velcromom
04-30-2009, 02:21 PM
My motto for the Swine flu hysteria is "Prepare" not "Panic" :thumbsup: So here are a couple of things I have on file that are part of any good flu season preparedness plan. And like any plan of mine, one major requirement is that it doesn't mean I need to go buying up a bunch of supplies!
Make your own Oral Rehydration Solution:
http://www.rehydrate.org/solutions/homemade.htm
there is a lot of great info on how to administer the solution, and how much to give.
Highly Effective Thrifty disinfectant:
This is great for those of us who can't tolerate or don't want to use bleach or lysol. An awful lot less expensive, too.
Get two spray bottles and fill one with white vinegar, the other with hydrogen peroxide (the regular 3% kind you find at the grocery store). (do not mix them!) Spray one after the other on any surface you wish to disinfect - counters, tables, sinks, doorknobs, even for cleaning fruit and vegetables (rinse before eating of course). I would rather use this on my hands than an alcohol gel.
"The paired sprays work exceptionally well in sanitizing counters and other food preparation surfaces -- including wood cutting boards. In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing the two mists killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces when used in this fashion, making this spray combination more effective at killing these potentially lethal bacteria than chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner.
The best results came from using one mist right after the other - it is 10 times more effective than using either spray by itself."
from http://www.michaelandjudystouffer.com/judy/articles/vinegar.htm
Nose-Friendly, budget friendly Hankies
when I was a kid, our hankies were always that rough cotton - ick, our noses and upper lips got so sore! For soft nose wipes, get out a couple of those extra flannel receiving blankets we all seem to have. With a pair of pinking shears, cut squares about 9"x9" or so, or whatever size comes out even for your blanket. Now you have soft hankies that are as comfortable to use as those lotiony kleenex thingies. :mrgreen:
I made some once out of a pair of flannel jammie pants and when I went to tuck ds in at night, found that the stars in the pattern were glow-in-the-dark :giggle2: now that really helped encourage him to wipe his nose!
More info and recipes:
No Junk Food: A poor diet can make viruses stronger -
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/health/HealthRepublish_309902.htm
Vitamin C:
The form of vitamin C useful for fighting off a virus is Sodium Ascorbate. It is mildly salty and not acidic-tasting so the powder is easy to disguise in drinks or foods. There is a lot of information on its effectiveness against illness. For our current concern with flu, which can result in a secondary pneumonia infection, please consider:
(Paed Infect Dis J, 1997;16: 836-7) Review of three vitamin C studies found huge decreases (³80%) in pneumonia in people who took vitamin C as opposed to those who didn’t, and mentioned Sabin’s findings that no cases of pneumonia were found in monkeys with adequate vitamin C.
ose: 250 mg/per kg of body weight * or to diarrhea stage. After one loose stool cut the dose back to avoid diarrhea.
The dose is for a 24 hour period. Taken in sips all day long.
* for whooping cough the dose should be increased to 375 mg/per kg.
It varies from person to person. Every person has to find his own dose.
The sicker the person/child is, the more SA is indicated.
Vita C will not work nearly as well.
If you only have regular Vita C at home I would use it for now and get the sodium ascorbate as soon as possible.
Fever Is Not the Enemy:
‘The blocking of fever inhibits processes that evolved over millions of years to protect against microbial attack. Immune mechanisms in the central nervous system are part of this protective process.”
Dr. Anthony R. Torres, M.D., Senior Scientist and Director of the BioMedical Lab at Utah State University
"Parental fever phobia and its correlates...surprising, higher socioeconomic status was not associated with a lesser degree of fever phobia...undue fear and overly aggressive treatment of fever are epidemic among parents of infants and young children, even among the highly educated and well-to-do. considerable effort will be required on the part of pediatricians and other child health workers to reeducate parents about the definition, consequences and appropriate treatment of fever." (Pediatrics 1985 June;75 (6) 1110-1113)
"There is overwhelming evidence in favor of fever being an adaptive host response to infection... as such, it is probable that the use of antipyretic/anti-inflammatory/analgesic drugs, when they lead to suppression of the fever, result in increased morbidity and mortality during most infections; this morbidity and mortality may not be apparent to most health care workers..." Infect Dis Clin North Am 1996 Mar;10(1) : 1-20.)
