What to take to prevent flu. Medicines for the prevention of influenza and ARVI. The best effective remedy for adults and children for the prevention of influenza, colds and acute respiratory infections

During the cold season, almost everyone gets the flu or a cold. But, despite the fact that these diseases worry people from season to season, few people know how to deal with them correctly, and what medications should be taken for preventive purposes, and what medications are needed if the disease has already manifested itself. We will talk about those medications that will help you cope with flu and colds in this material.

Definition of diseases

Influenza is an acute respiratory disease caused by a specific strain of the influenza virus. Typical manifestations of this disease are fever, body aches, high temperature, headache, sometimes runny nose and sore throat. The virus that causes this disease has a fairly high virulence, and therefore easily gives rise to epidemics and even pandemics of influenza.

Like symptomatic drugs, immunostimulants do not destroy the cause of flu or colds, and therefore can only be used as part of general therapy.

The presented drugs can also be used for preventive purposes. They are recommended, for example, in cases where a person in the family or at work has a cold or flu, or an acute respiratory viral infection or flu epidemic has been declared in the city.

Vitamin complexes

The greatest effectiveness in the prevention and treatment of influenza is provided by drugs that have a high content of vitamin C. For this purpose, you can use both regular ascorbic acid and more complex vitamin complexes, at your discretion. Vitamins should be selected depending on what age group the patient belongs to, as well as his general condition.

Taking vitamins alone will not cure your flu or cold, but in some cases it can make treatment easier and help you avoid complications from such illnesses.

Treatment of symptoms

If you were unable to protect yourself from infection, you need to select symptomatic remedies that can relieve the symptoms of colds and flu. Let's look at them in more detail.

Runny nose

Special vasoconstrictors will help you get rid of this symptom. There are currently quite a lot of such drugs on the market, among them: Galazolin, Naphthyzin, Noxprey, Sanorin, and many others. Such drugs make a person’s breathing easier and relieve swelling of the mucous membrane. Doctors recommend giving preference to drops based on natural oils and herbal extracts, since they do not dry out the mucous membranes and are less likely to cause other side effects.

In addition to this group of remedies, drops based on salt water are also used to treat a runny nose. They are used to sanitize the mucous membrane.

Vasoconstrictor drugs, as well as nasal rinses, should be used for no more than a week in a row. Otherwise, they may become addictive and cease to have the desired therapeutic effect.

A sore throat

Lollipops based on herbal extracts, as well as special alcohol-based throat sprays (for example, Strepsils) will help you get rid of this symptom. Chlorophyllipt will also help you get rid of a sore throat, as well as regular warm drinks and ingestion of warm milk with honey. You need to use these products before complete elimination this symptom.

Ear congestion

If you have the flu or a cold, you can use special drops to relieve this symptom, for example, Naphthyzin, Tizin or Sanorin. You can also use warm compresses on the ears to eliminate this uncomfortable phenomenon, but they must be used with extreme caution.

Remember that ear congestion is not a typical symptom of colds and flu, and very often indicates the development of complications. If you find it in yourself, consult your doctor immediately.

Specifics of treatment for adults and children

Treatment for both colds and flu differs between adults and children. Let's look at their features in more detail.

Adults

If a cold or flu has been noted in adults, they may be prescribed:

• bed rest;
• symptomatic medications, including medicinal teas, which will relieve headaches and body aches;
• nasal drops, as well as medications to relieve sore throat;
• in some cases - vitamin complexes and immunomodulators.

The average treatment period for a flu or cold in this case will take from 7 to 10 days. If the flu is severe enough, the patient may be hospitalized and undergo further treatment in a hospital setting.

Special therapy for both colds and flu is selected for pregnant women, since many antiviral and symptomatic drugs are contraindicated for them. This group of patients should first consult a doctor for qualified help to avoid complications.

Children

If this disease occurs in a child, he is prescribed drugs based on paracetamol to reduce the temperature, vasoconstrictor nasal drops, for example, Pinosol, as well as special children’s tablets or cough sprays. The child is required to be placed on bed rest and should not attend classes or attend kindergarten during this time. For a cold that is accompanied by a slight increase in temperature, treatment can be carried out using folk recipes, including herbal inhalations, foot baths, and compresses.

