Medicines to cure acute respiratory infections. How to treat acute respiratory infections at home: reasons and recommendations

Infusions and herbal teas

Treatment of acute respiratory infections at home necessarily includes drinking plenty of fluids. However, not all types of drinks are suitable for treatment.

Fruit drinks and infusions from berries or leaves of lingonberry or cranberry help to remove toxins and "unload" the kidneys. Certified calendula flowers help to inhibit the development of inflammatory processes.

Boiled leaves and berries of raspberries or currants prevent the development of inflammatory processes, strengthen the immune system, help reduce fever and get rid of fever. It is also advisable to drink rosehip decoction.

Mint tea is especially helpful for those who have acute gastritis due to acute respiratory infections. Mint drinks normalize the work of the nervous system, improve digestion, and give a pleasant feeling of coolness. You can also add food or drinks with ginger root to your diet.

Vegetable juices

Also during illness it is necessary to drink black or green tea, more freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices.

For acute respiratory infections, juices from:

Juices strengthen the immune system due to vitamins and other beneficial substances, and also help stop the development of iron deficiency anemia.

Rinsing the nose

With a runny nose, you should not bury your nose with honey, oils, milk, plant juices - these substances provide nutrients for bacteria, which only enhances the growth of infection.

Also, you can not treat the nose with alcohol-containing infusions, onion juice, lemon and garlic. Aggressive substances injure mucous membranes, but practically do not harm pathogenic organisms. You cannot inhale soda for the same reason.

To treat the common cold, nasal rinsing can be performed. To do this, use a weak saline solution, a decoction of chamomile or mint. You can also inhale the aroma of essential oils: pine, orange, juniper, fir, lemon, lavender. The oils not only provide a slight antibacterial effect, but also help to calm headache and annoyance.

Gargling can help reduce swelling, pain and throat irritation. This measure also helps to protect the oral cavity from dental ailments that often occur against the background of acute respiratory infections. Flushing fluid oral cavity and the throat should be warm. The procedure can be carried out every 2-3 hours. You should not gargle too often. For rinsing, you can use a salt solution, green tea.

Brewed herbs are also suitable:

One procedure takes 30-60 seconds. After that, you can dissolve a small piece of cocoa butter - this will soften the throat, relieve pain when swallowing.

Additional ways

The apartment should be well ventilated, the room temperature should be about 25 degrees. Humidify the air if necessary. To do this, use a special apparatus or put a damp towel on the battery. It is advisable to rinse all surfaces with water and essential oils or saline solution.

There are other methods of dealing with acute respiratory infections at home:

Massage the nose helps relieve pain and ease breathing. It should be carried out in the forehead, bridge of the nose, near the wings of the nose;
Warm foot baths help warm up the body and get rid of ailments;
A sparing diet high in fiber can help you heal faster. Fatty and smoked, salted and fried foods, semi-finished products should be excluded from the diet;
If you have no appetite, you should drink chicken broth;
Massaging and rubbing your chest and back helps relieve muscle pain and weakness.

And, of course, the main and most effective recipe quick treatment ARI is good rest, good sleep and peace of mind.

Every year from 20 to 40 million people suffer from acute respiratory diseases (ARI), of which 45-60% are children. However, the diagnosis and treatment of acute respiratory diseases often cause certain difficulties for specialists, therefore, acute respiratory infections epidemics are still one of the most significant medical and socio-economic problems. On average, adults get sick with ARI 2-3 times a year, and children - up to 6-10 times a year. The causative agents of acute respiratory diseases are not only viruses, but various types of bacteria (Table 1). Therefore, in the treatment of acute respiratory infections, antiviral drugs, like antibiotics, are far from always effective. So, diseases of the upper respiratory tract bacterial and mycoplasma etiology lend itself well to antibacterial therapy, and with influenza, the administration of antibiotics only contributes to the depletion of the saprophytic flora, which can lead to a decrease in the immune status, indigestion and other complications. Establishing the exact cause of the disease can be difficult, laboratory tests may be required, which are carried out when an epidemic occurs.

Epidemiology

The infection is transmitted mainly by airborne droplets, but you can get infected through poorly washed hands and food. The entrance gates of rhinovirus infection are the nasal mucosa and the conjunctiva of the eye. Conversation, conversation, and even kissing are less important than a handshake.

Flu

Among all pathogens of acute respiratory infections, influenza occupies only 10-15%. When there is no epidemic, the flu is easy, since infection in most cases occurs with "habitual" low-virulent strains of influenza. However, during a pandemic, the incidence of influenza increases several times and the disease is much more severe.

The influenza virus, unlike other infectious agents, more strongly suppresses the immune system, often causing serious complications: pneumonia, myocarditis, meningitis, sinusitis, pyelonephritis, activation of latent pathologies. Specific signs of influenza - heat, pain in the eyeballs (a pathognomonic sign indicating a high degree of intoxication) and in the muscles. Manifestations from the upper respiratory tract are insignificant: sore throat, scanty runny nose and a small dry cough (Table 2).

During the season of annual epidemics, influenza affects at least 10% of the world's population, and during pandemics, the number of patients increases by 4-5 times.

