Myths about the flu: arbidol, anaferon, vitamin C
Every year with the onset of cold weather among the populationbegins a massive purchase and use of preventive medicines, among which is the leading arbidol. The drug was registered in Soviet times and was recently elected to promote the Russian market as a means of influenza number 1.
However, for all the years it has not been tested in full with the observance of world-class standards. This attention to arbidol arose due to a number of reasons:
- the preparation is easy to synthesize;
- Arbidol is practically harmless, but the clinical effect of it is not observed;
- the drug, at the time of registration, did not require additional financial costs, since it was already registered and only a wide advertisement was needed.
Very "by the way" was a pandemic of swine flu,under which the advertising of arbidol unfolded even wider, and if the world has been recommended really effective treatment of influenza, then in our country there has begun a boom of arbidol and all sorts of homeopathic drugs like anaferon, ocillococcinum, etc.
It is possible to single out the most popular questions that patients ask the doctor when they suspect a flu and ARVI:
What agent can significantly improve immunity?
Miracle - drugs in nature do not exist and the immune system of each organism individually depends more on genetic properties and, to some extent, on the way of life.
For example, no drug will save the body frompneumonia, bronchitis, etc. if a person abuses smoking, as a consequence, such an organism is weakened more. A healthy organism, when confronted with strains of influenza, will suffer only a minor malaise. Against ARVI vaccination does not exist, but for influenza it is limited for many reasons.
Should blindly trust the advertising of anti-influenza drugs and therapist prescriptions?
In the production of medicines, first of allproducers are interested in it and they do their best to promote the goods to the domestic market, but unfortunately these drugs do not have proven effectiveness and, at best, simply do not work, at worst lead to extremely negative results.
Patients themselves often panic and requirefrom doctors to prescribe an impressive list of all kinds of drugs, mostly homeopathic. The smallest, it will be the usual flu prevention or placebo effect.
Do foods that contain high amounts of vitamin C: honey, garlic, lemon and others, in the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza?
All these products can only slightlyto strengthen immunity, but can not withstand viral infections and strains of influenza in any way. Natural products will bring more benefits than irrepressible use of drugs like anaferon and arbidol. The healing properties of lemon and garlic are very slight, and, most likely, is a popular misconception.
Is universal vaccination required for influenza?
The answer to this question can not be unambiguous, it is possible to single out only a group of people who need the flu vaccine:
- residents of old people's homes, invalids, boarding schools, etc .;
- people with chronic heart diseases, diabetes, pathology of the respiratory system (asthma, chronic bronchitis, etc.);
- population over the age of 65;
- children from 6 months to 2 years; - Pregnant women;
- personnel who have daily direct contact with a large number of people, including those infected with the flu.
Another popular misconception isconfidence in protecting the gauze bandage against viruses and influenza, but this is not so. There are special respirators that are worn for no more than a quarter of an hour and are not massively used.
Summarizing the above, it can be stated thatif the body is genetically susceptible to viral infections, the disease is inevitable, and the severity of its course will depend, only on the strength of the immunity of each individual organism.
Author: Katerina Sergeenko
