In winter, with rain and snow, the influenza also comes, as every year, but this year seems to be the most serious influenza of the last fourteen years, as the Society of Paediatrics has recently highlighted. The Influnet report tells us that the most affected group this year is that of children under 5 years old, followed by the band 5-14. Even the strongest children are constantly attacked by influenza viruses. At school, in the gym, in enclosed and overcrowded places, bacteria and viruses spread easily and put their immune system under strain.
So what do you do? I will give you a series of useful tips to prevent and treat the influenza of your child in a natural way.
The rules to prevent flu
Some general tips:
- Wash your hands often with soap and even better with Amuchina's antibacterial gel.
- Wash the nose with saline solution.
- do not exchange cutlery or glasses between children when they eat, or do not exchange dummies between children.
- Ventilate rooms often by opening windows and letting in new air.
- Correct nutrition: it is very important to care for the diet by giving children a fair amount of fresh fruit and vegetables during meals, limiting fried and confectionary, giving extracts of fruit rich in vitamin C and antioxidants such as orange, pomegranate, mandarins, kiwi.
- 1 teaspoon of Manuka honey in the morning fasting.
- Live lactic ferments for rebalancing intestinal flora. Remember that keeping the intestine healthy helps to strengthen immune defences. Excellent is Pediatric Prolife of Zeta, in comfortable vials, enriched with vitamins of group B, vit. D. It takes 1 day on a full stomach.
available on the market are various homeopathic and phytotherapeutic products that stimulate the child's immune system by strengthening his or her immune defences.
Homeopathic remedies to prevent influenza
I advise you Munostim of the Paediatric Line Homeokind of Loacker, are blood cells to be dissolved in the mouth based on Echinacea, Propolis and Eleuterococcus, useful for the prevention and prophylaxis of seasonal diseases by cooling, for the specific prevention of viral infections (flu, herpes) or bacterial infections (breathing tract infections,) for inflammatory-infectious acute and chronic processes.
I advise you to start prevention from September with 1 tube dose of Oscillococcicum of Boiron based on Anas Barbarie 200k. The blood cells should be dissolved slowly under the tongue, away from meals, just 1 tube-dose a week. In younger children, the tube-dose can be dissolved in a little water. This homeopathic remedy is effective, has no side effects and may also be associated with other therapies.
Phytotherapeutic remedies to prevent influenza
You know how much I love phytotherapy, I often resort to plants and their incredible power to restore balance in the body, for me and my little girl.
To prevent influenza in children, you can use some remedies, I recommend some of them:
RIBES NIGRUM, enzyme extract, being alcohol-free, is particularly suitable for children, but always from age 3 upwards. 5-7 drops in a glass of water in the morning from September to March.
RIBES NIGRUM M. G. (glycerate) 1 D. H.: (from 6 years old): 15 drops in a glass of water, in the morning from September to March.
ROSA CANINA M. G. (glycerate) ROSE CANINA M. G. (glycerate) 1 D. H. (from 3 years of life): 1 drop every kilo of body weight in little water, in the evening from September to March.
PROPOLI T. M (mother dyeing) (from 6 years): 15-20 drops in a glass of water for 1 month.
Trace elements to prevent influenza
MANGANESE-RAME: 1 vial, 2 times a week from September to March.
COPPER-ORO-ARGENTO: the vials of these trace elements are very useful both for prevention (1 vial fasting 2 times a week in September in March) and for recovery in convalescence (1 vial per day for 1 month).
Flu; what do you do?
If, in spite of all our attempts to keep flu viruses away, they have taken advantage of the child's immune weakness and made him ill, we must seek medical attention to avoid serious complications.
However, we can resort to supplementary natural care, especially for the first symptoms of influenza.
Influenza usually occurs in children with symptoms similar to those of adults: fever, joint pain, headache, poor digestion, diarrhea, colds, cough. Sometimes it is accompanied by acetonemia ("acetone" in jargon), which causes nausea and sometimes vomiting.
General Rules in Case of Flu
- Drink plenty of natural water at room temperature
- Do not cover it much. The instinct of many mothers is to cover the child very much, making him sweat and helping to increase the body temperature even more. Nothing more wrong, the child doesn't need so much heat to defibrate, on the contrary, dress with natural materials, discover your legs, if you realize that he is sweating most likely you have to lighten it a little more.