Different viruses cause ARI depending on the season. For example, in the fall, the main pathogen is parainfluenza, leading to moderate intoxication, laryngitis, stenosing laryngotracheitis (croup), rhinitis and bronchitis. And in the winter period, respiratory syncytial infection is more common, characterized by the development of rhinopharyngitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and broncho-obstructive syndrome. The last weeks of summer and September are the time of enterovirus acute respiratory diseases, the season of "outbreaks" of morbidity in sanatoriums, children's camps, and kindergartens. And throughout the year, cases of adenovirus infection are regularly recorded.

During the period of the rise in the incidence of acute respiratory infections, the following are detected: influenza A virus - 16.4%; influenza B virus - 15.7%; parainfluenza virus type 1, 2, 3 - 4.3%; adenovirus - 16.4%; respiratory syncytial virus - 6.4%; virus herpes simplex — 2,1%; Mycoplasma pneumoniae - 2.1%; more than two viruses - 33%; no virus identified - 3.6%.

Clinic

With acute respiratory infections, patients always have two syndromes: general intoxication of the body and damage respiratory system at various levels. It is very difficult to diagnose acute respiratory infections caused by various pathogens, especially during the interepidemic period of influenza.

In all cases of acute respiratory infections, it is necessary to indicate the syndrome of the respiratory tract lesion, the period and day of the onset of the disease, the severity of the condition and the complications that have developed.

Airway inflammation syndrome includes the following types of lesions:

rhinitis;
pharyngitis;
laryngitis;
tracheitis;
bronchitis;
bronchiolitis.

The above conditions can occur in isolation, but are more often observed in various combinations.

It should be noted that bronchitis and bronchiolitis are considered as a component of acute respiratory infections, if they are accompanied by damage to the upper respiratory tract. In the absence of such changes and when combined with pneumonia, bronchitis and bronchiolitis are not classified as acute respiratory infections. For acute respiratory infections, only acute bronchitis is characteristic.

Each group of infectious pathogens selectively affects certain parts of the respiratory tract. Rhinovirus infection - epithelial cells of the nasal passages, and with adenoviral diseases - tonsillitis, pharyngitis with a pronounced exudative component in combination with conjunctivitis develop. With parainfluenza infection, the patient develops laryngitis, which in children can occur against the background of parainfluenza false croup (laryngeal stenosis 1-3 degrees).

Respiratory syncytial infection is localized mainly in the lower respiratory tract, the patient develops bronchitis and bronchiolitis.

Reproduction of the influenza virus occurs mainly in the upper and middle parts of the respiratory tract, but the presence of severe tracheitis is clinically characteristic.

The severity of the manifestations of general intoxication also depends on the etiological factor. The most "bright" intoxication is manifested in the flu. Already in the first hours of the disease, the body temperature reaches its maximum values \u200b\u200b- 39-40 ° C, but does not last very long: with influenza A - from 2 to 5 days, with influenza B - a little longer. The symptoms of general intoxication with parainfluenza, in contrast to the flu, are mild. The disease begins gradually, the symptoms intensify by 2-3 days, but the temperature remains subfebrile all the time - up to 38 ° C.

Adenoviral diseases begin acutely, the temperature rises to 38 ° C and above and sometimes lasts up to 10 days. However, general intoxication is less pronounced than with the flu. Even with a high fever, the state of health of patients remains relatively satisfactory.

Uncomplicated respiratory syncytial viral diseases occur with a slight increase in body temperature and minor manifestations of intoxication. A normal body temperature (less often a small subfebrile condition) is observed with rhinovirus disease.

Mycoplasma inflammation of the upper respiratory tract most often develops gradually, but lasts a long time.

Patients often insist on choosing homeopathic remedies for acute respiratory infections. However, most homeopathic remedies have no proven efficacy for acute respiratory infections. The effectiveness of most of these drugs is comparable or not significantly superior to that of placebo. In some homeopathic remedies, the active substance is in such concentrations that its presence in each dose (tablet, granule, drop) is doubtful. For example, preparations of animal extracts with a dilution of more than 200,000 times.

Complications

If a fever lasts more than 5 days or occurs in a patient after a short-term relief of the general condition, accompanied by chills or chills, a sharp headache localized in the frontal region, eyebrows, most likely this indicates complications, the most severe of which is infectious-toxic shock , manifested by acute cardiovascular failure, pulmonary edema and cerebral edema, disseminated intravascular coagulation. The fulminant (hypertoxic) form of influenza is caused by the development of an infectious-toxic shock already in the first day of the illness.

The most common complication of influenza is pneumonia, which can be primary (influenza), secondary (usually bacterial) and mixed (viral-bacterial).

It is quite simple to make a differential diagnosis between the above three conditions - if pneumonia develops within 1-3 days from the onset of the disease, it is more likely primary, at 3-7 - most often bacterial, after 7 - it can be either of one or another etiology. Pneumonia occurs in 15% of cases with influenza A (H1N1) and 26-30% with influenza A (H3N2) and B.

Treatment of acute respiratory diseases

All patients are assigned to bed rest during the febrile period. A diet rich in vitamins is recommended, drinking plenty of fluids - diaphoretic hot drinks from decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs - raspberries, viburnum or wild rose, warm alkaline mineral waters.

Antiviral drugs

For the treatment and prevention of influenza, the effectiveness of a number of etiotropic antiviral drugs.

The first generation includes drugs containing the adamantane nucleus, which are blockers of ion channels that are formed by the viral protein M2 and prevent the release of its genome for the start of transcription.

