5 steps for getting over the flu faster

It's no fun being blindsided by the flu. But rather than crawling into bed and waiting for it to pass, here are five things you can do about it.

When cold season hits, it's time to make a pot of chicken soup. Not only does the steam help open stuffed sinuses, but the antioxidants in the vegetables used to make the soup help reduce the inflammatory response of your immune system to a cold.

At the first sniffle, snap up a bag of zinc lozenges (you can get zinc lollipops now, too) and suck on one every three or four hours for up to six days (don't chew them).

At least two well-designed clinical studies have shown that the lozenges can reduce the severity and duration of the common cold. Another study of 66 women between the ages of 60 and 91 who had serious medical conditions found that the lozenges were safe.

If you want to reduce the duration and severity of the flu, see your doctor to:

• Get a prescription for an antiviral medication such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza)
• Start taking it within 48 hours of your first symptoms
• You can also start taking an antiviral drug to protect yourself when someone in your household first gets the flu

• Kan Jang is a commercial preparation that mixes the herbs Eleutherococcus senticosus and Andrographis paniculata. Think of it as the new echinacea, since a plethora of studies has found echinacea of little use in preventing viral infections
• Kan Jang (available in health food stores) worked more than twice as well as a popular prescription antiviral medicine in preventing flu complications in people exposed to the flu virus
• Those taking Kan Jang also had flu symptoms that lasted 6 to 7 days compared to 9 to 10 days in those receiving amantadine
• At the first sign of symptoms, take two tablets containing standardized extracts of Andrographis (88.8 milligrams) and Eleutherococcus (10.0 milligrams) three times a day and continue for three to five days

In addition to chicken soup, sushi with wasabi, roast beef with horseradish sauce, and spicy chili or curry (Indian food, anyone?) can help thin mucus and clear your head during a cold.

While there may not be a cure for the flu, with a little foresight and effort you can soon get yourself to feeling like yourself again. And enjoy cuddling up with a cup of tea and a good book in the meantime.