Colds and flu conversations seem to be very popular at the moment. When you are down with a dose there seems to be a certain comfort in letting someone else know how much bodily fluid your loosing. If you are like me then you also feel that you have the worst cold ever recorded in the history of humankind. Winter seems to be the time for colds, but it isn’t the weather that causes all the misery. It’s the time spent indoors and confined spaces with sick people. The viruses that cause colds and flu are highly contagious and all you have to do is to scratch your face after being in contact with someone with the sniffles and you are down with it too. Adults get around four colds a year and there is no denying that they play havoc with our health. One very wise sage once commented that a cold is nothing more than an oil change for humans. Others think that there is a cleansing out of toxins when we are suffering with the sniffles. There is probably some truth in this, as we do seem to feel great a few days after recovering.
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF
No over the counter medicines or prescription drugs can cure the common cold, but this doesn’t really matter as the important issue is to take things easy and look after yourself. Some remedies from the chemist can make the symptoms worse though. The ones that come to mind are the antihistamine and decongestant combination drugs, which are supposed to clear the nasal passages. These can cause drowsiness, dry nose and throat and oddly enough, nasal congestion. Analgesics such as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen, reduce fevers and relieve muscle pain. These have all sorts of side effects like nausea, heartburn, headaches and skin rashes. All of these things don’t seem to matter when we are ill, we just keep popping the pills and hoping for the best. A lot of the uncomfortable symptoms can come from these products. There are flu jabs that can be obtained for certain strains of cold. Drug companies have to gamble every year that they produce the correct one for the strain. The effectiveness seems to wane quickly and the effectiveness will also depend on the health of the recipient. There is an alternative to the injection. There is a method of putting a liquid up the nostrils, and it seems to be working well. Antibiotics have no place in the treatment of colds and flu either, unless the illness becomes complicated by bacterial infection. The fact that the law might change soon so we can freely obtain antibiotics over the counter at the chemist is a bit worrying as a lot of people seem to think that they are a wonderful cure all.
WORTH ITS SALT
There is a simple remedy for nasal congestion that you might find in the chemists which is helpful for colds and flu. Saline nasal sprays and drops. Spraying salt water up your nose can loosen things enough to clear your head. Some people use a small pot with a spout called a neti pot. The idea is to tip your head back and pour salt water in one nostril and let it come out of the other. It works apparently, but I have never been brave enough to try it. The pots are available from yoga equipment suppliers and they are great if you really want to be the centre of attention! Make your own saline solution by mixing ¼ of a teaspoon full of salt into some warm tap water. Make it fresh each day and put it into a spray bottle and use as needed, especially when the family are around.
HERBAL REMEDIES
There are loads of preventative steps to take to ward off the colds. Keeping up vitamin contents, eating a balanced diet are a good start. When it comes to herbal remedies though, some people swear by Echinacea. This plant extract stimulates white blood cell activity and increases the production of interferon, which is nature’s antiviral substance in the body. Research shows that if Echinacea is taken just as the symptoms appear, they can shorten the duration of the cold and also lessen the severity of the symptoms. However it may reduce immunity if taken over long periods. You will find Echinacea in the health shops but check with staff on how to use it effectively. Remember herbal remedies are still medicines and should be taken with professional advice.
HERBAL DRINKS
Try a herbal drink, you can sweeten it with some honey if you like, this will also sooth the throat and lemon added will keep the vitamin C intake up too. Elderflower and hibiscus are also high in Vitamin C. Try mixing herbs of your choice e.g. dried peppermint leaves, lemon balm leaves, elder flowers, hibiscus and yarrow leaves. Stew like you would normal tea (not too strong though).
The important thing to do if you have a cold is to look after yourself, curl up under a duvet and keep warm. If you must go to work then try and concentrate on less demanding jobs. And remember to cover your mouth when you sneeze!
Household.
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF
No over the counter medicines or prescription drugs can cure the common cold, but this doesn’t really matter as the important issue is to take things easy and look after yourself. Some remedies from the chemist can make the symptoms worse though. The ones that come to mind are the antihistamine and decongestant combination drugs, which are supposed to clear the nasal passages. These can cause drowsiness, dry nose and throat and oddly enough, nasal congestion. Analgesics such as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen, reduce fevers and relieve muscle pain. These have all sorts of side effects like nausea, heartburn, headaches and skin rashes. All of these things don’t seem to matter when we are ill, we just keep popping the pills and hoping for the best. A lot of the uncomfortable symptoms can come from these products. There are flu jabs that can be obtained for certain strains of cold. Drug companies have to gamble every year that they produce the correct one for the strain. The effectiveness seems to wane quickly and the effectiveness will also depend on the health of the recipient. There is an alternative to the injection. There is a method of putting a liquid up the nostrils, and it seems to be working well. Antibiotics have no place in the treatment of colds and flu either, unless the illness becomes complicated by bacterial infection. The fact that the law might change soon so we can freely obtain antibiotics over the counter at the chemist is a bit worrying as a lot of people seem to think that they are a wonderful cure all.
WORTH ITS SALT
There is a simple remedy for nasal congestion that you might find in the chemists which is helpful for colds and flu. Saline nasal sprays and drops. Spraying salt water up your nose can loosen things enough to clear your head. Some people use a small pot with a spout called a neti pot. The idea is to tip your head back and pour salt water in one nostril and let it come out of the other. It works apparently, but I have never been brave enough to try it. The pots are available from yoga equipment suppliers and they are great if you really want to be the centre of attention! Make your own saline solution by mixing ¼ of a teaspoon full of salt into some warm tap water. Make it fresh each day and put it into a spray bottle and use as needed, especially when the family are around.
HERBAL REMEDIES
There are loads of preventative steps to take to ward off the colds. Keeping up vitamin contents, eating a balanced diet are a good start. When it comes to herbal remedies though, some people swear by Echinacea. This plant extract stimulates white blood cell activity and increases the production of interferon, which is nature’s antiviral substance in the body. Research shows that if Echinacea is taken just as the symptoms appear, they can shorten the duration of the cold and also lessen the severity of the symptoms. However it may reduce immunity if taken over long periods. You will find Echinacea in the health shops but check with staff on how to use it effectively. Remember herbal remedies are still medicines and should be taken with professional advice.
HERBAL DRINKS
Try a herbal drink, you can sweeten it with some honey if you like, this will also sooth the throat and lemon added will keep the vitamin C intake up too. Elderflower and hibiscus are also high in Vitamin C. Try mixing herbs of your choice e.g. dried peppermint leaves, lemon balm leaves, elder flowers, hibiscus and yarrow leaves. Stew like you would normal tea (not too strong though).
The important thing to do if you have a cold is to look after yourself, curl up under a duvet and keep warm. If you must go to work then try and concentrate on less demanding jobs. And remember to cover your mouth when you sneeze!
Household.
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