However, these drugs are powerless against the influenza B virus and some other strains and cause side effects... Recent studies of clinical isolates have shown that the percentage of influenza A virus strains resistant to adamantanes has increased tremendously globally, reaching up to 90% in some countries such as China and the United States.

The second generation drugs include relatively recently developed neuraminidase inhibitors: intranasally used zanamivir (Relenza) and oseltamivir (Tamiflu) used in capsules and suspensions for children. Zanamivir and oseltamivir are inhibitors of the influenza virus enzyme neuraminidase. Both drugs are effective against both influenza A and B viruses.

The disadvantages of virus-specific drugs include a narrow spectrum of action and the formation of resistant viral strains, which reduce their effectiveness. When prescribing antiviral drugs, you should always remember about the epidemiological situation. In the absence of an influenza epidemic, the use of these antiviral drugs is ineffective, given the insignificant percentage of influenza in the structure of acute respiratory infections (up to 10%).

Antibacterial drugs

It should be prescribed if there is a suspicion of a bacterial nature of the disease or the occurrence of complications - pneumonia, otitis media, sinusitis, urinary tract infections, severe forms of acute respiratory infections - especially with existing chronic foci of infection, for example, chronic sinusitis, pyelonephritis.

In Russia, 97% of the population buy antibiotics "just in case": to treat any infectious diseases, Acute respiratory infections, flu. Often, uncontrolled intake of antibacterial agents leads to antibiotic resistance. Irina Lytkina, head of the epidemiological surveillance department of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare in Moscow, believes that our compatriots are used to taking antibiotics without consulting a specialist, although this can have an extremely negative effect on health. So, in 16% of cases of infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, no currently existing drugs help. Despite the fact that in Russia there is an official ban of the Ministry of Health and Social Development on the sale of antibiotics without a prescription, according to representatives of Rospotrebnadzor, pharmacy employees easily bypass this restriction, since the fine for violating it is only 100 rubles.

Symptomatic remedies

Clinical experience shows that the best results in the treatment of viral diseases can be achieved using the full arsenal of the above means (Fig.). However, in practice, in the treatment of viral diseases, specialists more often use symptomatic agents, giving preference to complex preparations containing several active substances aimed at eliminating the symptoms of acute respiratory infections: cough, sore throat, swelling of the nasopharynx, fever with chills, general weakness, headache, myalgias and arthralgia, which patients can hardly tolerate. Multicomponent symptomatic remedies contain balanced doses of drugs, which reduce the risk of overdose. They are convenient to use - one drug instead of several. In addition, treatment is cheaper. Almost all of these drugs can be dispensed without a doctor's prescription.

Either an antipyretic analgesic (paracetamol) or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, etc.) is used as the main substance.

Taking medications containing acetylsalicylic acid, especially with influenza, chickenpox and infections caused by Coxsackie viruses, is dangerous in children under 15 years of age, since it can cause Reye's syndrome, characterized by encephalopathy and acute fatty liver disease, which quickly leads to liver failure.

Due to its high efficacy and safety profile, paracetamol is considered as a first-line therapy in the treatment of fever and pain relief in patients of different groups, including children and the elderly. It is believed that the pronounced analgesic effect of the drug is associated with its ability to accumulate in the central nervous system, brain and spinal cord and reduce the formation of prostaglandins by inhibiting the isoform of the enzyme cyclooxygenase - COX-3.

The analgesic effect is associated with peripheral blocking of impulses on the bradykinin-sensitive chemoreceptors responsible for the onset of pain. Unlike other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the effect of paracetamol on prostaglandin synthesis is limited to the centers of thermoregulation and pain in the hypothalamus and does not affect other organs and tissues. For this reason, erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, manifestations of bronchospasm when taking paracetamol develop extremely rarely, the drug does not affect the renal blood flow and platelet aggregation. The possibility of developing liver damage is associated mainly with long-term use of paracetamol in doses that significantly exceed the recommended maximum.

Decongestants are used in combination preparations. Ephedrine was one of the first drugs in this group. Currently, phenylpropanolamine, pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine are used, which have a lower frequency of undesirable effects compared to ephedrine. These drugs stimulate the alpha-1-adrenergic receptors of the vascular wall, which leads to their narrowing, decreased permeability, edema of the nasal mucosa, the amount of discharge from the nose and the restoration of free nasal breathing.

However, due to the activation of adrenergic structures, these drugs can, to varying degrees, increase blood pressure, myocardial oxygen demand, increase the likelihood of cardiac arrhythmias in patients with cardiovascular risks, and cause anxiety and insomnia.

According to the results of a large epidemiological study conducted in 2001 in the United States, the relationship of the development of hemorrhagic stroke with the use of phenylpropanolamine was shown.

Phenylephrine is the only systemic decongestant approved for over-the-counter use in Russian Federation as part of combined agents for acute respiratory infections and influenza. At a dose of 10 mg, phenylephrine effectively reduces swelling of the nasal passages in patients with rhinitis. At this dose, it does not raise blood pressure and has no central stimulating effect. Unlike adrenergic agonists, which are used topically, phenyl-ephrine does not cause irritation or dryness of the nasal mucosa, the development of drug-induced rhinitis.

