Contraceptives help in the treatment of influenza

Flu can help to cure the female sex hormone, which is normally used in the contraceptives. At least it works on rodents. The fact that progesterone helps to combat the flu, was a real surprise to American researchers from the school of John Hopkins Bloomberg in Maryland during the experiment with mice.

We are talking about the female sexual hormone which is actively involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and fetal growth in the womb. The analogue of progesterone (including levonorgestrel) is a major component of birth control pills (this Endometrin, and Escapeso many others), which regularly take 100 million women around the world.

To achieve results the researchers used female mice that were artificially infected with influenza virus. One of them also introduced progesterone. Both groups of rodents were sick, but those mice that had received progesterone, much better cope with the flu. They have observed a good defensive reaction, not so much inflamed lungs, and even if this happened, they quickly recovered.

Associated symptoms:

Joint pain Pain in the bonesChillChills Low-grade fever Heat (fever, hyperthermia, fever) Sore throat Sore throatRunny nose CoughCough

At the same time, scientists did not stop and proceeded to a more detailed study of the effect of progesterone on the infected vozbuditelya the body. They found that the female hormone enhances the protective reaction of the lung due to the increase in production in the body substances amphiregulin. To verify this, the researchers specifically tested the hormone in mice that have artificially been disabled in the development of organisms amphiregulin. As expected, these rodents was sick a long time, as a control group.

When women are sick, their progesterone drops. It turns out that those women who during the illness use contraceptives based on the analogue of progesterone, will recover faster? How then to explain the statistical evidence that the complications of influenza more often affects women?

To date there is no scientific literature on the potential link between the severity of influenza and progesterone. To this end, the researchers plan to receive and explore survey data on the topic of flu and birth control. It is assumed that the answers to these questionnaires will give scientists a clearer understanding about how do hormonal contraceptives have the flu.

Associated diseases:

ARICold The swine flu Swine flu (the swine flu)ParainfluenzaFlu