- Do not force him to eat if he doesn't like it, try not to leave him to fast, prepare soups, vegetable soups, steamed vegetables, fruit salads, prepare light foods rich in vitamins and carbohydrates, avoid protein and fat instead to avoid the onset of acetone. If, however, he doesn't want to feel he wants to eat, he doesn't want to force him, the body knows how to regulate itself, the lack of appetite is absolutely normal, quiet he won't die of hunger, he will start eating again as soon as his body is able to accept food.
- He often changes the air in his bedroom
- Take a detox bath every 2 days by pouring salt from the Himalayas and 3 drops of Tea Tree Oil into the water, take care to heat the bathroom environment well, the bathroom should not last longer than 15 minutes. It is important to free the body from toxins, because through the skin the body expels toxins through sweat, which increases considerably during fever. During bathing, swab your body and spong with a natural sponge, gently rubbing your child's back, back, shoulders, legs and feet.
- Feeding: go-ahead for light recipes, because refined and overly enjoyed foods make digestion difficult. Remember that it is through food that the body recovers the energy dissipated to counteract influenza viruses, so healing nutrition during convalescence is very important. Prefer fruit and vegetables rich in vitamin C (excellent are steamed broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kiwifruit, oranges, mandarins), apples and bananas that have astringent properties and are protective of the gastric mucosa, lean meat (chicken, roasted turkey), boiled potatoes seasoned with oil and salt, cod or sole boiled and seasoned with olive oil and lemon, pasta and rice in white or with vegetables. Avoid sauces, because of their acidity they can irritate the gastric mucous membrane. Avoid sweets, fried food, packaged foods, snacks, cold cuts, cheeses as they increase intestinal mucus.
- Remember that fever, is a normal reaction of the body, should not be suffocated immediately, so wait before administering tachypirin, contact your paediatrician for appropriate advice on timing and dosage.
- Lactic fermentation: 1 vial per day
- Honey: honey should never be missing, I suggest you give 1 teaspoon of honey a day, in case of sore throat, you can add 1 drop of propolis.
Curing flu with homeopathy
It is always better to get advice from a homeopathic paediatrician before starting homeopathic influenza treatment. Below I recommend some of the best known and most commonly used remedies to deal with flu symptoms.
I recommend Nisykind from Loacker's Homeokind Line, a remedy I personally use with my little girl when flu comes to visit us. In a single bottle we have 10g of Aconitum DH6, Bryonia DH6, Euptorium DH6, Euptorium DH6, Gelsenium DH6, Ipecacuanha DH6, Phosphorus DH12. Nisykind has febrifuge properties, is active on inflammation and decongestant on the mucous membranes and also has a mucolytic action on the catarrh. In acute phase 5-7 blood cells dissolved in the mouth or in little water every 30-60 minutes. 5-7 blood cells 374 times daily pass through symptoms.
Oscillococcicum, as well as for prevention, I can use it in acute phase in the dosage of 1 tube-dose every 6 hours.
Belladonna 5CH and Ferrum Phosphoricum are two important remedies in case of viral infection fever: 5 granules every hour alternating the two remedies.
Aconitum 9CH: chills and high fever, intense thirst, poor sweating. 5 granules per hour
Bryonia 7CH: dry and painful cough, intense thirst, aggravation with movement. 5 granules every 2 hours.
Ferreum Sidereum D10: when influenza is accompanied by immune weakness, relapsing cough, anxiety, fatigue, convalescence. This remedy is also called "the sword of Michael", it strengthens the man when he wavers, from courage, helps to overcome fears. Children from 12 years old: powder 1 teaspoon tip for 2 times daily; in blood cells from 3 to 7 blood cells depending on age.
Treating flu with phytotherapy
RIBES NIGRUM, enzyme extract, being alcohol-free, is particularly suitable for children, but always from age 3 upwards. 8 drops in a glass of water 3 times a day.
RIBES NIGRUM M. G. (glycerate) 1 D. H.: (from 6 years old): 1 drop per body weight in a glass of water, 3 times daily.
ECHINCEA, is a valid immunostimulant, antiviral and antibacterial. In children over 6 years of age, in case of influenza it can administer ECHINACEA T. M. T. in children over 6 years of age. 20 drops for 1 time a day until symptoms improve.
Trace elements for flu
Manganese and Copper: Manganese is the regulating trace element with a general modulating action, combined with Copper which has an anti-inflammatory and anti-infectious action. 1 single serving fillet per day, under the tongue. Being insatiable, they are always appreciated by children.
Zinc and Magnesium: 2 vials daily alternating with Manganese and Copper when influenza is acute.