The composition of the combined funds often includes blockers of H1-histamine receptors of the 1st generation: pheniramine, chlorpheniramine, promethazine. These drugs potentiate the antiexudative effect of alpha-1-adrenergic receptor stimulants. I generation H1-histamine receptor blockers have sedative properties and improve sleep. At the same time, they should be administered with caution to patients engaged in activities requiring increased attention and quick reactions, primarily driving a car.

Physicians should inform patients about the inadmissibility of driving a car and performing work associated with high concentration of attention when prescribing H1-histamine receptor blockers of the first generation. Chlorpheniramine - 4%, pheniramine - 8.3% has the minimum frequency of sedation among the most popular antihistamines in combination drugs.

To increase the performance of patients with acute respiratory infections, eliminate the feeling of lethargy, reduce headache associated with vasoconstriction (narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels), some combination drugs include caffeine, which also prevents the sedative effect of antihistamines. However, these drugs can raise blood pressure and cause anxiety and insomnia.

Sometimes manufacturers add ascorbic acid to combined preparations, which has a complex and pathogenetic effect, which is necessary for acute respiratory infections and influenza. Ascorbic acid stimulates the production of endogenous interferon, normalizes lipid peroxidation processes, strengthens the vascular wall, reducing its permeability, and replenishes the body's need for vitamin C, which is increased during acute respiratory infections and influenza. The daily requirement of a healthy adult for ascorbic acid is 70-100 mg, and during illness - even higher, but not more than 200 mg per day, since the increased dose is not absorbed by the body and is excreted in the urine unchanged. And an excess of ascorbic acid can cause various undesirable side effects: allergic reactions, irritation of the gastrointestinal tract mucosa, exacerbation of urolithiasis.

In addition, it is worth noting that the most promising and beneficial for patients should still be considered drugs with a 3-component composition - antipyretic, decongestant and antihistamine (preferably pheniramine / chlorpheniramine), such a combination allows you to fight most of the typical symptoms, which makes it possible to use one drug for the treatment of most acute respiratory infections.

The choice of complex drugs in the treatment of acute respiratory infections should be differentiated: it is necessary to take into account the clinical picture of the disease, the level of safety, concomitant diseases, the conditions in which the patient is: at home, at work or while driving. One of the optimal symptomatic remedies to counteract the unpleasant manifestations of influenza and acute respiratory infections is TeraFlu for influenza and colds Extra - a complex drug with an enhanced formula that quickly relieves all the main symptoms characteristic of influenza: fever, headache, body aches, chills, pain in eyes, as well as local symptoms: runny nose and nasal congestion, sore throat.

TheraFlu preparation for influenza and colds Extra contains paracetamol (650 mg), pheniramine maleate (20 mg) and phenylephrine hydrochloride (10 mg), due to which it quickly eliminates the negative manifestations of acute respiratory infections and influenza. The drug is indispensable at work, when you urgently need to "regain shape", but, of course, the best effect is brought by taking the drug before bedtime, at night.

Benefits of combined symptomatic drugs:

quickly relieve all the main symptoms of influenza and acute respiratory infections, thanks to the combined formula of several active substances;
contain optimally selected doses of active ingredients;
make the use convenient and cost-effective (one drug instead of several);
can be used for self-treatment by patients (dispensed without a doctor's prescription);
allow you to quickly and effectively improve the quality of life.

Literature

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Guide to Infectious Diseases (edited by Yu. V. Lobzin). SPb: "Foliant", 2000.932 p.
Bartoett J.Respiratory tract infections. M.-SPb: ZAO "Publishing house BINOM" - "Nevsky dialect", 2000. 192 p.
Turyanov M. Kh., Tsaregorodtsev A. D., Lobzin Yu. V. Infectious diseases. M .: GEOTAR Medicine, 1998, 1566-1569 p.
Clinical review of the use of homeopathic remedies in clinical practice. Part 1 // Lancet. 2005, Aug-Sep, 726-732.
Clinical review of the use of homeopathic remedies in clinical practice. Part 2 // Lancet. 2009, August, 117-124.
Pokrovsky V.I., Pak S.G., Briko N.I., Danilkin B.K.Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology: Textbook. 2nd ed. M .: GEOTAR-Media, 2007.816 p.
Sinopalnikov A.I., Belotserkovskaya Yu. G.Influenza // Attending Physician. 2007. No. 8. S. 16-21.
Bakradze M.D., Tatochenko V.K., Namazova L.S. et al. Neuraminidase inhibitors. New possibilities in the treatment of influenza // Pediatric Pharmacology. 2007. T. 4. No. 2. S. 1-9.
Zharkova N.E. Symptomatic treatment of ARVI: the future belongs to combined drugs // Russian medical journal. 2007, vol. 15, no. 22, p. 1636-1639.
Lipatova M.K.Social significance of ARVI and the urgency of symptomatic treatment // Russian medical journal. 2006, v. 14, no. 24, p. 1569-1574.
Didkovsky N.A., Malashenkova I.K., Tanasova A.N. Fever and Reye's syndrome in children // Medical class. 2003, No. 1, p. 87-90.
McQuay H. J., Edwards J. E., Moore R. A. Mechanism of action of anti-inflammatory drugs // Am. J Ther. 2000. Vol. 9.P. 179-187.
Belousov Yu.B., Gurevich K., Zyryanov S.K. The effectiveness and safety of drugs used in ARVI and influenza // Russian medical journal. 2004, vol. 12, no. 2, p. 80-83.
Pchelintsev M.V. New clinical and pharmacological aspects of symptomatic therapy of ARVI and influenza // Russian medical journal. 2009, vol. 17, no. 14, p. 924-928.
Maleev V.V. The role of neuraminidase inhibitors in the prevention and treatment of influenza // Klin. pharmacology and therapy. 2007. T. 16.No. 1, p. 1-6.
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R. V. Gorenkov, doctor of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor

Sore throat and joints, fever and lack of appetite. Having noticed them in yourself, you should start treatment as soon as possible. And here it is not recommended to use medications, as they have many side effects, which means they will cause even more damage to the body. It is better to use proven folk remedies and a number of recommendations. Then it will be possible to get rid of acute respiratory infections quickly without harming health.

