseases at work. This bandage will not interfere at home either, since your relatives and friends can bring the infection.
3. Dress according to the weather - don't wrap yourself too much and in no case follow the bad fashion, according to which, in any frost, you need to go out without a hat, in a short jacket and transparent tights.
4. When you return from the street, wash your hands immediately. As a disease prevention, it is very useful to rinse the nose. Dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water and inhale this liquid alternately with both nostrils. This procedure is practiced by yogis, who have long become a symbol of health and endurance.
5. Ideally, you want to draw water in one nostril and out the other, but this will work out after a few workouts. At first, it will be enough to spit out the salt water after it has passed through the nasopharynx. This washing will help you get rid of a runny nose very quickly even if you still get sick.
6. Eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible, as well as freshly squeezed juices. Sprouted grains of wheat, rye, oats and other cereals are very useful. Take them every morning, one tablespoon - this way you will strengthen the health of both yours and your baby. Take pharmacy vitamin preparations only as prescribed by a doctor - hypervitaminosis is dangerous in the same way as beriberi.
7. Avoid stress - they not only adversely affect the course of pregnancy, but also undermine the already weakened immune system. This recommendation is especially difficult to fulfill because, due to the increased hormonal levels in pregnant women, an exacerbated reaction to unpleasant circumstances. Try to learn different relaxation techniques that will allow you not to dwell on negative experiences.
8. If you feel signs of illness, do not take medicines on the advice of friends - many drugs can have a detrimental effect on the development of the fetus. Do not steam your legs or take hot baths to get rid of colds- this can lead to miscarriage. In addition, such procedures contribute to the expansion of the veins in the legs and increase the load on the heart.
9. It is better to warm your hands in hot water if you feel chills. Dilute one teaspoon of salt and soda in a glass of warm water, add a couple of drops of iodine and gargle. Enlarged painful tonsils can be lubricated with tea tree oil - very carefully so that this remedy does not get on the root of the tongue.
10. If home remedies don't help, see your doctor, just be sure to let him or her know that you're pregnant. Then he will prescribe those medicines that will not harm your unborn baby.