If a child has a flu or a cold, treatment should begin with a visit to the doctor or by calling a therapist at home. Don't try to find one for him medications on your own - this can lead to various complications and side effects from taking a particular medication.

How to quickly cure colds and flu

There are currently no medications that can cure colds and flu in a day or two. However, there are methods that can significantly ease and speed up recovery. This way, you can cope with the flu and colds easily and without consequences if, during the illness, you adhere to bed rest, diet, and also take symptomatic medications and immunostimulants. Vitamin complexes can also speed up recovery. indicate that this is one of the most effective and fast methods fight against colds.

If from the very first days you take sick leave and adhere to bed rest, you will be able to recover many times faster. But if you suffer from a cold on your feet, the duration of the disease may double. With the flu, such a course of the disease can even lead to complications.

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conclusions

As you can see, there are many tools that can help you get rid of it quickly and effectively. If symptoms of these ailments appear, you should only consult a doctor, select the necessary medications along with him and take them according to the regimen prescribed to you. And then very soon you will get rid of colds. And don’t forget that timely intake can protect your health from seasonal diseases.

This does not mean that you should immediately start pouring a bucket of ice water on yourself. Although, with gradual adaptation to such a procedure, there are many positive results. You need to start by creating such a microclimatic environment around yourself so as not to overheat your body: temperature environment from 18 to 22 degrees, air humidity 40-60%. Keep it that way all the time. What happens when overheated: the vessels expand, their walls become easily passable for many pathogens. By avoiding overheating, we keep the walls of our blood vessels in good shape, which do not allow new residents in. For this, you can use ascorbic acid with rutin (the drug ascorutin - it strengthens the walls of capillaries). You can use a contrast shower or dousing with cool water (at first lukewarm to make the skin feel pleasant, lowering the temperature day by day). A person who applies these tips will not be afraid of accidental hypothermia.

3. Water and drinking regime

Water is the main substrate of our body. To maintain a healthy body, you need to follow a drinking regime: drink about 2-2.5 liters of liquid per day. Basically, it should be clean, unboiled water. When asked why not tea or juice, you can ask a counter question: do you wash your windows with tea or juice?... The answer is obvious. Likewise, our body needs washing, incl. from harmful microorganisms. Failure to comply with the drinking regime creates a risk of intestinal blockage (appendicitis may develop), the formation of kidney stones, impaired blood supply (this may cause headaches, dizziness), etc. The list is very long. This free medicine is in a carafe in our house, but we neglect it.

4. Everyone for a walk!

Walking on fresh air helps enrich the body with oxygen. Oxygen nourishes all organs and tissues of the body and is necessary for the normal functioning of organs and systems. You can use oxygen cocktails, but nothing can replace walking in the fresh air. After all, this is a moral rest after a hard day, and interaction with nature (it’s better to walk in the park), and gentle exercise stress.

5. Do exercises

Athletic people get sick less. This is due to the fact that they strengthen their muscles, blood vessels, and drink more water. It has also been noted that physical activity helps combat stress. We do not encourage readers to immediately take up running, dumbbells, or inversion exercises on the horizontal bar. A simple 5-10 minute exercise in the morning for fun can work wonders. Choose exercises that you enjoy to hit as many muscles as possible. But beware of reboots, there's no point. It is useful to do self-massage.

Armed with these simple tips, which you probably knew, but kept putting off using them. And we begin to act to strengthen our defenses.

What to do and eat to avoid getting sick

During an outbreak of colds, without ceasing to do everything previous, we use the advice traditional medicine.

