When I hear the phrase “the flu” it always brings back memories of my grandfather, Thomas Pearson.
He was a 29-year-old farmer, married with a 16-month-old son, my father, when the Spanish Influenza swept the world in 1918. All three of them got sick.
My grandfather, who had allergies to grain dust and probably asthma, got up from his sick bed to tend to his livestock. He took a chill and died. My grandmother and father survived the flu but the death of Thomas had a lifelong impact.
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As our news is filled with the current flu predictions, I can’t help but think about the differences.
In my grandfather’s day, they had no telephones or cellphones to call for help. Instead, they had to signal neighbours of a death by hanging up a white cloth.
Vaccines, antibiotics and antiviral drugs were unheard of, acetaminophen, aspirin
and ibuprofen weren’t on the market yet and there was no medicare and few doctors.
Tea, chicken soup and mustard plasters
were probably the home remedies most often used. Herbal remedies such as willow bark
tea may have been used if they were available.
News of the flu would have spread by word of mouth and the newspaper rather than radio, television and computers.
Today we are bombarded with a plethora of media sources, and much of the information about H1N1 is distributed by e-mail and the internet.
My grandfather would have been on today’s high risk list because of his weakened lungs. He and my grandmother had emigrated from England and had no family in Canada, so they depended on friends and neighbours for help, many of whom were also sick.
He had a strong work ethic and concern about his animals, so he did what he felt he had to and went out to the barn. He may have been trying to care for his wife and child as well.
Today we can ask for help by calling family, friends and neighbours to bring food, get medical help or care for the farm animals.
In most communities the home delivery of food, groceries and medications can be arranged.
There may be similarities in symptoms between the two flus but we are much better prepared with medical knowledge, medicine and support services than they were in 1918.
I encourage everyone to use the resources that we have at our disposal to keep ourselves and our families healthy and cared for during this flu season.
Flu preparedness kit
The Public Health Agency of Canada has developed an H1N1 Preparedness Guide that can be found at www.fightflu.ca or ordered by phone at 800-622-6232.
The kit outlines how to set up a personal plan for meeting basic needs if your family becomes ill. It encourages family, friends and neighbours to work together to help each other.
There is a list of nonperishable foods and health and cleaning supplies that should be stockpiled and maintained in the home.
It recommends documenting emergency numbers, medical histories and medication information so that it is easily accessible when needed.
Immune system
In addition to hand washing and covering our mouths when we sneeze, we can also lessen the possibility of getting the flu and reduce its severity by maintaining a healthy immune system.
Eat a well balanced diet that is high in fruit, vegetables and whole grain bread. Take a multi vitamin and drink lots of water and other fluids.
Get plenty of exercise and fresh air and maintain a regular sleep pattern to stay well rested. Try to reduce the amount of stress in your life and for good measure have several good hearty laughs a day. In other words, enjoy life.
Caring for the sick
If you or your family become ill, it is important to continue taking fluids to reduce the possibility of dehydration. Avoid caffeine-containing tea, coffee, colas and high caffeine energy beverages because they may increase fluid loss.
For a cold, drink hot liquids such as herbal teas, water, fruit juice, warm Jell-O and chicken, vegetable and beef broth to help thin the mucous. Breathing in the warm steam from the beverage mug will also help.
Stuffed nasal passages affect the sense of taste so don’t be surprised if nothing tastes good.
When the flu includes vomiting, don’t allow eating or drinking for up to one hour after the latest instance. Then offer two ounces of water or flat lemon-lime pop. If that stays down, then repeat one of these beverages every 15 to 30 minutes.
Once the vomiting has stopped and the fluids have been tolerated for a few hours, gradually add more fluids to replace what was lost, such as water, herbal tea, fruit juice, fruit drinks, carbonated beverages, chicken, beef or vegetable broth, prepared gelatin or popsicles.
Some doctors recommend a sport drink like Gatorade or pedialyte for young children to help rebalance the electrolytes in the body.
Gradually add other food such as white toast, buttered or plain, or soda crackers as they become tolerated. My doctor once recommended potato chips because they were salty and would make me thirsty and drink more. I didn’t find them appealing but others might.
Bananas, apple juice, applesauce, tea, rice or rice cereal without milk should help reduce diarrhea symptoms. Bananas and apples contain pectin, a soluble fibre that usually helps solidify watery stools.
For a fever with no vomiting, offer cold or iced liquids or popsicles.
Contact a doctor if symptoms worsen or reoccur, breathing becomes difficult, the fever increases or lasts longer than three days, the patient is confused or dizzy or if you are concerned about the one who is sick. Otherwise, with plenty of rest and care the patient should be feeling better in seven to 10 days.
Personal flu fighters
Our family prefer certain foods when fighting a cold or flu. To encourage juice drinking, a one-litre container of juice is labelled with the person’s name and a straw is inserted. The patient is encouraged to drink the whole container of juice. Our kids used to think it was great to get a whole litre of juice all to themselves.
Hot honey and lemon
Place in a large mug and add boiling water. Stir to melt honey. Add more honey to taste for personal preference.
Chicken noodle soup
Homemade soup is great but often we use prepackaged dry soup mix served with lots of crackers.
Smoothies
These are like a popsicle in a glass and feel good on a sore throat.
Put into a blender and puree. For added coolness add a couple of ice cubes and blend.
Salt water treatments
I believe in gargling with a warm salt and water solution. I find the salt water can sooth my throat at the first sign of a cold. I also like to use a saline solution nose spray. It helps clean out stuffiness and heals irritated nasal passages. For those who do not like the salt taste or have salt restrictions, an antiseptic mouth wash gargle is another option.
Sources: It’s Your Health article on the Health Canada website at www.hc-sc.gc.ca and the Public Health Agency of Canada’s www.fightflu.ca
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
