Flu

Like the common cold, the flu is a viral infection that targets the upper respiratory tract. But of the two conditions, the flu- short for influenza-is much more severe.

In the United States, the worst flu out­ breaks usually occur in the winter months, from December to early March. The entire flu season stretches from Thanksgiving to Easter. In that time, flu viruses fell some 40 million Americans, knocking them off their feet for a week to 10 days.

There are three types of flu viruses, designated as A, B, or C. Type A flu produces the worst symptoms and the most complications, says Nancy Arden, R.N., research associate in the department of microbiology and immunology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. By comparison, Type B flu tends to have less serious symptoms and doesn't last as long. And the symptoms of Type C flu are so mild that it barely qualifies as an illness. When public health officials talk about the flu, they're referring to either Type A or Type B strains. New strains of each flu virus emerge every year, which explains how they manage to stay one step ahead of your immune system.

Flu viruses are easily transmitted through the air. You just have to inhale to get infected. Cold viruses spread in the same way, but for some reason, they're not as potent as flu viruses. "If you put a person with a cold in a room full of healthy people, several of them will get sick," Arden says. "But if you put a person with the flu in that same room, most of those people will get sick within 1 to 3 days."

There's another crucial difference between a cold and the flu. At its worst, a cold might lead to bronchitis or a sinus infection-both unpleasant but curable. But the flu can be fatal if it progresses to an infectious condition called bacterial pneumonia.

"Most people still consider the flu no big deal. That's a big mistake;" says flu specialist Steven Mostow, M.D., associate dean for outreach and professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and University Hospital in Denver. "Even if you're healthy and in the prime of life, the flu can knock you flat on your back for a week." The infection is even harder on people who are up in years or who have chronic respiratory problems.

Fortunately, there's a lot that you can do to take some of the misery out of the flu. For starters, take your pick of the following remedies.

Best Choices

Nutrition

Slurp your meals. For a day or two, consume only liquids-water, juices, teas, and soups. "Digesting liquids requires a lot less energy than digesting foods;" says Alan P. Brauer, M.D. "This means that your body has more energy to fight the flu."

Add mushrooms to your soup. If you eat soup while you're sick, make it mushroom. But not just any old mushroom, says Mindy Green, an herbalist in Boulder, Colorado, and coauthor of Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art. You want shiitake, maitake, and reishi mushrooms, which have been shown in studies to boost the body's immune response.

Herbal Medicine

Ease symptoms with echinacea. In a German study, people with flu symptoms took 900 milligrams of echinacea extract, 450 milligrams of the extract, or a placebo (a fake pill) every day. Those on the 900-milligram regimen developed much milder symptoms than those on either the 450-milligram regimen or the placebo.

Most herbalists recommend using liquid echinacea extracts, which are sold in vials in health food stores. The dose in the German study, 900 milligrams, equals about 1 tablespoon of extract.

"You can also buy echinacea tincture premixed with goldenseal, which has some antiviral action;" says Alan Gaby, M.D. "These herbs make a good combination for treating flu." Follow the package directions for proper dosage.

Get some ginger aid. "Ginger contains a dozen antiviral compounds;" says James A. Duke, Ph.D. "And unlike many medicinal herbs, it tastes good." To make a tea, add 1 heaping teaspoon of grated fresh gingerroot to 1 cup of boiled water. Let steep for 10 minutes, then strain. Drink up to four cupfuls a day.

Test Sambucol. An herbal flu medicine, Sambucol is made from sweet black elderberries. Elderberries have a long folk history as a treatment for flu as well as for colds and fever. Sambucol is available in many health food stores and some drugstores. An Israeli study shows that it helps.

Homeopathy

Buy Oscillococcinum. The most effective homeopathic flu preparation has a tongue twister of a name: Oscillococcinum (pronounced "AH-sill-oh-cock-SINE-um"). In a French study, doctors gave either Oscillococcinum or a placebo to 487 people with flu symptoms. The study participants were asked to record their temperatures and other symptoms twice a day. Compared with the people taking the placebo, those taking the homeopathic medicine were almost twice as likely to report significant relief from their symptoms after 48 hours.

You can buy Oscillococcinum in most health food stores. Follow package directions for dosage. "The key to using Oscillococcinum is to start taking it during the first 48 hours that you have symptoms," says homeopath Dana Ullman. "If you wait longer, the remedy doesn't work as well."

Home Remedies

Drink plenty of fluids. A survey asked a large number of family doctors which home remedies they considered most important in treating flu. Seventynine percent of the physicians rated fluids "very important." Why? Because fever is dehydrating, and even minor dehydration aggravates flu symptoms. In addition, drinking warm fluids can help relieve sore throat, coughing, and nasal congestion. So consume as much water, juice, or tea as you can. Sip steadily throughout the day rather than guzzling a few big glasses.

Other Good Choices

Chinese Medicine

Calm the Wind, cool the Heat. According to Chinese medical philosophy, the flu results from an invasion of Wind that's aggravated by Heat from fever. "The flu is basically a Heat cold," says Efrem Korngold, a.M.D., L.Ac. For people with flu symptoms, he typically prescribes herbal formulas that contain some combination of chrysanthemum flowers, mulberry leaf, mint, peppermint, honeysuckle, forsythia buds, burdock seed, and licorice.

Press the right spots. About a dozen different acupressure points provide relief from flu symptoms. The following three points are recommended by Michael Reed Gach, founder and director of the Acupressure Institute. Using your fingertips, apply steady penetrating pressure to each point for 3 minutes.

• Bladder 2, located on either side of your nose, where the bridge of your nose meets the ridge of your eyebrows. This point relieves congestion and itchy eyes.
• Stomach 3, located at the bottom of either cheekbone, directly below your pupil. This point also relieves congestion and itchy eyes.
• Large Intestine 20, located on either cheek, in the groove beside each nostril. This point relieves nasal symptoms.

Medical Measures

To treat the flu, mainstream doctors typically prescribe one of two pharmaceuticals: amantadine (Symmetrel) or rimantadine (Flumadine). Either medicine can significantly reduce your symptoms, provided you start taking it within 48 hours of getting sick and continue for 3 to 5 days.

Both amantadine and rimantadine may cause side effects such as nervousness, anxiety, light-headedness, and difficulty concentrating. In one study, 14 percent of amantadine users reported at least one side effect, compared with 6 percent of rimantadine users and 4 percent of people taking a placebo.

Red Flags

Anyone over age 65 or with a chronic illness should see a doctor at the first sign of flu. The same applies to women who are pregnant.

In addition, doctors advise you to see your physician right away if you experience any of the following:

• Fever higher than 100°F that lasts longer than 5 days.
• Fever higher than 103°F
• Fever accompanied by sore throat, swollen glands under the jaw, and possibly a red, sandpaper-like rash
• Fever accompanied by a rash, stiff neck, severe headache, and marked irritability or confusion
• Difficulty breathing
• Nasal congestion that lasts longer than 7 days or causes ear pain, hearing loss, or headache with pain in the nose, cheeks, or upper teeth
• Coughing that lasts longer than 7 days or produces chest pain, wheezing, shortness of breath, or bloody, brown, or greenish mucus.