In the midst of the flu season and other acute respiratory viral infections, Dr. Komarovsky shared the most complete collection of tips on what to do if you or someone close to you gets the flu.
Winter – traditionally meets us with an increased surge in the incidence of influenza and SARS. And, of course, each of us has a question, what to do if someone close had a chance to face the disease. Dr. Komarovsky shared his experience and recommendations.
Doctor Komarovsky’s advice: prevention of influenza and SARS
The first thing Dr. Komarovsky draws attention to when talking about flu prevention in 2021/2022 is vaccinations. So, according to the doctor, today it is the most effective method of protection against influenza.
If you have the financial opportunity to get vaccinated against the flu and were able to get a vaccine – get vaccinated! Please get vaccinated! Available vaccines protect against all variants of the influenza virus that are relevant this particular year. The vaccine was made this year, the vaccines are different every year. These grandmothers on the bench do not know what the flu virus will be this year. And medical science knows. If you are young and healthy and are sure that you are not afraid of the flu and do not need a vaccine, then know that it is precisely such young and healthy people who infect children, the elderly and others who are not very healthy, who then die from the flu.
Komarovsky emphasizes that it is most important to vaccinate children under 2 years old, the elderly over the age of 65, pregnant women, and those who have any chronic diseases. It is these groups of people who are the least protected from the flu and have a high chance of having a severe form of the
disease.
Komarovsky also notes that during the epidemic, one should refrain from shaking hands, if possible, not deal with paper money (pay with a card), and also avoid places where there are crowds of people.
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.
He draws attention to the fact that a sick person should wear a protective mask; it will not save a healthy person from the virus. In addition, Komarovsky is sure that virus particles live in warm, still air, so to prevent influenza, you need to monitor the condition of the room where you live.
So, the optimum air temperature is 20 degrees, the humidity level is 50-60%. It is on the level of humidity that the state of the mucous membranes of a person depends, on which are able to trap the virus.
The condition of the 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 out, 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 don’t know what these drugs are (and these are some anti-allergic and almost all the so-called “combined cold remedies”), it’s better not to experiment in principle.
Komarovsky strongly advises moisturizing the mucous membranes during the period of increased incidence of influenza.
Moisturize your mucous membranes! Elementary: 1 teaspoon of ordinary table salt per 1 liter of 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 or ready-made saline solutions in a pharmacy. 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.
By the way, Komarovsky is sure that it is possible to reduce the risk of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections by organizing a nutritious diet, observing sleep patterns, and exercising.
Doctor Komarovsky’s advice: treatment of influenza and SARS
The first thing that Dr. Komarovsky draws attention to, speaking about the treatment of influenza and SARS, is that this disease is treated with drugs with the following active ingredients: oseltamivir phosphate, zanamivir. At the same time, preparations based on these active substances cannot be used without the supervision of a doctor.
Komarovsky emphasizes that antiviral drugs for influenza and SARS are useless. To cure the flu, you need to create the right conditions around the patient so that the virus has no chance of survival.
In particular, Dr. Komarovsky once again draws attention to the fact that the patient should be in a room with an air temperature of no higher than 20 degrees while being warmly dressed. You can’t force yourself to eat. If the appetite wakes up, it is best to choose something carbohydrate to give the body strength.
Naturally, to treat the flu, you need to drink a lot. The drink can be any: fruit drink, tea, water, juice or compote. The main thing is that the liquid enters the body.
As for medicines, most often they are not needed. It is enough to regularly drip the nose with saline solutions and drink antipyretic drugs if there is no strength left to endure the high temperature. There is no point in using any traditional methods of treatment.
Important: in no case do not bring down the temperature of the child with the flu with aspirin. So, aspirin in conjunction with a virus and high fever can give a complication to the liver, which can result in death.
As for the cough, the doctor warns:
If the upper respiratory tract (nose, throat, larynx) is affected, no expectorants are needed – they will only increase the cough. 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 is impossible categorically.
Once again: all “cough syrups” for children under 2 years of age are contraindicated, under 6 years of age are not recommended, after 6 years of age they are not needed, since their effectiveness in comparison with heavy drinking has not been proven.
Komarovsky also emphasizes that it is pointless to use antiallergic drugs for influenza, antibiotics will only increase the risk of complications, and interferons for topical use are useless.
Doctor Komarovsky’s advice: when you need a doctor
Ideally, a doctor should be called when you are faced with the first signs of the disease. However, since this is not possible in practice, pay attention to the following information.
A doctor is needed urgently in the following situations:
- Sudorgi;
- Severe pain anywhere (sore throat without runny nose, headache with vomiting);
- Swelling of the neck;
- Body temperature above 39, which does not decrease from antipyretics (the duration of the syrups or tablets is 30 minutes)
- Increased body temperature with chills and pale skin.
A doctor is required:
- Increased body temperature on the 7th day of illness
- Deterioration after improvement
- Increased cough
Be healthy!