1. We breathe in steam from the kettle. During an epidemic, a little trick will help. Every day, when you come home from work, the first thing you do is wash your hands, put the kettle on to boil and finely chop the garlic or onion. Rinse the teapot specially designated for the procedure with boiling water. Place the garlic/onion there and close the lid. Warm the kettle slightly in the microwave (for a second) or on low heat on the stove. Inhale the resulting vapor through the kettle spout through your mouth and nose. Such inhalation will help neutralize pathogenic microbes in the respiratory tract and protect against infection.
2. We eat onions and garlic. And we are not shy about the smell.
3. We drink fruit drinks made from frozen berries (cranberries, currants, sea buckthorn), add lemon juice to the tea.
4. We drink chamomile in milk. Very good for throat diseases, especially for those who have to talk a lot (lecturers, educators, teachers, etc.). Boil milk and put 2 filter bags of chamomile flowers in there, mash well with a teaspoon. Add butter and honey (if there are no allergies). Let it cool, drink warm in small sips.
5. Aromatherapy will protect against microorganisms . or baths with antiseptic essential oils(avoid synthetically processed perfume oils).
6. Rinse your nose and eyes. Washing is done with a solution sea ​​salt(you can take 1/3 teaspoon of plain salt per glass of water and add 1 drop of iodine). Pathogenic microorganisms enter our body through the nasal passages and mucous membranes of the eyes. It takes them 4-8 hours to penetrate deeper. Therefore, it is advisable to wash every 4 hours to wash away pathogens from the mucous membrane.
7. We drink herbal infusions instead of tea.
8. Prevention with ginger root This can be consumed in any form: pickled, fried, eaten candied ginger, brewed ginger teas. All this will be beneficial and protect against disease. Ginger will neutralize germs, relieve inflammation, and has an expectorant effect.
9. Propolis instead of chewing gum. Propolis will not only protect against microbes entering through the nasopharynx, but can also cure a sore throat. Cut a small piece of propolis, hold it in your mouth, then start chewing, it will soon become elastic, like chewing gum. By the way, such chewing gum will “kill” the smell of garlic.
10. We drink propolis tincture in milk. At the end of the working day, add about 2 teaspoons of propolis tincture and 1 teaspoon of honey to a glass of warm milk. This recipe will not work in the morning if you drive, because... the tincture contains alcohol.

In conclusion, a little about disgust. It often happens that you seem to have completely protected yourself from germs. And then someone nearby got sick. A striking trend: those who are not afraid of getting infected do not get sick. And you, who so diligently used all methods of protection, became infected, even though you sprayed sea salt spray into your nose when a colleague sneezed... Why does this happen? Maybe disgust puts the body into a state of stress? Or is there a desire to keep everything under your control, dictated by pride?

Let's leave this unhealthy feeling and be healthy!

Frost and sun, a wonderful day.. or not? The cold season can be filled with magical moments, but a cold or flu can easily ruin both your work life and a long-awaited vacation with your family. How to protect yourself and your loved ones from influenza and ARVI? Now we'll tell you everything.

Colds gain strength at the beginning of winter and can ruin both the New Year holidays and the entire vacation. To maintain health, strength and good mood for your loved ones, it is worth preventing influenza and ARVI. Viral diseases and common colds can be prevented if you take the necessary preventive measures. Agree, preventing a disease is better than treating it.

If you are going to defeat the disease, you need to study your opponent well. Seasonal viral diseases quite a lot, but often all of them, without understanding them, are called with one word “cold”. What is the difference between influenza and ARVI? The simplest answer would be “everyone,” but we are not looking for easy ways.

Let's start with terminology- “flu” is translated from French as “to grab, to scratch,” and if you have ever experienced this disease yourself, you understand why it received such a name. In general, influenza, acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections are diseases that are initially caused by different viruses and differ in both symptoms and the course of the disease.

There are more than two hundred viruses that cause colds.
We will answer the most frequently asked questions about the differences between these diseases.

How is the flu different from a cold?

Cold- a common name that refers to any ailment caused by viruses or ordinary hypothermia. All these ailments are similar to the flu common symptoms, however, the course of the disease itself will not allow you to confuse the flu with a cold. Even in a healthy person with a strong immune system, the flu occurs with symptoms of intoxication - aching joints, pain in the eyeballs, may be accompanied by nausea and chills, this disease is also characterized by temperature surges, which remain above normal for 2 days to a week, and severe headache .

