Survival tips for the flu season
Yes, that’s an onion and garlic (and a fake white pumpkin) sitting on an old fashioned scale on my piano. That’s one of the tips I got this week for fighting the flu. Could be an old wives’ tale–but I’m trying everything! Supposedly onion and garlic absorb viruses, or somehow clear the air. Who knew?
We’ve been hit badly with the flu. I was completely shocked by how suddenly and severely it hit. We had two very sick kids, and I’m really hoping it doesn’t spread to the rest of the family. I must confess that I was caught off guard.
Here are a few things I’ve learned from the experience, and I’d really love it if you could share any wisdom and tips you have as well. These are some changes that I’ve made to try to keep the flu at bay, and to be prepared if some of the rest of us do get hit.
We are all gargling with salt water twice a day, and swabbing the inside of our noses with salt water. Eww, yes, I know that sounds gross! But the flu virus enters through the nose or mouth. The salt water makes your nose and throat an inhospitable environment. I’m all for hospitality, but not when it comes to the flu virus!
I stocked up on bottled water, which I don’t typically buy. Two reasons–it is much simpler and more sanitary to assign each sick person their own bottle, rather than constantly washing cups and glasses and increasing the risk of contagion.(I also bought paper plates, for the same reason.) Also, if the patient is using a bottle of water it is easy to track how much fluid they are consuming. Dehydration is very dangerous, and happens easily. I have been marking the bottles with the patients’ initials with a permanent marker.
I bought lots of hand sanitizer (cheap) at the dollar store. Again, I’m not a big fan of it, but trust me, when Mom is busy looking after very sick kids (or if Mom gets sick too) it’s awful handy to have around.
We’ve been using those expensive Clorox wipes (though I DID use a coupon)–again in the interest of keeping things as easy as possible, and to try to stop the virus spreading through the family. We wipe light switches, faucets, door handles – anything the sick ones touch. Now that they are getting a little better we’ll also be wiping computer keyboards, remotes, etc. SUCH a pain, but we REALLY don’t want this germ spreading.
Today I bought three cases of bottled water, just to have on hand should any more of us get sick. I bought a big bag of frozen chicken that I’m boiling, then adding to a huge batch of rice cooked in chicken stock. It will be frozen in individual serving sizes (using a muffin tin as a mold) that can be easily prepared for a sick person. The rice/chicken mixture is an easily digested source of protein and fluids, and can be tolerated by sick people fairly well.
I’ve also stocked up on jello – especially citrus flavors. I’m not sure why citrus–except that’s what my ER nurse friend suggested. And I bought some popsicles.
We put both sick kids in the family room with easy access to the main floor powder room. (trust me – that was important!) It also meant the other bathroom was easier to keep sanitized, and that’s what the rest of the family used.
I guess what I’ve learned is how unprepared I was for this H1N1 hitting our family. When kids (or parents) are very sick, that’s NOT the time to be scrambling for supplies! I’d love more tips for how to be prepared (frugally if possible) and also any preventative ideas, and suggestions for treating symptoms and keeping the patients comfortable and hydrated. Please help me out here!
Sounds like you are fighting the battle well. I have one suggestion. Buy each member of the family a new toothbrush and their own small tube of toothpaste. When the flu is done, throw them out and start again.
Most important is the new tube of toothpaste and that each person has their own. If you watch the family sharing toothpaste you will notice that everyone wipes the edge of their germy toothbrush on the end of the toothpaste, and then passes it on for the next person to do the same.
When my kids were small, we spent 3 months passing strep throat back and forth in this manner. I had tried the dixie cups, the paper towels, the swabbing of the doorknobs and light switches, but it was not until I bought the kids all their own toothpaste did we finally nip it in the bud.
I hope everyone is well soon, and that the rest of the family misses the entire experience.
you have the right idea with the onion…but it won’t do any good unless you cut it open. it will make your house stink but it truly helps. my daughter (will be three in december) is always sick with something. she was a preemie and has allergy and asthma issues–whenever she’s sick and is stuffy i always put a half of an onion on her bed by her head and she has never woken up in the morning still stuffy. also, you may want to invest in the new foaming hand sanitizer (it’s in a blue bottle by germ-x and i’ve only seen it at walmart) but it’s great for kids since it’s alcohol free and still kills germs. i also read somewhere (maybe parenthacks??) about a mom taping two tissues boxes together…one empty, one full, that way there was always a place to throw the used tissues. good luck and hoping your family feels better soon.
There is an over-the-counter medicine that I swear by, for the flu or when we start experiencing flu-like symptoms: it is called oscillococcinum. It is a homeopathic remedy from France and you can read about it at oscillo.com. (You can also sign up to receive their newsletters and coupons). Here in Michigan we can get it at local pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens. If we start taking this when a flu hits we (so far) have been able to get over it within a few days at most. Hope this helps.
Some other items to keep a good supply of just in case of illness:
*toilet paper…lots of it
*pain reliever/fever reducer for kids and adults
*Ginger ale…we always kept this in stock when I was an ER nurse
*saltine crackers
*instant mashed potatoes…great for when you are ready to start trying solid foods again
Loving these comments. Great tips!
