Doctors Say These Home Remedies Are Effective Against the Flu

You’ve probably felt it multiple times in your life: You begin feeling a little run down and fatigued. Your entire body, from your head, down to your fingers and toes, starts to ache. Your nose begins to run. Your throat starts to feel like it’s on fire. You reach for the thermometer, check your temperature, and yep—you’ve got a fever. 

Sounds like you’ve got the flu, or what we commonly refer to as trangkaso. 

The onset of the wet season in this country usually heralds the start of another period—flu season. Maybe it seems like you’re always down with something, or maybe it seems like everyone you know is sick. Either way, the influenza virus makes its rounds during flu season, and it seems like no one is immune. Because it’s so common, one of the first things people do is stay home, rest, and apply home remedies. But which home remedies actually work? Allure Philippines spoke to the experts—infectious disease specialists—to find out.     

Meet the experts

Arthur Dessi Roman, MD, MTM, FPCP, FPSMID, is an internist and infectious diseases and tropical medicine specialist and the head of the medical department at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, as well as a clinical associate professor at UP Philippine General Hospital, and an active consultant at Manila Doctors Hospital.

Gelza Mae Zabat, MD, MPH, FPCP, FPSMID, is an internist and infectious disease specialist at St. Luke’s Medical Center, Bonifacio Global City and Quezon City.

How do I know if I’ve got the flu?

“Most of the time, we know the flu as a common and mild respiratory infection,” says Dr. Roman. As it turns out, flu cases can vary from mild and manageable, to serious and life-threatening. 

Dr. Roman lists the common symptoms for the flu: “Fever or feeling feverish, chills, cough, sore throat or itchiness, runny or stuffy or congested nose, sneezing, muscle or body aches, headaches, and fatigue. Especially in children, vomiting and diarrhea may be present.”

Dr. Zabat stresses that symptoms should be monitored in patients who are very young, very old, and immunocompromised. “The influenza virus is notorious among viruses for causing other severe illnesses,” she explains. “Severe symptoms can include difficulty breathing and low oxygen levels that can come about, because of the development of pneumonia.”

What can I do on my own to manage it?

If your symptoms are mild, the flu can be managed at home, together with a lot of rest. These home remedies are what our experts suggest trying:

Gargle with warm salt water.

To ease a sore throat, Dr. Zabat suggests gargling with a mixture of warm water and salt. Dissolve half a teaspoon of rock salt into four to eight ounces of warm water, and swish it around in your mouth, spitting it out afterwards. Do this several times a day.

Do steam inhalation.

Try this if you have a clogged nose, Dr. Zabat suggests. Fill a warm basin with steaming hot water, drape a towel or cloth over your head and the basin, and inhale the steam. 

Increase your fluid intake.

Hydration is the single most important thing you can do when you have the flu, says Dr. Zabat. “The most important home remedy is to increase oral fluid intake, “ she says. “Fever and the infection itself can leave you dehydrated and with a dry throat, which makes the phlegm stickier and more difficult to cough out.”

Dr. Roman adds that drinking warm tea with some honey has the added benefit of alleviating an itchy and irritated throat.

Keep your strength up by eating comfort food.

It’s important to keep your strength up to fight off the virus. “Eating healthy is second to hydration,” says Dr. Zabat. “You may not have any appetite or food may taste different, but you need the nutrients. I usually tell my patients that if food tastes bad, they can eat fruits because somehow, fruits retain their natural taste.

Dr. Roman suggests comfort food for easy digestion—fresh fruits and vegetables, broths, soups, or lugaw.

Try lagundi.

“Lagundi is a common herbal medicine that has been proven to reduce cough,” Dr. Roman says, cautioning that there is no evidence for any other herbal medications that are effective for treating the flu. Lagundi is traditionally taken as a tea made from its leaves, but it is now also available in syrup and tablet form.

Check in with your doctor.

“See a doctor if you have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath that’s not just the usual nasal congestion, nausea, vomiting, or fever beyond two days,” says Dr. Roman. “As well as for alarming symptoms, such as seizures, chest pain, bluish lips, skin or nails, severe muscle pain or weakness, increased sleeping time or confusion.” He adds that pregnant patients and those with pre-existing illnesses or conditions should make that trip to their doctor sooner.

Although most cases of the flu can be managed at home, there’s still nothing like medical care and advice straight from a medical professional. If your symptoms get worse, make sure to take a trip to your doctor’s office right away.