If the body is weakened or the immune system is unstable, as happens in children, the elderly and pregnant women, the flu is more severe, can cause seizures and lead to pneumonia (pneumonia) or other respiratory diseases, so they are most vulnerable during epidemics.

At the beginning of the disease, influenza is characterized by a dry cough, but if complications occur, sputum may appear, as with bronchitis. Colds pass faster and do not require long-term recovery, while the flu requires a long recovery period with dizziness and changes in blood pressure.

What is the difference between acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections?

acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections- abbreviations that are often confused, which is not surprising - these groups of diseases are almost identical. acute respiratory infections stands for acute respiratory disease, and ARVI is an acute respiratory viral infection. Thus, the main difference between them is the viral nature, acute respiratory infections can be limited to one patient, and ARVI has the ability to be transmitted.

Thus, influenza viruses are included in the concept of ARVI, and before an accurate diagnosis is established - determining the specific infection that has appeared in the human body - the first diagnosis for patients is precisely these four letters.

Typically, colds occur in the off-season, and we often wonder how to avoid getting a cold in the fall, but the most dangerous flu epidemics occur in the winter-spring period; outbreaks of the disease occur especially often in February and March. If you care about your health, then you should prevent colds early stage or protect yourself from it altogether with the help of preventive measures.

First of all, general measures to maintain immunity are relevant - high-quality nutrition, multivitamins, exercise. To prevent a cold from appearing at an early stage, it is enough to follow basic precautions:

• avoid hypothermia, especially freezing feet and nose, since a weakened body can become infected more quickly;
• try not to contact sick people;
• wash all things regularly who end up with you in public places, especially during epidemics, including outerwear, since viruses can be stored in it for quite a long time;
• If you have a runny nose, use disposable tissues so that it does not become a “mobile home” for a bacterial colony;
• during epidemics or if you yourself have caught the virus and are forced to be on the street or in a public place, you need wear a sterile medical mask, and change masks at least once every 4 hours.

Also, when answering the question of how to prevent disease, you need to remember the rules of hygiene when visiting public places- Necessarily clean your hands and face after visiting public transport and public places.

If the disease has already affected your household, you should think about how not to get infected with ARVI from a patient, since often the disease can infect everyone living in the house in a circle. If there is a person in the house who is sick with ARVI or influenza, then after contact with him you should be especially careful about hygiene. The room with the sick person should be regularly ventilated; this will benefit both the sick person and the healthy household members.

Through ventilation is most effective, but it can negatively affect the patient’s condition. To refresh the air in a room without, it is better to use it - it will promptly supply fresh air to the room without the street cold, as well as dirt, dust and allergens due to several stages of filtration.

During epidemics, ordinary precautions may not be enough, and it is worth turning on the “heavy artillery” in the form of folk remedies and medications.

Before you light up folk remedies against flu and colds, we remind you that treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a qualified doctor, and these methods can only be used as prevention; self-medication can be dangerous to health.

The most common folk remedies include:

Garlic

If eating garlic is impossible for some reason, you can inhale: grate a few cloves of garlic and half a small onion and breathe over the mixture.

Vitamins

Winter and the beginning of spring are often accompanied by massive stress - if the body is deficient in vitamins, then it is more difficult for it to resist diseases. Therefore, most of the folk methods of prevention against influenza are occupied by vitamins - they are replenished by consuming honey, berry fruit drinks, cranberries and lingonberries, herbal decoctions, rose hips, aloe and other plants are especially effective. In addition, it is recommended to consume lemons and ascorbic acid - at least 500 mg per day - and drink more fluids.

Inhalations

At the early stage of colds, the first “swallow” is a runny nose. Inhalations can be carried out using essential oils. To do this, heat 500 ml of water in a small saucepan to a boil, after which oil is added to the water - usually eucalyptus or mint - and breathe in the fragrant steam under a towel for 10-15 minutes. You can also use decoctions of sage, oregano, lavender or other herbs for inhalation, as well as steam from freshly boiled potatoes. This “breathing” slightly reduces the risk of catching an infection, but helps restore the nasal mucosa and get rid of a runny nose.

