We are now in the raining season and catching a cold is almost normal. Unless you’re trying to stay home from school,
catching a cold stings. But how do you catch one? It all comes down to germs. The common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory system.
That’s your nose and throat. Symptoms vary, but not by much. Runny
nose, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, congestion, fatigue are all
soldiers of the common cold. And via some of these symptoms is how you,
and others, catch a cold: germs. Each time a cold sufferer sneezes or coughs in the air, germs spread.
Each time he touches his nose, rubs his eyes or covers his mouth with
his hand to cough or sneeze, sick germs transfer to the hand. If the
hand touches an object, those germs transfer to the object and sit and
wait. . . for you! That’s why #1 on this list is the most important way
to prevent yourself from catching a cold.
1. Wash Your Hands Get in the habit of washing your hands frequently, especially during
cold and flu season. This one step could save you a week in bed. (Unless
that’s what you want.) The common cold is a virus and is contagious. If
somebody with a cold sneezes into their hand and then touches money, a
doorknob, an elevator button, a faucet, a phone, etc., and then you
touch it (even hours later), the germs are on your hand. One touch to
your mucus membranes (eyes, mouth, nose) and you’ve won a trip on the
Cold Train. Which leads to #2. . .
2. Use Your Sleeve Thanks for sneezing into your hand. Now what are you going to do with
all the germs? Hmm. Didn’t think about that, did you? If you don’t have
a tissue into which to blast your sneeze or cough, use your sleeve.
Catching a cough or stopping a sneeze with your hand is commendable, but
it leaves you with a handful of germs. If you don’t wash right away,
you’ll share them with others when you touch things. No thanks! Better
to sneeze into your sleeve, the inside of your elbow works best. The
germs cannot live long on garments. This way, you protect others. If you
encourage others to use their sleeve, you’ll protect yourself. Nice
defense.
3. Blow
Don’t suck, blow! When you have a cold, mucus wants to slide from
your nose down your throat—don’t let it! Blow it out your nose. Mucus
helps keep your body healthy, and on normal days (read: when you’re not
sick), you probably don’t even know it’s there, even though your glands
make up to two quarts of it daily. (Yuck!) But when sickness creeps in,
the snot all but drives you batty. True, it’s fighting off viruses and
infections, but blow it out anyway. . .and don’t worry — more will
follow. (Be sure to wash your hands between blows to remove any
residue.)
4.Gargle
Sip. Gargle. Spit. Repeat. Why?? With a cold often comes a sore or
scratchy throat. When this happens, the tissues of the throat get
swollen or inflamed from the fluids in them. This hurts. Gargling with
salt water can offer relief. The salt in the water draws out the water
in the inflamed skin in the throat to create balance. This decreases the
inflammation, providing temporary relief. If you don’t like to gargle
or your child under six has a sore throat, try ice chips. Sucking on
these numbs the sore tissue and reduces the swelling or inflammation.
5. Lay Down
Sleep—annoying to kids and workaholics, elusive to parents of young
children, and cherished by teenagers and cold-sufferers worldwide. Why
do we get worn out when we have a cold? It’s because our body needs to
work hard to fight the pesky infection (or in the case of teenagers,
they work hard to fight their parents). When we rest, we help our body
focus its energy on fighting the sickness. Let your body go to battle.
You go to bed.
6. Drink Hot Liquids
If
you are experiencing nose congestion, hot liquids can help you feel
better. The “tuffy feewing” is the result of tissues in the nose as well
as the blood vessels swelling with fluid. Research proves that hot
drinks (for adults) do, in fact, provide “immediate and sustained relief
from symptoms of runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat, chilliness
and tiredness.” In the same study, room temperature drinks relieved only
runny nose, coughing and sneezing. Now with research result in mind,
you can plan which beverage will help you beat your symptoms.
7. Take a Steamy Shower
Your nose is stuffed. Your throat hurts. You’re coughing. Waaaaaaaa! All
classic symptoms of a cold. Stepping into a steamy shower will add
helpful and relieving moisture to your nasal passages. (Plus it’ll get
you clean, and that’s worth a lot when you’re feeling all icky.) If you
lack the energy or if you’re dizzy and cannot stand in a shower, a
humidifier works well, too. The plus is you get to lie in bed while
breathing in the helpful steam.
8. Eat Chicken Soup
Mom was right. It works! There’s a compound in chicken soup called
canosine, and research proved that it helps the body’s immune system
fight the early stages of the flu. Other research showed that soup helped reduce upper respiratory symptoms of a cold. Finally,
other research proved that chicken soup helped its consumers breathe
easier through their noses. And if that’s not enough information to
convince you, chicken soup just feels good going down when you’re all
stuffed up, clogged up and fed up with a cold.
9. Apply Heat or Cold
Sinuses aching? Go for both, hot and cold. A warm, wet was cloth
strategically placed across your forehead, eyes and cheeks could ease
swelling and throbbing. Keep it there for three minutes, and then switch
to cold for 30 seconds. Switch three times. This should be done two to
six times per day. You want to relieve the pressure caused by air, pus
and mucus being trapped within the sinuses causing the membranes to
swell. . .and hurt. The heat relieves the pressure and loosens the
mucus. The cold just feels good.
10. Elevate Your Head When You Sleep
Colds often include a post nasal drip. While you are vertical, gravity
helps the mucus on its journey, leaving you to clear your throat
frequently. However, when you lie flat, it pulls on the back of your
throat making it more difficult to breathe through your nose. If you
switch to breathing through your mouth, you’ll wind up with a sore,
scratchy throat or a cough that could keep you from sleeping. Put an
extra pillow under your head or under the mattress between the box
spring and the mattress. Elevating your head will help your nasal
passages drain which will let you sleep better.
I hope these tips have been of great help to you. Remember to share with your friends and family. Health is wealth!
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