January 9, 2008 by Kavit Haria
How to prevent the norovirus from getting to your body
Photo from doobybrain
Noroviruses are sweeping Britain in their biggest outbreak in five years and according to health officials this year is going to be the highest yet. I heard yesterday on the radio that Britain is reported to have £40 million loss in productivity a day due to workplace noroviruses (although I can’t remember the source).
I have always been and will continue to be a huge believe in prevention being better than cure and that’s why this website exists. For that reason, I’m going to explore the science and symptoms of the norovirus before suggesting some natural ways to prevent yourself from being infected.
The norovirus comes from a family of viruses that cause the “stomach flu”. It is more commonly known as the winter vomiting disease and its incidence usually spikes in the winter although health officials have said that it has started earlier than normal this season. The norovirus is highly contagious and is usually transmitted by air or via contaminated water and surfaces. Common symptoms of the disease include nausea, vomiting, fever, body and muscle pain and headaches.
Most people recover from the norovirus within two days and without any treatment if the body’s systems are in good health and vitality. I’d like you to consider taking it a step further if you’re in an area of outbreak and consider bolstering up your immune system with these good-for-you healthy living methods:
1. Wash your hands well. This one is obvious - if its a disease caused by contamination, be sure to keep clean as much as possible and wash your hands thoroughly to avoid passing of the virus to your body. When I travel abroad, I like to take a bottle of Hand Cleansing Gel which allows you to clean your hands if you don’t have water easily available. You might like to do the same.
2. Keep hydrated. Allow your body’s cells to be replenished and in good health by providing them with a lot of water and oxygen so they can be recycled at optimum. Take in lots of fluid and the best ways are through water and fresh juices.
3. Use the No Germs Instant Hand Sanitizer. This is a patented formula that kills the pathogens and germs on your hands before they get to your body. It’s available as a spray or pump and from any supermarket or chemist.
4. Drink Organic Cold Season Tea by Yogi Tea. I really like this tea made up of lemongrass, ginger, eucalyptus, orange peel, peppermint, oregano, clover, black peper, basil and cinnamon. It’s a delicious and relaxing tea that also provides good congestion relief too.
5. Berries. I love berries as fruits because not only do they taste nice, they have great antioxidant properties allowing them to neutralize free radicals in the body and support the immune system.
What else have you done in the past to help support your immune system or prevent a disease from getting to you?
Also read Natalie Angier’s account of encountering the norovirus in the NY Times here.
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jamy says:
I love your blog and I have stumbled this post ! Keep on the good work.
Jamy
Sunshine Florida, USA.
January 9, 2008 at 10:37 am
David Bradley says:
Hand washing is certainly a sensible precaution, but more important may be air hygiene, which I recently covered on Sciencebase.
http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/airborne-germs-and-handwringing.html
db
January 9, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Shelia says:
Very sensible precautions that should be incorporated into ones everyday life.
January 10, 2008 at 4:50 am
Chuck Bartok says:
Very well done!
you will enjoy visiting and getting know a friend of mine, the Renegade Doctor, Dr Jon Moreshead
http://goodheartgroupinc.com
Chuck Bartok
Team Health2Wealth
January 10, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Kavit Haria says:
@Jamy - thanks for your message, kind words.
@David - yes, you are right. You have a great blog.
@Shelia - Yes, it’s about prevention, so sensible is always important.
@Chuck - Thanks for the link, I’l check him out.
January 11, 2008 at 10:32 am
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January 16, 2008 at 5:47 am
Staci Rose says:
Ironically, remember to use hand moisturizer when using the Instant Hand Sanitizers - especially if you use them on a regular basis. They are good at sanitizing…not so good at retaining the moisture in your skin!
Nice post!
January 23, 2008 at 12:18 am
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February 23, 2008 at 4:53 am
Sandeep Singh Chouhan says:
Dear,
Your information is really appreciable !! keep the good work up and thanks again for the information. I also think that Norovirus may not be that dangerous but it can be painful as vomiting several times a day can make a person really sick ?? Thanks for the Protection advises !!
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February 23, 2008 at 10:35 am
chris says:
Many thanks for the various pieces of advice!
I got my first “stomach flu” in the late 70’s from my grandmother who was visiting for Christmas from the Red Cross home she stayed at.
Have had it a number of times since, but have been able to progressively reduce the symptoms period down now to 12 hours by flushing the buggers out with drinking a load of Evian water. Unlike other fluids it appears to be the only one that does not immediately come back up and that you can consume without wishing you had’nt!!
It really seems to work and makes simple sense and hope that I may save some of you a day to a day and half of unpleasantness.
Kind regards
January 5, 2009 at 8:54 am
Wellness Maske says:
Hello. Great job. This is a great story. Thanks!
April 20, 2009 at 7:42 pm