"Studies of bacterial and viral-infected animals have shown that moderate fevers decrease morbidity and increase survival rate" (Yale J Biol Med 1986 Mar-April; 59 (2) : 89-95)
The World Health Organization on fever:
“It is clear, therefore, that widespread use of antipyretics should not be encouraged either in developing countries or in industrial societies. Unfortunately though, just as fever represents an ancient biological response, an emotional effect is embedded deeply. Through the ages, parents have seen that when fever begins to diminish and disappears, the child feels better and recovers from the illness — whatever it was. Thus, the fever has become synonymous with the illness. This flaw in logic has persisted in parents' and physicians' minds, and they are seduced by the thought that if they "make the fever go away, the patient will be well." No amount of scientific discourse will change this attitude, and antipyresis will continue to be used in children with low-grade fevers, or even no fevers, in the home as well as the hospital. A reasonable evidence-based approach is to discourage the use of antipyretics in fevers <39 oC, reserving them for patients with higher temperatures.” http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862003000500012&lng=en&nrm=iso
DIY Cough Syrups
Use Honey as an ingredient:
In one scientific test, Dr. Shona Blair used honey to treat E. coli. Dr. Shona Blair saw that honey "attacks" bacteria from several different angles; that the bacteria were overwhelmed and unable to develop resistance, and the bacteria died. In today's world where many antibiotics have become ineffective, honey was able to kill not only the E. coli, but many other types of bacteria. http://www.naturalnews.com/022372.html
Honey Lemon Cough Syrup
Lemon helps promote health by quickly alkalinizing the body and honey will kill any bacteria. This is a perfect choice for a quick cough remedy.
Put a pint of honey in a pan on the stove on low heat (Do not boil honey as this changes its medicinal properties) .
Take a whole lemon and boil in some water in a separate pan for 2-3 minutes to both soften the lemon and kill any bacteria that may be on the lemon skin. Let the lemon cool enough to handle then cut it in slices and add it to the pint of honey on the stove. Let mixture cook on warm heat for about an hour. Then strain the lemon from the honey making sure all lemon seeds are removed. Let cool, then bottle in a jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator. This syrup will keep for 2 months in the refrigerator.
To soothe a cough, take ½ teaspoon for a 25 lb. child and 1 teaspoon for a 50 lb. child, about 4 times a day or as often as needed. Adults can take 1 tablespoon doses
Anise Seed Cough Syrup
Anise has been a traditional treatment for coughs, bronchitis and asthma and is now supported by science. The herb contains creosol and alpha-pinene that loosen bronchial secretions and make them easier to cough up. Gently crush 1 tablespoon of anise seed, cover with 1 ½ cups of boiling water. Steep for 30 minutes then strain and simmer remaining liquid down to 1 cup then add 2 cups of honey. Let cool then bottle in a jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator. This syrup will keep for 2 months in the refrigerator.
To soothe a cough, take ½ teaspoon for a 25 lb. child and 1 teaspoon for a 50 lb. child, about 4 times a day.
Combination Wet Cough Syrup
This cough syrup will gently encourage coughing to clear the lungs of mucus while providing antiviral/antibacterial properties to fight infection.
1 tablespoon each of astragalus, horehound, mullein, garden sage and oregon grape root added to 1 quart of water.
Bring herbs and water to a boil in a saucepan. Turn heat down to warm, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain out herbs. Return liquid to heat and bring to a simmer to reduce liquid to 1 pint. While still warm add 2 pints of honey. Once cool - bottle, cap, and refrigerate. This syrup will keep for 2 months in the refrigerator.
Give 1 teaspoon every 4 hours for a 50 lbs. child, 2 teaspoons for a 75 lb child and 1 tablespoon for a 100 lb. child or adult.
