Be careful with folk remedies and medicines during COVID-19
In the past few days of counseling the community on health, I see an urgent issue that needs to be discussed so that everyone can learn from it. Most people infected with Covid are too worried and frantically take all kinds of medicines, especially sauna, and drink too much lemongrass, which makes them lose strength. I have consulted oriental medicine doctors and have some notes for you as follows.
8/12/2021 5:35:21 PM
1. Sauna:
- You should only inhale the nose and throat. Steam in a closed room. Steam once a day for about 10 minutes. Before the sauna, you should drink one glass of warm water slowly. After the sauna, you should dry your sweat and stay in a closed room for at least 30 minutes until the sweat dries and the body temperature is average again. If you have a fever, don't steam.
- Full body steaming has no apparent benefit. If you have a sauna, you should only do it when you have a fever, but you can't sweat and have body aches, only once during an illness. The way to do it is the same as blowing your nose except covering the body. Too much-steaming leads to a loss of new fluid, making the body weak, so after a few days of steaming, when the other symptoms are acceptable, you will feel more tired, more vulnerable, lack energy, which is very harmful in the long run. Especially dangerous for the elderly and weak.
- If the fever is accompanied by sweating and body aches, you should not steam, but instead: take about 200g (2 medium ginger) fresh ginger, smash it, put it in a pan with a bit of white wine, and stir-fry it to drain. Dry so that squeeze the piece of ginger is still wet hands. Put the sautéed ginger in a towel and rub it on the shoulders and back once a day for 2-3 days. Be careful of skin burns. If you have an allergic reaction after scrubbing, stop immediately.
2. Drink lemongrass ginger juice
You take a few slices of a whole lemon and 2-3 slices of ginger, put in a glass of boiling water for a while until it cools down, and add a little honey to taste. Keep warm, drink slowly. Maximum 1 glass a day and eat a few slices of lemon. If you have a fever, add one piece of lemongrass to it. If your fever is gone, don't use lemongrass.
! Taking too much lemongrass can be harmful to the digestive tract and liver.
3. Western medicine:
Antibiotics should only be taken when there are signs of infection.
- Corticosteroids (prednisone, methylprednisone, dexamethasone) are only taken when there are signs of excessive inflammation.
- These drugs are usually only indicated after the 5th - 6th day, but the patient's complications worsen and should be prescribed by a doctor. Taking too much medicine from the beginning will make your body more tired and more prone to drug complications.
- Tylenol, efferalgan, hapacol, paracetamol, acetaminophen are antipyretic and pain relievers. Use only for fever and pain. These drugs do not treat Covid as they say online. Taking too much of this medicine can damage the liver.
A few notes I would like to share with you. I hope everyone calms down and uses the medicine properly. 95% of people infected with covid in Vietnam do not need to go to the hospital. Be competent patients to overcome fear and illness safely.