Diana Donis said she’s been taking red marine algae capsules for about 10 years, refuses to get a flu shot and hasn’t had the flu since the early ’80s.

“I never get the flu,” said Donis, 60, of Fayetteville. “I hardly ever get colds.”

Homeopathic remedies such as the red marine algae Donis takes may help prevent flu and colds, or lessen the duration of the illness. Still, the flu and complications from it can kill, and many health care professionals encourage people to follow more traditional treatments.

Seven flu deaths have been reported in Arkansas since Sept. 29, said Kerry Krell, public information specialist with the Arkansas Department of Health. There have been 264 people hospitalized since the same date, according to the department’s weekly influenza report ending Dec. 28.

In December, Northwest Medical Centers in Springdale and Bentonville together saw 532 patients with flu-like symptoms, said Patricia Driscoll, hospital spokeswoman. Only 26 of the cases were confirmed as flu, and most of the cases occurred between Dec. 20 and 31.

The flu season peaks from December through February, but sometimes the season starts early or ends late, said Gary Wheeler, branch chief of infectious disease at the Arkansas Department of Health. He said the number of cases this year is a concern, but nowhere near as big an issue as the 1918 pandemic of Spanish flu.

“It killed an amazing number of people,” he said. “They were just piling bodies up.”

Many doctors used homeopathic remedies, a type of alternative medicine, during the Spanish flu pandemic, said Laurell Matthews, a naturopathic doctor at Northwest Arkansas Natural Health in Fayetteville. She completed a four-year postgraduate medical program for natural remedies to get a specified medical degree.

Homeopathic remedies, such as oscillococcinum, can help shorten the length of the flu if people take it after experiencing symptoms, Matthews said. Other options are vitamin C and echinacea, which boost the immune system and lessen the severity of symptoms.

Donis said she started looking into natural remedies when her children were young. She would take them to a doctor when they were sick, but the treatments didn’t seem to help.

“That’s how it started thousands of years ago,” she said. “They used plants.”

It’s always best to try to not catch the flu, Matthews said. People should wash their hands consistently as a way of avoiding sickness.

“The first goal is always prevention,” she said.

Matthews said she takes elderberry whenever she’s around sick people. Elderberry may help prevent viruses, such as the flu, from entering cells in the body. Another preventative is garlic, which has antimicrobial, antiviral and antibacterial properties.

“If we give the body the right diet, it can usually straighten itself out on its own,” she said.

Donis said she also uses natural medicine as a preventative. She takes red marine algae every day in the winter and sporadically throughout the rest of the year. If she’s been around people who are sick, or she feels symptoms, she will take some of the supplement.

“All of these you have to start at the onset,” she said.

Alexa McGriff, marketing director for Ozark Natural Foods in Fayetteville, and Brionne Ouei, manager at Cook’s Natural Market in Rogers, said they have seen an increase recently in people buying natural remedies for the flu. Ouei said supplements that boost the immune system have been very popular at Cook’s. McGriff said treatments to help people fight off a cold or the flu have also been popular.

Age should be considered when an individual chooses a type of medicine, Matthews said. The flu can be an inconvenience for younger adults, but can be life-threatening for older adults. She recommends the elderly get a flu shot and take Tamiflu, which is prescribed by a doctor.

Wheeler said it’s important for everyone to get a flu shot, because it’s a way of preventing the flu.

“It is the best thing we have to offer,” he said. “Prevention is always better than treatment.”

The flu shot is reformulated each year, because the virus mutates, Wheeler said. The shot also lasts for eight to nine months and only protects against the most prevalent strains of the virus. The most common strain is Hemagglutinin Type 1 and Neuraminidase Type 1, commonly known as H1N1.

“Just because you get the flu shot doesn’t mean you won’t get the flu,” he said.

Wheeler said getting a flu shot and taking Tamiflu are better treatments than natural remedies. Modern medicine has been proven to work while there’s not much scientific data to support natural treatments.

Getting a flu shot is especially important for pregnant women, Wheeler said. If a pregnant woman gets the flu, she could give birth to a premature infant or lose the baby.

Natural remedies and modern medicine can also be used together, Wheeler said. He advises people not to use any medication excessively. Even too many vitamins can cause health problems.

“The most important rule is to do no harm,” he said.