Give your child lots of fluids in the form of water or teas to help them expel mucus; also, to prevent dehydration from fever.
Make your own Oral Rehydration Solution:
http://www.rehydrate.org/solutions/homemade.htm
there is a lot of great info on how to administer the solution, and how much to give.
Highly Effective Thrifty disinfectant:
This is great for those of us who can't tolerate or don't want to use bleach or lysol. An awful lot less expensive, too.
Get two spray bottles and fill one with white vinegar, the other with hydrogen peroxide (the regular 3% kind you find at the grocery store). (do not mix them!) Spray one after the other on any surface you wish to disinfect - counters, tables, sinks, doorknobs, even for cleaning fruit and vegetables (rinse before eating of course). I would rather use this on my hands than an alcohol gel.
"The paired sprays work exceptionally well in sanitizing counters and other food preparation surfaces -- including wood cutting boards. In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing the two mists killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces when used in this fashion, making this spray combination more effective at killing these potentially lethal bacteria than chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner.
The best results came from using one mist right after the other - it is 10 times more effective than using either spray by itself."
from http://www.michaelandjudystouffer.com/judy/articles/vinegar.htm
Nose-Friendly, budget friendly Hankies
when I was a kid, our hankies were always that rough cotton - ick, our noses and upper lips got so sore! For soft nose wipes, get out a couple of those extra flannel receiving blankets we all seem to have. With a pair of pinking shears, cut squares about 9"x9" or so, or whatever size comes out even for your blanket. Now you have soft hankies that are as comfortable to use as those lotiony kleenex thingies. :mrgreen:
I made some once out of a pair of flannel jammie pants and when I went to tuck ds in at night, found that the stars in the pattern were glow-in-the-dark :giggle2: now that really helped encourage him to wipe his nose!
More info and recipes:
No Junk Food: A poor diet can make viruses stronger -
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/health/HealthRepublish_309902.htm
Vitamin C:
The form of vitamin C useful for fighting off a virus is Sodium Ascorbate. It is mildly salty and not acidic-tasting so the powder is easy to disguise in drinks or foods. There is a lot of information on its effectiveness against illness. For our current concern with flu, which can result in a secondary pneumonia infection, please consider:
(Paed Infect Dis J, 1997;16: 836-7) Review of three vitamin C studies found huge decreases (³80%) in pneumonia in people who took vitamin C as opposed to those who didn’t, and mentioned Sabin’s findings that no cases of pneumonia were found in monkeys with adequate vitamin C.
ose: 250 mg/per kg of body weight * or to diarrhea stage. After one loose stool cut the dose back to avoid diarrhea.
The dose is for a 24 hour period. Taken in sips all day long.
* for whooping cough the dose should be increased to 375 mg/per kg.
It varies from person to person. Every person has to find his own dose.
The sicker the person/child is, the more SA is indicated.
Vita C will not work nearly as well.
If you only have regular Vita C at home I would use it for now and get the sodium ascorbate as soon as possible.
Fever Is Not the Enemy:
‘The blocking of fever inhibits processes that evolved over millions of years to protect against microbial attack. Immune mechanisms in the central nervous system are part of this protective process.”
Dr. Anthony R. Torres, M.D., Senior Scientist and Director of the BioMedical Lab at Utah State University
"Parental fever phobia and its correlates...surprising, higher socioeconomic status was not associated with a lesser degree of fever phobia...undue fear and overly aggressive treatment of fever are epidemic among parents of infants and young children, even among the highly educated and well-to-do. considerable effort will be required on the part of pediatricians and other child health workers to reeducate parents about the definition, consequences and appropriate treatment of fever." (Pediatrics 1985 June;75 (6) 1110-1113)
"There is overwhelming evidence in favor of fever being an adaptive host response to infection... as such, it is probable that the use of antipyretic/anti-inflammatory/analgesic drugs, when they lead to suppression of the fever, result in increased morbidity and mortality during most infections; this morbidity and mortality may not be apparent to most health care workers..." Infect Dis Clin North Am 1996 Mar;10(1) : 1-20.)