Drink plenty of fluids and stay in bed

With acute respiratory infections, first of all, you need to start drinking more liquid - at least 8 glasses a day. It is important to understand here that sugary sodas will not be beneficial. It is necessary to make herbal decoctions that have healing properties. You can cook them with chamomile, mint, linden and anise. If you like green tea, be sure to drink it with raspberries every 1-2 hours.

You can make hot punch - this is an old proven remedy that allows you to quickly get rid of ORM. To prepare it, take a glass of hot water, 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice and 25 g of honey. Stir all these ingredients together and enjoy the finished punch to your health.

Along with this, you will need to include chicken broth in your diet. According to medical research, it alleviates the inflammatory response to colds and lowers fever. Therefore, it must be consumed in large quantities.

Compliance with the pastel mode is mandatory. It will benefit your health, the body will be able to overcome viruses much faster, which means that there will be no complications.

Treatment of acute respiratory infections with folk remedies

If you notice the symptoms of a cold, you should start rubbing your chest with an ointment with essential oils. It will make you feel better and reduce swelling of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract. Along with this, it is recommended to breathe over the steam. You can boil the potatoes, bend over the pot, and cover your head with a towel. The duration of such a procedure should be about 15 minutes.

If you have a sore throat, then gargle it every 2-3 hours. To do this, prepare a warm solution with baking soda. It should be used in the amount of ¼ teaspoon per 150 ml of water. You can also add a pinch of salt there. And in order to get rid of a runny nose, you should use carrot or beet juice, it is slightly diluted in boiled water, and then one drop is instilled into the nose.

Acute respiratory viral disease (ARI) is a collective concept that includes respiratory pathologists. They are caused by pathogenic microorganisms.

During a decrease in temperature indicators, the likelihood of respiratory infections increases several times.

To correctly determine the cause and diagnose, the doctor finds out the main symptoms. Usually it is a runny nose, muscle aches, cough, fever, watery eyes, sore throat, sneezing.

If the body's immune defense is high, the disease does not develop and stops at an early stage. It even happens that the patient does not notice acute respiratory infections in himself, and transfers it on his feet, writing off the symptoms as banal overwork.

Treatment of acute respiratory diseases does not provide for the patient being in the hospital. It is quite possible to be treated at home.

Stages of therapy

There is no recipe that tells you how to quickly cure acute respiratory infections. But there are a lot of recommendations on how to speed up this process, relieve symptoms and prevent complications from a cold.

To respiratory disease retreated, treatment should be started comprehensively. Getting rid of the disease usually consists of 3 consecutive stages:

Restore the drainage capacity of the bronchi. At this stage, oral and nasal inhalations are done. This allows the respiratory tract to return to its protective function;
Fight infection. The human body is quite capable of combating acute respiratory infections on its own, but this requires bed rest;
Correct immunity. In order for an organism weakened after an illness to recover, it really needs vitamins and minerals.

Naturally, the cold itself goes away after a week. However, is there any confidence that the body will get out of the disease without loss of strength and a quick relapse? Therefore, it is impossible to let ARI take its course and ignore the treatment.

Many patients prefer to be treated at home folk methods, which is not always justified. The ideal option is treatment with medications recommended by a doctor and the use of alternative medicine prescriptions as a supplement. Only under this condition can we expect a good result and positive dynamics.

You should know that there is a clear rule - when viral infections antibiotics are not used, accordingly, you need to know exactly what antibiotics to take for ARVI and flu. They are only needed if:

a bacterium has joined the virus;
cold symptoms do not go away by the tenth day after the onset of the illness.

How will traditional medicine help?

At home, use a variety of remedies made on the basis of medicinal plants. If they are selected and prepared correctly, it is possible to improve the patient's well-being faster.

Raspberries are considered the classic "medicine" for colds. She is capable of:

reduce body temperature;
have anti-inflammatory effects.

In addition, the berry helps to restore the body's immune defenses. You can eat raspberries in any form. Fortified teas are made from it, which help flush the infection out of the body. It is enough for treatment to pour 2 tablespoons of raspberry jam into hot water, drink a drink and sweat under a blanket.

Cow or goat milk can cope with dry cough. It is useful, if there is no allergy, to add bee honey to it. This nutritional composition coats the throat mucosa and helps to reduce the symptoms of acute respiratory infections.

Even for colds, onions and garlic help. Due to the presence of phytoncides in their composition, it is possible to heal faster. The recipe is simple:

chop 1 clove of garlic;
add 5 drops of onion juice to it;
mix the mass with 3 tablespoons of honey.

