'Get well' flu recipes

By Nelly Obadha

Influenza or the flu is an illness that has no known cure due the large numbers of  flu viruses that exist.

The flu can make you uncomfortable, irritable and makes you feel so unwell to the point you could miss work, school or even going about your day to day errands

These home remedies are made to give relief and treat the symptom as the body’s immune system fights the virus. There is no known cure for influenza. 

Common Flu symptoms include; stuffy nose, cough, scratchy or sore throat, fever muscle aches   and in some cases chest congestion.

Here are some remedies you can make at home to ease the discomfort.

Lemon, honey and warm water:

Mix some spoonfuls of honey with the juice of a fresh lemon in a cup and add some warm water. Stir it up and drink warm to ease a sore throat and cough.

Lemon, honey and Cayenne throat soother:

Mix a table spoon of honey with lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper. The lemon and honey helps coat the throat preventing you from feeling the soreness around your throat.  Cayenne helps to bring out the blood cells needed to fight of the throat infection and help you to recover.

Ginger tea:

Get a spoonful or two of honey; add some sliced lemon plus their peels, some grated or crashed ginger and a clove of mashed garlic. Place this in a sufuria with water and let it simmer for some time.

Once it is ready, strain it into a mug and feel free to add more honey to sweeten it. It is quite good for the chest as it helps open up the nasal cavity. This has also been known to soothe the throat quite well.

Make this at the first sign of the flu and it will help relieve discomfort as you heal from the influenza.Many people always confuse influenza with the cold due to the almost similar symptoms and the fact that they are both caused by a virus.

Influenza has been found to be much stronger, it can also lead to other serious cold related illness such as pneumonia. Special care should be taken for those with chronic respiratory conditions like asthma.

Other ways to help yourself heal easily and faster should include; resting to enable your body to rejuvenate and recover on its own. Intake of fluids  like  fresh juices and soups to help rehydrate and nourish your body.

Always consult your doctor the moment you start feeling unwell or if these symptoms persist. Your doctor  will prescribe medicines to ease and treat your flu.