"Studies of bacterial and viral-infected animals have shown that moderate fevers decrease morbidity and increase survival rate" (Yale J Biol Med 1986 Mar-April; 59 (2) : 89-95)
The World Health Organization on fever:
“It is clear, therefore, that widespread use of antipyretics should not be encouraged either in developing countries or in industrial societies. Unfortunately though, just as fever represents an ancient biological response, an emotional effect is embedded deeply. Through the ages, parents have seen that when fever begins to diminish and disappears, the child feels better and recovers from the illness — whatever it was. Thus, the fever has become synonymous with the illness. This flaw in logic has persisted in parents' and physicians' minds, and they are seduced by the thought that if they "make the fever go away, the patient will be well." No amount of scientific discourse will change this attitude, and antipyresis will continue to be used in children with low-grade fevers, or even no fevers, in the home as well as the hospital. A reasonable evidence-based approach is to discourage the use of antipyretics in fevers <39 oC, reserving them for patients with higher temperatures.” http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862003000500012&lng=en&nrm=iso
DIY Cough Syrups
Use Honey as an ingredient:
In one scientific test, Dr. Shona Blair used honey to treat E. coli. Dr. Shona Blair saw that honey "attacks" bacteria from several different angles; that the bacteria were overwhelmed and unable to develop resistance, and the bacteria died. In today's world where many antibiotics have become ineffective, honey was able to kill not only the E. coli, but many other types of bacteria. http://www.naturalnews.com/022372.html
Honey Lemon Cough Syrup
Lemon helps promote health by quickly alkalinizing the body and honey will kill any bacteria. This is a perfect choice for a quick cough remedy.
Put a pint of honey in a pan on the stove on low heat (Do not boil honey as this changes its medicinal properties) .
Take a whole lemon and boil in some water in a separate pan for 2-3 minutes to both soften the lemon and kill any bacteria that may be on the lemon skin. Let the lemon cool enough to handle then cut it in slices and add it to the pint of honey on the stove. Let mixture cook on warm heat for about an hour. Then strain the lemon from the honey making sure all lemon seeds are removed. Let cool, then bottle in a jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator. This syrup will keep for 2 months in the refrigerator.
To soothe a cough, take ½ teaspoon for a 25 lb. child and 1 teaspoon for a 50 lb. child, about 4 times a day or as often as needed. Adults can take 1 tablespoon doses
Anise Seed Cough Syrup
Anise has been a traditional treatment for coughs, bronchitis and asthma and is now supported by science. The herb contains creosol and alpha-pinene that loosen bronchial secretions and make them easier to cough up. Gently crush 1 tablespoon of anise seed, cover with 1 ½ cups of boiling water. Steep for 30 minutes then strain and simmer remaining liquid down to 1 cup then add 2 cups of honey. Let cool then bottle in a jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator. This syrup will keep for 2 months in the refrigerator.
To soothe a cough, take ½ teaspoon for a 25 lb. child and 1 teaspoon for a 50 lb. child, about 4 times a day.
Combination Wet Cough Syrup
This cough syrup will gently encourage coughing to clear the lungs of mucus while providing antiviral/antibacterial properties to fight infection.
1 tablespoon each of astragalus, horehound, mullein, garden sage and oregon grape root added to 1 quart of water.
Bring herbs and water to a boil in a saucepan. Turn heat down to warm, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain out herbs. Return liquid to heat and bring to a simmer to reduce liquid to 1 pint. While still warm add 2 pints of honey. Once cool - bottle, cap, and refrigerate. This syrup will keep for 2 months in the refrigerator.
Give 1 teaspoon every 4 hours for a 50 lbs. child, 2 teaspoons for a 75 lb child and 1 tablespoon for a 100 lb. child or adult.
Give your child lots of fluids in the form of water or teas to help them expel mucus; also, to prevent dehydration from fever.