Folk remedies have their pros and cons. Their advantages include:

• availability: both recipes and ingredients are easy to find in any store at low prices;
• minimal number of side effects: even if the chosen remedy does not help prevent the disease, there will be no harm from it either;
• no contraindications they can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• they are universal, since they support the immune system as a whole, and are not aimed at a specific virus.

The disadvantages of folk remedies include low efficiency- in order for them to have an effect, you need to practice them constantly. Such prevention is more of a way of life than a set of measures.

Prevention of influenza and ARVI, drugs for which you find in the pharmacy, are more effective than traditional methods. Medicines work effectively if used according to instructions. Today there are many drugs to prevent diseases, first of all they support our immunity. The fact is that due to the diversity of viruses, it is impossible to invent flu pills - what will defeat one strain of the virus will not be suitable for fighting another. Respectively, drugs are divided according to known modifications of influenza and types of drugs.

• Exist selected drugs against influenza A, They are used as prescribed by a doctor, they shorten the course of the disease, and the symptoms become less pronounced.
• Antiviral drugs are used to treat and prevent influenza A and B. Such drugs are used during epidemics upon contact with an infected person according to the instructions.
• Anti-flu remedies for homeopathic basis, most often syrups can be used to prevent flu and colds in children.
• Complex soluble powders with paracetamol, which are most often used as an answer to the question “What should I take to prevent colds?” They have a high speed of operation and almost immediately relieve the symptoms of the disease, however, they have a strong effect on the gastrointestinal tract and liver, so it is not recommended to use them for prophylaxis.
• Nasal drops Most often used when in contact with someone who is sick with ARVI, so as not to catch the virus. Among them there are both preventive and stronger drugs. For example, nasal drops for flu and colds are used at any stage of the disease, and some of them also help fight the destruction of the nasal mucosa. A doctor will help you select the appropriate drops, depending on the characteristics of the body and the stage of the disease.
• Often used to prevent influenza ointment in the nose. The locality of their effect allows the use of ointments even during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Should I get a flu shot?

The flu shot is one of the most talked about ways to protect against the disease. It is considered most effective if the vaccine is selected correctly and matches the current strain. The purpose of vaccination is to strengthen immune system, trigger the production of antibodies and prevent infection. There are several vaccines; it is best to choose the right one together with your doctor. When answering the question whether it is possible to get a flu shot, the doctor considers the general history and condition of the body.

• pregnant women
• patients with diabetes mellitus,
• people with cardiovascular diseases,
• patients with immunodeficiency,
• preschoolers.

In the first days after the vaccine, you may experience a fever and slight weakness. Vaccination is prohibited when symptoms of the disease appear.

Drugs for the prevention of influenza and ARVI in adults are used quite often, unfortunately, without maintaining a correct lifestyle, they do not always give the expected result. However, people are actively using all preventive measures to prevent the development of acute respiratory viral infections, and, if they occur, to significantly shorten the duration of the disease and reduce the risks of complications.

Vaccination is great way preventing the development of unpleasant viral infections. The flu vaccine, which is offered annually to all categories of the population, helps strengthen a person’s immunity by causing the production of antibodies against a specific strain of influenza.

Vaccinations against viruses such as diphtheria, measles and polio, which began to be done in the last century, made it possible to completely eliminate the danger of epidemics that previously exterminated large numbers of people.

Opponents of flu shots argue that such vaccinations are pointless because they do not prevent the development of the disease. They note that the virus often undergoes mutations, which makes it very difficult to accurately predict the strain that will cause a high incidence of a particular calendar year. In addition, people are scared off by the side effects that can develop after such an injection.

However, statistics confirm the fact that people who are immunized annually are less likely to get the flu. If the disease makes itself felt, then it is not so acute, and the risks of dangerous complications are reduced several times.

It is especially important to vaccinate a number of people:

• To old people;
• children who go to educational institutions, school and preschool;
• medical workers;
• military personnel;
• during pregnancy (after 14 weeks);
• suffering from chronic diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Important! The best prevention of an epidemic is mass vaccination, therefore, if you have no health contraindications, you should not refuse vaccinations.

