Winter is coming… so as the flu!

Autumn and then winter are beautiful seasons: leaves on the trees are changing its colors, the sun plays with its rays on the grass freezed by white frost, etc. but it is also the right moment to get cold!
Temperatures are cold outside and hot inside so you experience a lot of changes that are very good to viruses! Your immune system is less strong to fight again infection and you are sick more frequently than usual.

Sometimes it is a common cold: a mild viral infection of the throat, sinuses, nose and upper airways. Usually, it gets better by itself, without the need of a treatment. 

Unfortunately, flu is a more aggressive condition that forced to stay at home for a few days. 
It is a common viral infection, spread by direct and indirect contacts: when you sneeze, tiny droplets of fluid are launched into the air. They contain the flu virus : if breathed in by others, they can catch the flu.
An example of indirect contact is when someone sneezes onto his hands, and then opens a door (without washing it before); if someone else touches the handle a few minutes later and then touches his mouth, he may catch the flu.
And the problem is that people become contagious a few days before the symptoms: they are already infected but they do not know… And they are still contagious until all their symptoms have gone so it lasts a long time!

Flu is also caused by a virus but different from those which are responsible for a cold. Symptoms tend to be more severe: a higher fever, a longer tiredness, and also last for longer. When you catch flu you may have different symptoms: a high temperature, headache, sore throat, general aches, feel nauseous etc. In general, you feel very exhausted so you need to stay in bed and rest. You feel so tired and ill that you cannot go to work.

Simple advice can help to avoid catching the flu : the first thing to do is HAND WASHING. It is a very simple way to limit contact with the virus and though you have better chance to stay healthy. You should use soap and warm water. The Center for Disease Control recommends that people wash their hands for 15 to 20 seconds. A good way to learn children how to wash their hands is to show them all the bubbles they can make with the soap and they need to do it until they have sung “Happy Birthday twice” and then they can blow a bubble on the soap!
Then you should always cough into the arm or better into a tissue but avoid the old advice which said that we should always cover our mouth with our hands when we cough. Why? Because it results in a handful of germs which are then spread on everything we touch, particularly kids. And it is very difficult to wash our hands each time we cough…

Natural way to prevent infections

Essential oils are commonly used to deal with a lot of diseases and pathologies. They are wonderful in winter because they are really efficient to prevent infections. Oregano, lemon, frankincense and eucalyptus oils are well known & effective against flu and cold. It is a good way to avoid using pharmaceutical drugs. 
Essential oils are made of hundreds of molecules that kill viruses (and also bacteria) and support our body’s health.
You can use these essential oils with vegetal (fatty) oils as soon as you feel bad. 
Frankincense is one of the most powerful essential oils to boost your immune system.
Eucalyptus is cool and it soothes the respiratory system: It eases breathing. Do not hesitate to apply one or two drops (with 3 or 4 drops of vegetal oils such as almond or olive oils) directly to the chest. 
Lemon is also a powerful immune-boosting oil but you should take one drop in a spoon fill with honey because it is photosensitive so it should not be applied to the skin without precaution.
Oregano is very powerful but it should be used cautiously because it is a “hot” essential oil. You must always dilute it with fatty oils such as almond or olive.

You can also put two drops of eucalyptus essential oil in boiling water: hold your head over the pot and inhale steam to ease your congestion and drippy nose. 

There are a lot of natural remedies that can be used to heal diseases such as flu and cold. Do not hesitate to look at homeopathy or phytotherapy to help you.