Take the treatment for 1 teaspoon up to 5 times a day. You need to drink it with warm water to prevent burns of mucous membranes.

Onion inhalation can be done. They help with coughs and runny nose. To cleanse the respiratory tract, rinse the teapot with boiling water, put chopped onions in it. The lid of the kettle is closed and vapors are inhaled through the spout.

If necessary, heat the kettle in the microwave.

You can repeat the procedure every day, especially in the midst of an epidemic.

Herbal treatment

In acute respiratory diseases, medicinal plants are brewed, insisted on alcohol, and compresses and lotions are made from them.

The most popular and effective recipes today should be called:

decrease in temperature. Take 2 tablespoons of crushed currant leaves, steamed in 1 liter of boiling water, and leave for 10 minutes. The broth is drunk during the day. If necessary, the liquid is heated or simply stored in a thermos;
increased immune protection. 1 teaspoon of elderberry color is brewed with a glass of boiling water. You need to drink before bed;
inhalation for the nose. Put 3 tablespoons of any herb (thyme, mint, sage, eucalyptus) in a container, add half a liter of water, bring to a boil. The broth is cooled and at this time they breathe steam;
gargling. Calendula, string, chamomile, calamus, wild rosemary or oregano (4 tablespoons) are poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water, heated over low heat for 10 minutes, cooled and used every day to gargle. It is allowed to do a soda rinse every day: take 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of warm water.

Many home treatments involve drinking plenty of fluids. This not only helps to loosen dry coughs, but also quickly remove toxins from the body.

Treatment of children

If an infant falls ill, treatment with folk methods should be under the strict supervision of a pediatrician! In children, any diseases, including viral ones, are difficult. It is extremely difficult for a fragile body to overcome an infection.

It is important to follow your doctor's orders as closely as possible. When the treatment is incorrect, the child runs the risk of serious complications from acute respiratory infections: otitis media, meningitis, tonsillitis.

Of all the methods allowed for a child, the following should be considered:

to facilitate breathing in the crib, lay a napkin with a drop of eucalyptus oil;
if it is difficult to suction mucus, you can drip 1 drop of Kalanchoe juice into the nose. This will provoke sneezing and clearing of the nasal passages;
for coughing, heat coarse kitchen salt in a dry frying pan, pour it into a diaper folded several times. Such a compress is applied to the patient's chest, having previously put on a cotton shirt, and covered with a blanket on top.

If the child does not have allergies, a vitamin drink is prepared every day. You should take 3 teaspoons of rose hips, 1 teaspoon each of chamomile flowers and nettle leaves.

Raw materials are poured with boiling water and infused for 4 hours. You should drink this broth all day long.

Treatment for a nursing mother

The treatment of nursing women is especially careful. For example, they are not allowed honey, because it can provoke an allergic reaction in a child. Not all women are allowed raspberries, and onions or garlic can seriously impair the taste of breast milk.

frequent heavy drinking;
bed rest;
local expectorants;
herbal medicine (decoctions, inhalations, gargling, aromatic baths).

Modern doctors insist that for a while colds to refuse breastfeeding not necessary. The child, along with the mother's milk, receives antibodies to viruses, which helps to strengthen the immune system.

The only caveat is the need for treatment with antibiotics that are not compatible with lactation.

How to warn?

Prevention measures are simple and can be applied by everyone. So, in the cold season it follows:

increase the use of ascorbic acid;
add onions, garlic to the diet.

Before going to crowded places or traveling on public transport, it is useful to lubricate the nostrils with Oxolinic ointment. It is allowed for children.

You can get a cold even in summer. Therefore, you should refrain from prolonged rest under the turned on fan, air conditioning

If there is a feeling of an approaching ARI, you can prepare mulled wine. Cahors are heated over low heat, add a spoonful of honey, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves to it. When ready, pour a tablespoon of lemon juice into the drink. Mulled wine is drunk before bedtime.

Don't forget about tempering, exercise and an active lifestyle. These simple actions will help strengthen the body's immune defenses and reduce the risk of contracting acute respiratory infections.

this article will demonstrate how you can manage ARI treatment at home, and what you need to do for this.

http://stopgripp.ru

ARI (ARVI) is an acute respiratory disease that includes several infectious diseases affecting the upper respiratory tract. They are transmitted by airborne droplets. Every year, with the onset of cold weather, the number of people diagnosed with acute respiratory infections or influenza increases.

To prevent the disease from getting worse, it is important to notice the symptoms in time and determine the cause, and then immediately start treatment.

ARI - what is it

The disease develops when pathogens enter the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, which subsequently multiply and this leads to the occurrence of inflammatory processes, as well as various complications, and this leads to the manifestation of various symptoms. The incubation period lasts 12-48 hours for influenza, as well as 1-14 days for other variants of acute respiratory infections. This disease can be triggered by the action of microbial, viral or mixed pathogens.

ARI - symptoms

In order not to aggravate your own condition, it is necessary to determine the disease as early as possible. The first symptoms can already be recognized by 3-4 days, but they appear smoothly, constantly increasing.

Signs of acute respiratory infections in adults:

If you do not pay attention to the symptoms in time, then ARVI can become complicated and turn into laryngitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis and pneumonia.