Multivitamin complexes

Adults are protected from viruses by their own immunity. It becomes stronger the more vitamins and minerals it contains. daily diet person. Ascorbic acid is very important, which an adult should receive in an amount of at least 1000 mg per day.

Ensuring that this task is accomplished is not easy: modern food products (especially in winter) contain virtually no valuable elements.

In this case, special multivitamin complexes come to the rescue, containing a number of vitamins, micro- and macroelements that will support health. human body. You can take the following formulations: Complivit, Vitrum, Biovital, Revit.

Antiviral drugs

Antiviral drugs for preventing influenza can be divided into three broad categories:

1. Antiviral, fighting pathogens.
2. Immunomodulators that correct the body's defense reactions.
3. Symptomatic, relieving the unpleasant catarrhal symptoms of ARVI.

Among the antiviral agents that deserve special attention:

• Tamiflu, which actively fights the influenza virus. Take it just one tablet twice a day, for 5 days;
• Amiksin, a powerful drug taken according to the regimen described in the instructions. The medicine is taken the first two days, and then every other day;
• Ribavirin, a drug belonging to a new generation of drugs, has an antiviral effect.

The following drugs are effective against influenza:

Folk remedies for the prevention of flu and colds

When understanding the means for the prevention of ARVI, you should remember that many of them are not allowed to be used during pregnancy and in children. Then traditional medicine methods come in handy, as they are relatively safe and no less effective than industrially produced synthetic drugs.

1. The best natural remedy for combating ARVI is garlic, as well as onions - these are natural antibacterial agents containing flavonoids. These substances have the property of destroying bacteria and pathogenic microorganisms. These crops are added to food, they can be cut into slices and placed in containers with water around the room so that the healing aromas destroy viruses.
2. Carrying out inhalations with essential oils of eucalyptus, fir, pine, sage, oregano, lavender. Such vapors have a beneficial effect on the respiratory system and speed up recovery.
3. Beekeeping products contain a whole range of valuable properties. If a person is not allergic to them, he can take a teaspoon of honey in the morning (doing this on an empty stomach). This procedure will help strengthen the body's defenses.
4. Citrus fruits are high in ascorbic acid, which has a beneficial effect on the immune system. Regular consumption of oranges, lemons, grapefruits, tangerines will strengthen the body's resistance to infectious effects. In addition to citrus fruits, a lot of vitamin C is found in white cabbage, kiwi, liver.

Prevention of acute respiratory viral infections lies not so much in the use of antiviral drugs, but in reviewing your own habits.

You can only become infected with the flu or other viral pathologies from an already infected person. To reduce the risk of infection, you need to have less contact with people. To do this, you should visit less mass events, especially during periods when there is an increase in the incidence of influenza and ARVI.

To modern man it is difficult to limit your own movement among other people. How can he protect himself from infection?

• frequently ventilate your own apartment;
• maintain a sufficient level of room humidity;
• regularly carry out wet cleaning;
• wash your hands after returning home;
• using antibacterial wipes when outside the home, before touching your face or eating;
• spend time in the fresh air more often, actively spending time;
• rinsing the nose with saline solution;
• organization proper diet nutrition;
• flu vaccination;
• use of antiviral drugs on the recommendation of a specialist.

Immunomodulators for prevention

Preventive medications for influenza and other viral infections must be prescribed by a specialist. It is not recommended to select them on your own; long-term, uncontrolled use of immunomodulators can seriously impair human health.

It is difficult to find the most effective medicine; most often, experts prescribe:

Use of saline solutions

The main causes of acute respiratory viral diseases are associated with dryness of the mucous membrane of the nose and oropharynx. If you use nasal rinses in complex therapy, you can reduce the risk of infection.

You need to rinse your nasal cavity daily, especially after returning home from places where there were a lot of people. For this purpose, products from the pharmacy are suitable (it is recommended to use Humer, Aqualor, Aquamaris, Marimer). You can use saline solution or a self-prepared composition (mix a small amount of sea salt and purified water).

Moisturized mucosa is immune to viral effects; if you maintain it in this condition, you can increase the level of local immunity and prevent the development of viral diseases.

