At one time or other, everyone of us succumbs to the common
cold. The bravest, the strongest, the sweetest, the smartest -
our virtues matter not to these viruses as they set about reduc_
ing us to coughing, sneezing sneezing shadows of our former
selves. Worse yet, there's no cure. Antiboitics, champs at knock_
ing out bacterial infection, are down for the count against cold
viruses. So we sniffle on bravely, maybe take a cold pill or two,
and hope the symptoms will disappear in the customary week or so.
Some home remedies as suggested by doctors may help us overcome
cold more quickly. Vitamin C works in the body as a scavenger
picking up all sorts of trash - including virus trash. It can
shorten the length of a cold from seven days to two or three
days. Vitamin C may also cut back on coughing, sneezing and other
symptoms. Juices of orange, grape fruit and cranberry are rich
sources of vitamin C. Sucking on Zinc lozenges can cut colds
short. The downside is that Zinc has an unpleasant taste. There
are however lozenges in the market that contain honey and/or
citrus that are a lot easier to swallow. But do nottake more than
reccommended by the doctors it can be toxic in large doses. Extra
rest enables you to put all your energy into getting well. Take
a day off or two from work if you are really bad. Mild exercises
improves your circulation, helping your immune system circulate
infection fighting antibodies. Try taking a brisk half an hour
walk. For diet eat fewer fatty foods, meat and milk products and
eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of
water, juice, tea and mostly clear liquids. This will replace
important fluids lost during a cold and help flush out impurities
that may be preying on your system. Smoking aggravates a throat
that may already feel irritated from cold. So, try to abstain
yourself at least for a while. Relieve an irritated throat by
gargling morning, noon and night whenever it hurts the most. Fill
a glass of warm water and mix in 1 teaspoon of salt. Take a hot
water bath or steam your nose by inhaling steam from boiling
water mixed with menthol. Or try garlic tea. This familiar herb
has an antibiotic effect. It can actually kill germs and clear up
the cold symptoms more rapidly. Try to avoid spreading cold by
not sharing your food with others. Do not step outside with a wet
head. If it persists with a fever about 103 degrees fah. see your
doctor. Also visit him if you have extreme pain such as ear ache,
swollen tonsils, sinus pain or chest pain, extremely difficulty
in swallowing, excessive large amounts of sputum or sputum that
is greenish or bloody, shortness of breath or excessive of appe_
tite. Lemonated water will also provide relief. Juices of ginger,
orange, carrot, raddish, garlic can be taken. Crush some tulsi
leaves and give one or two drops of the juice to babies 2 to 3
times a day. To relieve congestion dissolve one tbsp. of crushed
camphor in 2 tsp. of hot coconut oil. Store in an air tight
container and rub it on the chest and throat of the child.
For dry cough, take a solution containing 1 part of honey, 1 part
of lime juice and 1 part of rum or gin ( leave alcohol out for
children and those who have difficulty in breathing ). Take 1
tsp. of this solution every 2 to 3 hours. For sinusitis, soak a
piece of turmeric in castor oil, burn it and inhale the smoke. Or
inhale the smoke by burning a few pepper corns. Or roast garlic
in hot ash and take it three times a day. For cold, boil a hand_
ful of eucalyptus leaves in two glasses of water till the quanti_
ty is reduced to half. Strain the water, add sugar and drink 3
times a day. This remedy is for adults. Most coughs are due to
the air passages becoming inflammed by infection and forming more
mucus than the usual. Sometimes a throat infection will irritate
the cough reflex without causing much increase in mucus and dry
barking coughs maybe troublesome. Coughing may have other causes
- inhalation of dust or chemicals, pressure on the air passages
from a tumour, accumulation of fluid in lungs. Sometimes coughing
maybe the only symptom of asthma. Mostly coughs are doing a
useful job, clearing the lungs of phlegm and that any treatment
should be aimed at the cause of the cough rather than the cough
itself. Remedies fall into 2 categories : Expectorants which make
the mucus in the chest more liquid and therefore easier to cough
and suppresants which damp down the cough reflex. If you are
coughing up thick phlegm, take an expectorant. A dry, irritating
cough may warrant a suppressant. What makes more sense is to
take a cough medicine that contains a drug of both kinds.
Combine a sore throat with a rasping cough and you know the
meaning of torture. Sore throats are early warning signs of cold
or flu. But they can exist independently as the result of some
other viral or bacterial infection. If you have sore throat
caused by a viral infection, antibiotics won't help. But medicat_
ed lozenges may do some good. Zinc lozenges as stated above will
also help. Several actors mentioned the time honoured salvo of
lemon juice and honey in hot water or tea sipped through the day.
Some even inhale steam for about ten mins. a day. If you have the
time, try it 2 to 3 times a day. One more idea is to gargle with
whisky in a large glass of warm water. If part of the reason you
are breathing through your mouth is that your nose is clogged,
then open it with an decongestant nasal spray. Try to limit its
use for a day or two, because it can become addictive. If you
live near the sea, then go ahead and inhale the sea breeze. When
you inhale the mist, the saline air moistens your nose and drips
down the back of your throat to help increase humidity there.
Unlike the nasal decongestants, the saline way is not addictive.
Try to avoid milky drinks which may produce more mucus, making
you cough and further irritating the tissues. Caffeine containing
beverages have a counter productive diuretic effect. Garlic is
one of the best natural antibiotics and antiseptics. Vitamin C
helps to build up tissues to fight germs that are responsible for
sore throat. Believe it or not, your toothbrush may be perpetuat_
ing or even causing the sore throat. Bacteria collects on the
bristles and any injuryto the gums during brushing injects these
germs into your system. From the preventive standpoint, replace
the toothbrush every month and also store it outside the moist,
bacteria prone bathroom. If you think it's expensive then think
again about the cost of just one trip to the doctor's clinic.
Another cause of sore throat in the morning - besides sleeping
with your mouth open - is a backp of stomach acids into your
throat during night. These acids are extremely irritating to the
sensitive throat tissues. Avoid the problem by tilting the bed_
frame or add a pillow so that the head is 4 to 6 inches higher
than the foot. But don't simply add pillow, they can cause you to
bend in the middle, increasing pressure on the oesophagus and
making the problem worse. As an extra precaution, do not eat or
drink for an hour or two before retiring. See the doctor if you
experience the following : Severe, prolonged or recurrent sore
throats, difficulty in breathing, swallowing or opening of mouth,
joint pains, earache or lump in the neck, rash, fever above 101
degrees fahrenheit, hoarseness lasting two weeks or longer, blood
in saliva or phlegm. If you take the necessary precautions you
will do better in the long run to stay well.
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