Before you run to the drugstore for something to dry up the sniffles, think about how your marvelously intelligent body is already fighting the cold germs. That runny nose is part of the healing process. Rather than taking an over-the-counter medication that will dry up your sinuses and actually work against your immune system, here are some things to do that will support it and make you feel better while youre waiting for the cold to make its exit.
- Try to drink 60 to 80 ounces of clear liquid per daywater, sports drinks, herb teas and mommas chicken soup if available. Warm liquids are better than cold. Dont even think about carbonated beverages or caffeinated beverages. You want to add healthy liquids, not diuretics.
- Try to get some steam into your sinuses. Put your head over a boiling pot of water, use a humidifier, or take a hot shower. You can put eucalyptus oil in the boiling water or the humidifier to help break up congestion.
- Blow your nose gently and oftenone nostril at a time. Dont blow too hard because you can force germs up into a little tube that runs between your nose and your ear. You dont want to add an ear infection to your misery.
- Try to get salt water up in your sinuses. Saline nasal sprays are good. Even better is a Neti pot which will flush away mucus and bacteria. If you dont have any other way to do it, just put some salt water in the cup of your hand and snort the liquid up into your nose as far as you can.
- Gargling with salt water will relieve your scratchy throat. Or try gargling with warmnot hot herb tea. Adding a few drops of Tea Tree oil to any gargle will help kill some bacteria.
- Warmth will help your body fight the cold. Wrapping up in blankets or soaking in a hot bath or sauna will make you feel much better.
- You will feel better if you move around, so dont live in your bed unless you really feel weak.
- Smear a mentholated salve under the nose to clear the sinuses and protect the skin around your nose from getting raw and painful.
- Heat a damp washcloth for a few seconds in the microwave and hold it against your sinuses to help break up the congestion. You can also buy special hot packs at the drugstore that are designed for this.
- If you sleep on your back, you may want to use a few extra pillows to elevate the head and promote drainage.
- There are a few specific items at the health-food store that you can use to adjust your cold symptoms. Zinc lozenges will sooth a sore throat. A tea made from the Nettles herb will act as a mild decongestant. Elderberry is recommended for upper respiratory infections and headaches. Ginger is a mild anti-viral so itll have some effect on the cold bugs. Slippery elm will help with the respiratory irritation. Mullein and Wild Cherry Bark are good for coughs.
- Dont go crazy with vitamins. You might want to take a little more vitamin C but lots of it wont help. Whatever vitamins are in a good multivitamin are probably perfect for your cold.
- If you notice a cold coming on, you can take an Echinacea-Goldenseal combination to keep the virus from spreading. Youll still get sick but it wont be as bad. Only take this for a week starting from the very first symptom.
Remember that a cold is caused by a virus so it isnt affected by antibiotics. Viruses have to run through their own process. All we can do is help the immune system to move the bugs out as soon as possible, and try to make ourselves as comfortable as possible while we wait.