Hand hygiene clothes body

Hygiene is the basis of health; as we know, pathogenic microorganisms penetrate a person through the use of common objects, settling on the skin, mucous membranes and clothing.

To reduce the risk of infection, you need to follow simple recommendations:

• do not touch your mouth, nose, face outside with hands that have not undergone antibacterial treatment;
• be sure to wash your hands after returning home, before eating, after visiting the toilet;
• Returning to your apartment, change clothes from street clothes to home clothes.

To prevent influenza in children in preschool institutions, frequent ventilation is practiced. This method will help protect your own home from infection.

The apartment needs to be ventilated in the morning, after waking up, and before going to bed. You can open the windows or balcony the moment you leave the house for a while. If there is a sick person at home, then you need to ventilate his room every two hours, for 10-15 minutes.

In addition to ventilation, it is important to maintain air humidity, it should be at the level of 70%, and also regularly carry out wet cleaning. All surfaces must be treated so that pathogenic microorganisms do not linger among the dust, which can provoke the development of the disease.

Cotton-gauze bandage

In order to prevent ARVI from occurring in children and adults, when visiting places where there are many people, especially medical institutions, you need to use a cotton gauze bandage. You can purchase such an accessory at a pharmacy, or make it yourself from a small piece of gauze.

For the mask to fulfill its purpose, it must be replaced with a new one every 2 hours. Otherwise, it will be over-moistened with saliva, which will make the human respiratory system extremely vulnerable to viral effects.

Nutrition and lifestyle

Prevention of influenza and ARVI in children and adults will not be effective if the person’s diet is ignored. Strong immunity is directly dependent on the microelements and vitamins entering the body.

Increasing the body's resistance to infections is possible with regular consumption of the following products:

• seasonal vegetables and fruits (fresh);
• greenery;
• non-fatty meats;
• fermented milk products;
• fish;
• cereals;
• legumes;
• whole grain breads.

Apart from correct menu, you need to pay attention to your own lifestyle, a person will have strong immunity, which pays attention to everyday hardening activities. In addition, it is very important to spend time outdoors every day, devoting it to active walks or sports. To raise your vitality, you need to do gymnastics in the morning, after which you need to take a contrast shower and rub yourself vigorously with a terry towel.

Only an integrated approach to organizing preventive measures to prevent infection with acute respiratory viral infections, including healthy image life, proper nutrition and observing personal hygiene measures will achieve what you want. Preventive measures must be maintained throughout a person’s life, then they will give the expected effect.

Every year in the autumn-winter period, the circulation of influenza viruses and other respiratory viruses intensifies, which are quickly transmitted from person to person by airborne droplets, causing mass morbidity in the population up to its epidemic level. Influenza and ARVI are among the most widespread infectious diseases, accounting for up to 90-95% of the structure of registered infectious morbidity annually. According to statistical observations, every adult on average suffers from respiratory infections 2 times a year, a schoolchild – 3 times, a child preschool age- 6 times.

What you need to know about influenza and ARVI:

Flu - an extremely contagious acute infectious disease, easily transmitted from person to person and widespread everywhere. Every person is absolutely susceptible to influenza viruses.

The source of infection is a sick person. During the epidemic, children and young adults are more likely to get sick.

Risk groups for developing severe influenza:

Children under 2 years of age,

Elderly people over 60 years old,

Pregnant,

People suffering from chronic respiratory diseases, including bronchial asthma, cardiovascular system, metabolic disorders (diabetes, obesity), kidneys, hematopoietic organs, weakened immunity, including those infected with HIV, as well as children and adolescents taking aspirin for a long time.

Acute viral respiratory infections are caused by a whole group of respiratory viruses, most often these are adenoviruses, parainfluenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RS virus), coronavirus, rhinovirus. What these viruses have in common is damage to the upper respiratory tract of a person, accompanied by a runny nose, sore throat, and symptoms of intoxication, but there are also features of the clinical picture that a doctor can distinguish. ARVIs are milder than influenza, with less pronounced intoxication of the body, and severe complications are less likely to develop.

