Seven ways to reduce viral infection complications

7 Ways to Reduce Respiratory Viral Infection complications

1. Support Your Microbiome – Maintain a high-fiber diet (40–50g/day) to nourish probiotics in the nose, throat, and gut for better immune defense.  If you do not routinely consume 40-50 grams of fiber (95% of Tucsonans) then you need to gradually increase.  See SuperDooperPooperTrooper Handout on YourOpportunityForBetterImmunity.com.                 Reference: Trompette, A. et al. (2018). Gut microbiota metabolism of dietary fiber influences allergic airway disease and hematopoiesis. Nature Medicine, 24(4), 487-494.
2. Ibuprofen as Needed – Helps reduce inflammation, relieve symptoms, and may prevent severe complications. If allergies, we can possibly use Celebrex or meloxicam cox-2 type inhibitor. Clotting is a huge problem for severe viral infections.
3. Intranasal Steroids – Use Higher Dose (8-10 sprays a day) Flonase, Nasacort, or Store brand-like heal sinuses, relieve congestion, and reduce hospitalization risk. Routinely, using Xylitol-containing nasal saline (Xlear) and gargling with dilute (never full-strength) hydrogen peroxide(H2O2) like 1-part H2O2 and 10-19 parts water can reduce viral replication in those sites. Reference: Chalmers, J. D. et al. (2021). Inhaled corticosteroids and COVID-19 outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Respiratory Journal, 58(3), 2101009.
4. Antihistamines – Both old and new types help with symptoms; Pepcid (famotidine) 40–80 mg has shown additional benefits.    Reference: Janowitz, T. et al. (2020). Famotidine use and quantitative symptom tracking for COVID-19 in non-hospitalized patients: A case series. Gut, 69(9), 1592-1597.  I believe famotidine works better when added to other allergy antihistamines like Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec, or Xyzal.
5. Melatonin (Night Only) – High doses (~4 mg/kg) in short-term use may speed up recovery from viral infections. Doses like 20-50mg can be used. Reference: Zhang, R. et al. (2020). Melatonin as a potential adjuvant treatment for COVID-19 beyond sleep disorders: A systematic review of current progress and mechanisms. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 11, 1221.
6. Taurine (3–6g/day) – Supports anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting functions, vital for preventing severe illness. 2 grams 3x daily.               Reference: Marcinkiewicz, J. & Kontny, E. (2014). Taurine and inflammatory diseases. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 775, 3-12         
7. Azithromycin – Well-studied antibiotic with potential benefits for RSV, asthma, and RNA respiratory viruses.  It’s better to take within first 5 days but may help at any stage since helps put chronic allergic asthma into remission.