I would like to share how you can make the ‘Clorox wipes’ very inexpensive.
You simply take a roll of paper towels (preferably one that is heavy not a thin roll) cut them in half with an electric knife, or any serrated knife you have will work.
Take the cardboard roll out of the middle this is where you will pull the towels through.
You need to take and find some type of container that will hold them easy it does not need to be fancy.
You will need to add 1 1/2 Cups water and a 1/2 Cup Bleach, this may need adjusting according to the paper towels.
The store purchased wipes are not recommended, because the Health Department says they do not have enough bleach in them to sanitize surfaces.
(I recently had the local Health Department tell us this with our local RELAY FOR LIFE event. They say don’t even buy the store type bleach wipes.)
I hope this helps.
Our family swears by elderberry syrup. It has anti-viral properties (read about its use in a bird flu study in Europe here http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Sambucol-fights-bird-flu-virus-in-lab) and has seemed to really help our family get over flu. Two of us are struggling with it now and are seeing good benefits! You can get it at Whole Foods under a number of producers; we are using Sambucux.
Oops, misspelled the brand name: it is Sambucus.
I like the oscillococcinum too, but don’t follow the directions on the package. By the nature of homeopathic remedies, taking one or two of those tiny pellets in the vial means that you are getting the same benefit as taking the whole thing. It is way too expensive otherwise! Also, rather than setting the garlic out I would dice or slice a clove and take it orally with some water. You don’t even have to chew it. Garlic is a great antiviral and inexpensive. I always keep it on hand and have successfully used it for everything from ear aches to sinus infections. Taking a teaspoon of raw honey will help with sore throats and coughs too. As far as a preventative try echinachia during this season. It is a herb that you can find in any drugstore. It boosts your immune system. Take it for 8 weeks followed by a 2 week break. I’ve also heard 10 days on, 4 days off. I pray that your family is feeling better soon!
When I ran a licensed daycare the only cleaner they approved of was a mixture of clorox bleach and water. This year I have mixed up a sprayer bottle of this and I’m keeping it right in the bathroom. This way I can spray any mess and let it sit for a few moments to work. It has certainly helped reduce the spread of several viruses in our home. It is also very inexpensive. It’s not the best for the environment but it works. We were hit in our first week of homeschool in Sept by the H1N1 and within 24 hours I had one child in the hospital. We were not prepared! One last suggestion, they make a prescription med that reduces neausea, get some. I couldn’t believe how quickly things turned around when my kids started this med and could drink and eat soft foods.
My child also had to be treated in the ER,and received Zofran – an anti-nausea medicine, first by IV, then in pills to take home.
It made all the difference in the world, giving her the ability to keep fluids down. Both kids were treated with Tamiflu, and while it is expensive, they definitely improved even after just a few doses of that.
As Lisa said, children can become very sick very quickly with this flu. My child went from seemingly normal to dangerously dehydrated and very ill within 24 hours. PLEASE err on the side of caution and watch your children closely if they become ill!
You can also use Thieves’ Oil.
Thieves Oil:
1 cup jojoba oil (or you can use Almond or Grapeseed Oil)
1 tablespoon Clove Bud Oil
1 tablespoon Lemon Oil
2½ teaspoons Cinnamon Oil
2 teaspoons Rosemary Oil
2 teaspoons Eucalyptus Oil
Mix all the oils into a glass bowl (jojoba has a longer shelf life than Almond or Grapeseed Oil and can be stored for up to 2 years). I purchased ½-ounce amber bottom round jars and a couple 2 ounce amber bottom round jars to store the Thieves Oil.
To use:
Dab a drop on your chest at bedtime and massage into your skin.
Carry a tiny vial in your purse and dab it on your neck during the day.
To clear the air in your home, boil a pot of water on the stove and add 2-3 drops of Thieves’ Oil to the simmering water. The anti-microbial and anti-bacterial aromatherapy properties will sanitize the air.
thanks so much for all these helpful comments. i have a bunch of little people in my house, and last Christmas we were hit very hard. this will help us be a little more proactive.
one other thing i have begun doing is giving my kids probiotics that my health foods friend recommended. they’re a bit pricey, but i figure in the long run it saves on doctor’s bills, prescriptions, etc. my kids won’t swallow the capsule, so i break them open and put them in their oatmeal. you can put it in juice, too, but i had a harder time trying to trick them with that!
So far my family has skirted the flu and any colds this year. We take Airborne (or a close facsimile) immediately upon feeling any cold type symptoms. It seems to knock it right out before the germs can set up house. I have also been using this home-made vinegar multi-purpose cleaner for a few years and we rarely have colds or flus:
Fill a spray bottle almost full of water, then add 1/4 C white vinegar and 3 Tbsp. liquid detergent.
Vinegar is said to have the same, if not better, anti-bacterial power that bleach has only, as you know, it’s safer for the environment.
I dole out vitamin C each day – chewable for the 10 year old, and Emergen-C (in water) for the big people.
I’ve noticed that when my 10 year old gets a cold, it only last for about 1 day, verses several days.
I’ve often wondered about the toothpaste being passed around. I will be investing in some travel tubes for the sickly.
Thanks for all the tips!