Mommy Goes Green

Here are some great swine flu prevention tips from Dr. Vinay Goyal.  

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps not fully highlighted in most official communications – can be practiced:

• “Hands-off-the-face” approach except to eat, bathe, etc.
• Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected person. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
• Clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water, swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
• Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C, or Vitamin C tablets that contain Zinc to boost absorption.
• Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive.

I’ve seen these tips posted in a few other places and there are often comments stating “my grandparents recommend the same thing”.  Sounds like these simple tips have been forgotten by younger generations.  I drink coffee everyday – hope that counts for warm beverages   I need to work on the gargling bit.  As for cleaning my nostrils ( a Neti pot does the same thing ) – I haven’t quite jumped on that bandwagon yet – have you?