After all the evacuation, rescue and relief operations due to the wrath of the southwest monsoon, Daddy A came home with the flu. It was the usual flu – he had the colds, he was coughing and he was feverish. So I thought, “Hey, this will be over in a few days. He just needs medicine, healthy food and lots of rest.” I was wrong. The virus he brought home with him was nothing close to normal. It was so strong that everyone who got exposed to the virus got sick.
Daddy A came home feeling really sick on a Friday. By Monday morning, I already had a fever. I was coughing like crazy and my nose was so stuffy I couldn’t breathe. Scared that The Princess might catch it, we decided to transfer her to her grandparents’ care. Unfortunately, by Tuesday night, my mom told me that The Princess, too, had high fever and was vomiting phlegm.
Since the little girl was having a really hard time, we brought her to her pediatrician the next morning. Her doctor didn’t give her anything except paracetamol and a saline nose spray. She also advised us to drink lots of fluids and get as much rest as we can.
We followed the doctor’s advice. The Princess recovered — without taking medicines — by Thursday morning; probably because she was given the flu and pneumonococcal vaccines a few months ago (I highly recommend this to parents). Unfortunately for Daddy A and I, we are still sick with the flu. We do feel a lot better now, though. However, my parents and my sister all caught the virus as well so almost everyone in our circle are on sick leave.
Battling the Flu
None of us took any medication ever since this virus came to our house. First of all, I’m pregnant so to begin with, I cannot take anything that might hurt the baby. I chose not to give anything to The Princess as well because like her pediatrician said, it’s better if she recovers naturally. Daddy A also did not take anything to battle the flu. We just think that medications have really bad side effects on us like extreme nausea.
So, how did we face the virus?
- We took in lots and lots and lots of fluids – lukewarm water mostly. We realized that drinking water often relieves that itchy feeling in the throat and somehow has this loosening effect to the nose when it’s very stuffy.
- We ate a lot as well. I read that chicken soup can do wonders when you have the flu so I cooked a huge bowl of Tinola with lots of onions, garlic, ginger and vegetables. It definitely soothed our throats and airways.
- We slept for long hours. Since it was the long weekend when this whole thing started, we took the chance to get as much sleep as we can get. The body needs to rest when battling a sickness, which is why it is important to give it time to heal.
There are many other things you can do to fight off a flu. Here are some we weren’t able to try, but others say are very helpful:
- Steam! Steam can do wonders for blocked airways. If you don’t have access to a steam room, say in a gym, you can always put boiling water in a pot, put a towel over your head, then inhale the steam.
- Ginger Tea. They say ginger tea works really well against the cough. Simply grate ginger into a strainer then pour boiling water over it. Let it sit for a few minutes then drink the tea. I’m just not sure about how this one tastes like.
- Honey. I’ve read that taking in honey is a good way to fight off the flu. You can add it to your water with lemon.
That’s all I can share! How do you battle the flu naturally? Share your tricks!