ARI - causes

Scientifically proven that ARVI can be caused by more than 200 various viruses, many of which are transmitted by airborne droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks, etc. The infection can also spread through common household items and dishes. Acute respiratory infections can develop due to influenza, adenovirus, rhinovirus, coronavirus, etc.

The source of infection is a sick person during the incubation period. Mostly adults who have a weakened immune system are prone to the disease, and this happens due to severe stress, poor nutrition, hypothermia, chronic infections and poor ecology.

ARI - how to treat

Many people make a serious mistake and do not pay attention to the first symptoms. As a result, the disease drags on and the condition only gets worse. It is necessary to consult a doctor so that he selects the right medicines, and to enhance the result, you can supplement medicines with folk recipes.

Drug treatment

To date, there are various drugs that can remove symptoms and get better.

Treatment of acute respiratory infections should be as follows:

Alternative treatment

Since ancient times, people have been using various herbs and other foods to help manage symptoms.

How to treat acute respiratory infections at home:

Treatment of acute respiratory infections should be carried out, observing some rules. It is recommended to adhere to bed rest, which will allow you not to waste energy on unnecessary actions. It is important to check the room regularly, as well as do wet cleaning, as dust only aggravates the situation.

In case of ARVI, it is important to ensure that there are no drafts, so it is worth leaving the room during ventilation. For both adults and children, it is important to drink plenty of water, as well as warm liquids when sick.

Now you know how to quickly determine the occurrence of influenza and other ARVI diseases in adults, as well as which drug or folk recipe should be chosen to remove the disease. Consider these recommendations and then recovery will come as quickly as possible.

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ARI in adults: symptoms and treatment

At any time of the year, with hypothermia of the body or individual organs, acute respiratory infections can occur, in everyday life known as the common cold. Reduced immunity, stress and overwork contribute to the disease. If you capture the very first symptoms of the disease, then it can be cured in a day or two without any complications.

ARI: what is it

Acute respiratory disease is an infectious disease that affects the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Toxins from the respiratory tract penetrate into the general bloodstream and cause intoxication of the body.

The causative agents of acute respiratory infections are divided into 3 main groups:

viruses (flu is a type of cold);
bacteria (pneumococcus, staphylococcus, streptococcus);
mycoplasma (mycoplasma infections are extremely rare).

Viruses or pathogenic bacteria are transmitted by airborne droplets, through dishes and other household items, in public places, if you do not wash your hands in a timely manner.

The causative agents of the disease enter the respiratory tract, multiply on the mucous membranes and release toxins. There is a simultaneous damage to the respiratory tract and general intoxication of the body.

ARI: symptoms

What are the symptoms of acute respiratory infections in adults? It depends on immunity. With strong immunity, the manifestations of acute respiratory infections can be insignificant: a small runny nose and sore throat, which many endure "on their feet."

A weakened body will give out the whole list of ARI symptoms that will not allow you to continue life as usual.

How does ARI manifest?

Abundant transparent selection from the nose.
Sore throat, cough.
Headache and muscle aches.
Weakness appears, a desire to lie down, dizzy.
Fever, temperature rises.

ARI: what to do at the first symptoms

As soon as the first signs of acute respiratory infections appear in adults (runny nose, pain or just discomfort in the throat), you need to immediately respond to them. Coping with the disease at the very beginning is easier than treating the numerous complications of an infection that has penetrated "deep".

The disease itself will not go away - you need, at least, to support the body with the simplest means to relieve symptoms. A disease that is started or transferred on the legs threatens to turn into bronchitis, sinusitis, otitis media, or even pneumonia.

Sometimes acute respiratory infections can be seized at the very beginning and interrupt the inflammatory process: it is enough to immediately steam your legs, warm up well with the help of mustard plasters, a heating pad and warm drink, rest and sleep. After that, it is enough to take care of it for a few days: avoid hypothermia and heavy loads, rest more.

ARI: typical mistakes of patients

Error 1... Ignoring the first symptoms of the disease, continuing the usual active lifestyle up to sports.
What is dangerous. the disease will give complications that will have to be treated, falling out of active life for a long time.
What to do. at the first manifestations of the disease, start treatment, give yourself the opportunity to rest and overcome the disease.
Error 2... Taking a wide variety of medications, including antibiotics.
What is dangerous. unnecessary medicines only clog and weaken the body. Antibiotics are completely useless in the treatment of viral acute respiratory infections.
What to do. the first symptoms of acute respiratory infections can be stopped by simple folk remedies: steam your feet, drink hot tea. It is better to take medications as directed by your doctor.
Error 3... Self-treatment without the help of a doctor.
What is dangerous. if within 3 days folk remedies and self-medication does not help, then the disease is serious enough and requires the intervention of a specialist.
What to do. see a doctor to avoid serious complications.

ARI: home treatment

Any treatment for acute respiratory infections in adults begins with the removal of unpleasant symptoms: a runny nose, cough, weakness and temperature.

In order for the body to fight the disease, it must be allowed to rest. Forget about unimportant matters and do only the most necessary - everything can be done later, when the disease recedes. Spend as much time as possible in bed rest. If you put a heating pad under the blanket, put on warm socks, wrap yourself well, drink hot tea and sweat - this is already a treatment.

It is advisable to subject the room to wet cleaning every day and be sure to ventilate - in order to get rid of pathogens.

You can protect family members from infection if you have minimal contact with them, separate the sick towel and dishes.