Therefore, prevention of influenza and acute respiratory viral infections, allowing to avoid or mitigate such consequences, is more than relevant.

What are the ways to prevent influenza and ARVI?

Currently one of effective ways prevention is vaccination.

Immunization against influenza is carried out before the start of the epidemic season, the optimal period is September-November, so that by the beginning of the epidemic spread of the infection, a person has formed an immune response to the administered drug. After vaccination, antibodies appear in the vaccinated person’s body within 12-15 days, and immunity lasts for a year. Influenza vaccines are produced for each season and contain current strains of influenza viruses (at least 3), the circulation of which is predicted annually by the World Health Organization.

Modern influenza vaccines, in addition to forming specific immunity to certain influenza viruses, increase the body's overall resistance to other respiratory viruses. Thus, domestic inactivated vaccines contain the immunomodulator polyoxidonium, which, even before the development of specific immunity, helps to increase the body’s defenses when encountering respiratory viruses. Vaccination against influenza with domestic or foreign vaccines does not provide 100% protection against the disease. According to statistical observations, protective titers of antibodies to the influenza virus after vaccination of individuals of different ages will be detected in 75-92% of vaccinated people. Therefore, some vaccinated people get the flu, however, as a rule, the disease in vaccinated people is milder, without serious complications. Vaccination against influenza does not exclude illness from other respiratory viruses, of which there are more than 200 types, however, unlike influenza, the clinical picture of respiratory viral infections is not severe, there is no pronounced intoxication of the body, the disease is limited to damage to the upper respiratory tract (runny nose, sore throat), sometimes without a temperature reaction from the body.

Flu vaccinations by order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development Russian Federation since 2011, included in the National Vaccination Calendar, according to which the following are subject to vaccination against influenza: children from 6 months, students in grades 1-11; students of higher professional and secondary professional educational institutions, adults working in certain professions and positions (medical and educational institutions, transport, utilities, etc.), adults over 60 years old. These categories of people are vaccinated free of charge, with vaccines supplied to the constituent entities of the Russian Federation at the expense of the federal budget. Vaccination of citizens not included in the National Vaccination Calendar is carried out with vaccines purchased at the expense of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, municipalities, organizations and enterprises or personal funds. Statistical observations have established that immunization of more than 20% of citizens living in the territory of an administrative unit (subject, district, city) creates collective immunity to influenza and has a significant impact on reducing the incidence in a given population.

Nonspecific prevention– these are prevention methods aimed at increasing the body’s protective (reactive) forces to counteract respiratory viruses that penetrate the human body. Nonspecific prevention is carried out both in the pre-epidemic period and directly during the period of epidemic rise in incidence.

Currently, the pharmaceutical market offers a wide range of drugs for the prevention of influenza and ARVI of domestic and foreign production. Before choosing a drug for prophylaxis, you should consult a doctor who will prescribe the optimal set of nonspecific prophylaxis for you, taking into account age and somatic diseases.

The main groups of drugs used for prevention: drugs containing interferon, antiviral drugs, vitamin complexes, bacterial lysates.

Do not forget about long-known folk remedies: taking natural vitamin C in the form of rosehip infusion, cranberries, lingonberries, black currants, citrus fruits. The use of natural phytoncides, especially garlic.

Maintaining personal hygiene plays an important role in the prevention of respiratory viral infections. It is important to wash your hands more often. Handshake, handrails in public transport, door handles in organizations, public buildings, etc. – all of these are sources of increased risk in the transmission of the influenza virus; after any contact with the above public places, you must wash your hands. Avoid contact with your face with unwashed hands.

It is necessary to ventilate the premises more often and carry out wet cleaning of the premises using disinfectants. In organizations and institutions, it is advisable to use equipment that reduces the circulation of viral and bacterial cells(recirculators, bactericidal irradiators, etc.)

Don't forget about thermal mode: it is important to dress according to the weather, prevent hypothermia, observe temperature regime in residential and public buildings.

It is important to have a balanced diet, which also affects the body’s resistance: eating foods containing complete proteins, vitamins C (citrus fruits, sauerkraut, rosehip decoction, etc.).