Home Remedies For Flu, Effective Natural Treatment

Flu is a viral infection of upper respiratory tract. It is a contagious illness which can spread by simply coming in contact with the infected person who sneezes or coughs. Some of the common symptoms of flu are dry cough, sore throat, body aches, chills, stuffy nose, fever and headache.

Flu Home Remedies

There are several home remedies for flu which are very effective and can be used within the comforts of your home. Some of the popular home remedies for flu are:

1. One of the simplest and most effective home remedies for flu is to drink lots of water in order to keep your body hydrated. Water helps in hydrating the respiratory system and dilutes the thick mucus formation caused by respiratory infection. It is even better if you consume warm liquids when suffering from upper respiratory infections. But remember not to consume alcohol, tea or coffee as they can cause dehydration in the body.

2. In order to get relief from runny nose and congestion it is often recommended to drink juices of pomegranate, apple, cranberry, pear and dark grapes.

3. Moist heat compresses are considered to be one of the efficient home remedies for flu. This home remedy is very effective in giving relief from throbbing head and also helps in making it easy to breathe. All you need to do is heat some water until it becomes warm enough. Now take a hand towel and soak it into this water. Squeeze the excess water and then use this towel to apply moist compresses on the sinuses and cheeks.

4. Take one tablespoon of honey and make it lukewarm. Now mix one fourth teaspoon of cinnamon powder in it. Consume this mixture daily for the next three to four days. This will boost your immunity system and prevent infection from virus and bacteria.

5. Nasal saline irrigation is also very helpful in treating the flu. It helps in providing moisture to the mucous membranes, making the mucus thin and decreasing post nasal drip. It also helps in removing bacteria and virus particles from the nose. All you need to do is take one fourth teaspoon each of baking soda and salt. Now add them in warm water (eight ounces). Apply light finger pressure to close one of your nostrils and then with the help of bulb syringe squirt the solution in other nostril. Let the solution drain out of your nose and blow your nose to let the remaining fluid come out. Try this two to three times on each nostril.

6. Before taking a hot water bath try adding ten to twenty drops of essential oils such as lemon, tea tree, lavender or eucalyptus in the water. Now bathe with this water. This will ease the symptoms of flu and provide strength to the immune system.

7. If the flu causes scratchy or sore throat then you can use warm salt water solution to gargle. It will clear your throat of all the accumulated secretions.

8. Avoid fried food and do not smoke.

The above mentioned home remedies for flu are some of the most commonly used home remedies which have proved to be effective.