Home Flu Treatment
for Specific Swine Flu Symptoms

In most cases, swine flu or seasonal flu runs its course, and the ill person gets well on his own. However, in some cases, complications develop and a flu virus turns into a bacterial infection like pneumonia. If that happens, the sick person needs to have an antibiotic.

Photo courtesy of freeparking

Early Flu Treatment

Put your patient to bed in the sick room , separate from the rest of the family and get started on your in home care plan.

Dr. Deborah Baker has written a book, Homeopathic/Herbal Flu Prevention and Cures that, not only includes homeopathic remedies for treatment AND prevention, but also includes dosages, the mystery for most non-professionals.

Get started on homeopathic swine flu prevention or treatment today.

Flu Symptoms and Flu Treatment

If you have any doubts about what to do next, call your doctor or you can get live, personal doctors online advice , usually within a few minutes of asking your question.

Dehydration

Symptoms - low urine output, very dark pee, dry mouth, decreased saliva, sunken eyes, if you push down on the skin, it doesn’t bounce back.

Treatment - Push fluids, even if you have to use an eye dropper or a spoon to administer water drop by drop, until the patient drinks a quart. After drinking 1 quart, the patient should be able to pee again.

Fever with Dehydration

Symptoms - Low blood pressure that is (lower than 95/60), dizzy feeling,fast pulse (higher than 80, and especially higher than 90)

Treatment - Push liquids.

Fever

If fever exceeds 104 degrees it can cause seizures and brain damage. However, don’t reduce the fever too much as a fever that is higher than 98.6 degrees but less than 101 degrees means that the body is fighting the virus.

Treatment - Push liquids, adjust the number of blankets for comfort. Help the patient get warmer or cooler, depending on his request. Consider tepid sponge baths if fever is higher than 102 degrees.

-Sponge bath. For this flu treatment, you don't actually have to immerse the patient in water. Using tepid or lukewarm water, sponge the patient (with a washcloth or sponge) to help bring the fever down.

Don’t use alcohol as it can be absorbed by the skin and can be toxic. Also, don't use COLD water. (You can cause the patient to have chills by making them too cold!)

-If the fever is >101.5 degrees – Give Tylenol (acetaminophen). Do not exceed the maximum dose. The maximum amount is:

• Tylenol – 2 tablets (500 mg) 4X daily

DO NOT give aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen to a patient with flu. Children can get Reye's Syndrome from aspirin, and there is some evidence that those who did NOT take aspirin during the 1918 flu pandemic were the flu victims who survived!

Ibuprofen and naproxen are considered to be NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and are similar to aspirin in that they can cause bleeding. This becomes important if your patient develops severe symptoms. See the section on cytokine storm for more information on bleeding in seriously ill patients. And make sure you also know which symptoms are severe are are flu symptoms you can't ignore .

My recommendation about NSAIDs is more conservative than that of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). On their website they recommend:

Warning! Do not give aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) to children or teenagers who have the flu; this can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye’s syndrome. For more information about Reye’s syndrome, visit the National Institute of Health website.

* Check ingredient labels on over-the-counter cold and flu medications to see if they contain aspirin.
* Teenagers with the flu can take medicines without aspirin, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) and ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, Nuprin®), to relieve symptoms.
* Children younger than 4 years of age should not be given over-the-counter cold medications without first speaking with a healthcare provider.
* The safest care for flu symptoms in children younger than 2 years of age is using a cool-mist humidifier and a suction bulb to help clear away mucus.
* Fevers and aches can be treated with acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, Nuprin®) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).

Headache

Treatment - Acetaminophen
-2-3 drops of eucalyptus oil in a humidifier
-Teas - skullcap tea, peppermint tea, chamomile tea, fresh ginger root tea, hot cup of caffeinated tea.

Sore Throat

Treatment - --Gargle with hot salt water. Put 1 teaspoon salt in a pint of water. (You can add a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to the salt water, if desired.) Don’t let your patient swallow the salty water!-Drink hot tea with caffeine or licorice tea.
-Take acetaminophen.
-Zinc throat lozenges
-If you give your patient over the counter flu medicine, read the label to make sure it does NOT contain aspirin.

Cough

Treatment - Push fluids. Drink hot caffeinated tea for its positive effect on bronchial tubes.
-Licorice tea
-Rub eucalyptus (Vicks Vaporub) onto patient’s neck and chest.
-Garlic syrup or capsules (2)
-Try using an extra pillow to raise the head before using cough medicine.

Nasal or Sinus Congestion (Stuffy Nose)

Treatment — Salt water lavage - sniff salt water (1 t. salt to ½ c water) into each nostril. Gently blow it out into the sink. The sink must be cleaned and disinfected thoroughly after this, each time, as there will be lots of flu virus germs expelled!
-Licorice tea
-Eucalyptus oil or peppermint oil in humidifier
-Sprinkle a few drops of eucalyptus oil on a handkerchief and have patient inhale.
-1/2 t. black pepper in 1 t. honey
-Take 2-3 capsules garlic at bedtime to lessen overnight congestion.

Sleeplessness, restlessness, anxiety or nervousness

Treatment - Herbal teas: passionflower herb (especially recommended), lemon balm, chamomile, spearmint, skullcap.

Nausea

Treatment -Teas: fresh ginger root tea, mint tea, lemon balm tea
-ginger capsule—can give 1/hour
-gingerale or Sprite
-1/2 teaspoon each—cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves in applesauce
-nutmeg capsule 200mg (take 1capsule)
-¼ t nutmeg powder in applesauce (no more than once every 4 hours)

Diarrhea

With diarrhea, your main concern will be dehydration, so you must keep the patient hydrated, or make sure she gets plenty to drink—to replace the liquids that are being lost in the stool.

Treatment - Push clear liquids or fluids (water, fruit juice)
-Electrolyte solution (Pedialyte, Gatorade)
-Skullcap tea
-1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder in applesauce

Vomiting

Treatment - 1/2 teaspoon each—cinnamon and cloves in applesauce
-1/4 t nutmeg in applesauce (can also add some cinnamon and cloves)
-Ginger tea
-Gingerale or Sprite
-Give promethazine (Phenergan) for vomiting, if you have it. Available only by prescription.

This section was designed to help you make quick decisions about safe ways to handle flu symptoms and give basic flu treatment.

Every patient is unique, and so you will have to use your own best judgment about what to do for your patient and what kind of flu treatment is best. In all cases, if you have any doubts at all, check with your health care practitioner or use another method!

In addition, the symptoms listed above are common flu symptoms. Familiarize yourself with recognizing severe symptoms , so that you will know if your patient is more seriously ill and needs to get immediate medical attention.

If your patient is a child, make sure you know the special risks of working with children with flu and what swine flu symptoms in children look like.

Keep in mind that, if it would give you peace of mind, you can consult with a doctor and get doctors online advice , usually within just a few minutes of asking your question.

More Articles on Flu Treatment

Treatment