When ARI occurs, treatment in adults is well accompanied by constant warming up of the body.

What else can you do?

Hot drink... The fluid will help flush out toxins from the body. Hot tea with honey, lemon, raspberry or black currant jam, herbal teas, ginger tea, warm compote or fruit drink are drunk in large quantities - up to 8 glasses a day.

Foot baths... The legs are immersed in a basin with hot (as far as you can stand) water. You can add a handful of salt or mustard to the water. The legs, together with the basin, are covered with a large towel so that the water does not cool down, and very hot water is poured several times. Legs soar for 15-20 minutes, and only if there is no temperature. In this case, the patient must be wrapped up. After the bath, they wipe their feet dry, put on warm socks, drink hot tea - and go to a warm bed.

Inhalation - warm up the respiratory tract well. You can breathe over boiling water, to which a few drops of essential oil or medicinal herbs are added. Potato inhalation will help with coughing: potatoes are boiled in a peel, kneaded and breathed over the steam until it cools down. Cover the head with a cup with a large towel.

Essential oils for inhalation: eucalyptus, mint, tea tree.

Herbs for inhalation: chamomile, sage, coltsfoot.

Rinsing the nose and throat - help to flush bacteria and viruses from the respiratory tract, relieve swelling and inflammation. The simplest and most effective rinsing is with a solution sea \u200b\u200bsalt... For gargling, take a teaspoon, for the nose - a quarter of a spoon.

If the throat is very red, a purulent bloom has appeared, you can rinse it with a solution of furacilin (2 tablets are poured with a glass of boiling water), a solution of a teaspoon of salt, soda and 10 drops of iodine in a glass of water.

You can also gargle with chamomile or sage decoctions.

ARI: drugs

What medications and how to treat acute respiratory infections in adults correctly?
Medications when used judiciously, it is very effective against the symptoms and causes of respiratory infections.
What drugs will the doctor prescribe for the treatment of acute respiratory infections? First of all, remedies for relieving symptoms.

High fever and pain .

Temperature is believed to be the body's most effective response to treatment respiratory infection... It is not recommended to knock down temperatures below 38.5 ° C. But if convulsions appear, confusion of consciousness, then it is imperative to fight the fever.

What should I take? Paracetamol (Panadol), ibuprofen (ibufen) Coldrex, Aspirin UPSA.

Vasoconstrictor drugs: Sanorin (0.1% solution or emulsion), Naphthyzin or Galazolin - a drop or two in each nostril up to 4 times a day.

When a dry cough without phlegm appears, antitussive drugs are prescribed that suppress it: Codeine, Ledin, Tusuprex, Libeksin, Sinekod, Falimint.
When sputum appears, you cannot take antitussive drugs - the sputum will remain in the bronchi and cause a powerful inflammatory process. To get rid of the sputum that appears, expectorants and mucolytics are used, which dilute sputum and promote its excretion: ACC, Ambrobene, Lazolvan, Gerbion, Gedelix, Fluimucil.
When serious treatment of acute respiratory infections in adults is required, drugs are aimed at eliminating the causes of the disease and maintaining the body.

Vitamins... In addition to multivitamins, taking vitamins C (2-3 tablets a day) and P (1-2 tablets) helps.
Antiviral drugs (if ARI is of viral origin).
Interferon diluted with warm water in a capsule and instilled into the nose every 2-3 hours, 5 drops.
Remantadine... Tablets 50 mg drink 2 tablets per dose. On the first day 3 doses, 2 and 3 days - 2 doses, 4th day - 1 dose.
Antibiotic... It is prescribed for bacterial and mycoplasma infections, complications of acute respiratory infections in the form of sinusitis, bronchitis, otitis media, etc.

Traditional medicine recipes

Mash 3 cloves of garlic and mix with lemon juice. A teaspoon of the mixture is diluted in a glass of water and drunk several times a day.

The onion is rubbed and mixed with goose fat. A spoonful of the composition can be eaten on an empty stomach, they also rub the chest with it and wrap it warmly.

Raspberry jam - added to tea or diluted with boiling water and drunk without restrictions.

A radish will effectively help cough. Cut off the top of a radish with a "tail" and select the core. This "cup" is half filled with honey and placed in a glass of water so that the "tail" is submerged in the water. Drink juice in a teaspoon 4-5 times a day. Radish is used no more than 2 days.

Linden blossom (a tablespoon) is poured with a cup of boiling water and drunk hot after 20 minutes. You can drink during the day and at night - it is a diaphoretic.

Hot milk with honey is drunk at night.

Chicken bouillon. Scientific fact - hot chicken broth reduces the body's response to inflammatory processes, improving the general well-being of the patient.
Herbal decoctions help reduce intoxication of the body, have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and restorative effects. For colds, decoctions of chamomile, sage, coltsfoot, mint will help.

ARI: a doctor is urgently needed

If the following symptoms appear, you should immediately see a doctor:

For more than 2 days, the temperature remains above 38.5 ° C.
The cough is accompanied by a discharge of purulent sputum of a yellow-green color.
There were chest pains when coughing or inhaling, shortness of breath, headaches, pain in the forehead, in the ear.
Be sure to consult a doctor when an acute respiratory disease appears to persons who are sick chronic bronchitis or heart disease.

Timely treatment of acute respiratory infections will help to quickly cope with the disease and avoid complications.