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 Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 3:08 pm
1) Blow Your Nose Often -- and the Right Way
It's important to blow your nose regularly when you have a cold rather than sniffling mucus back into your head. But when you blow hard, pressure can cause an earache. The best way to blow your nose: Press a finger over one nostril while you blow gently to clear the other. Wash your hands after blowing your nose.
2) Stay Rested
Resting when you first come down with a cold or the flu helps your body direct its energy toward the immune battle. This battle taxes the body. So give it a little help by lying down under a blanket.
3) Gargle
Gargling can moisten a sore throat and bring temporary relief. Try a teaspoon of salt dissolved in warm water, four times daily. To reduce the tickle in your throat, try an astringent gargle -- such as tea that contains tannin -- to tighten the membranes. Or use a thick, viscous gargle made with honey, popular in folk medicine. Steep one tablespoon of raspberry leaves or lemon juice in two cups of hot water; mix with one teaspoon of honey. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before gargling. Honey should never be given to children less than 1 year old.
4) Drink Hot Liquids
Hot liquids relieve nasal congestion, help prevent dehydration, and can soothe the uncomfortably inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat.
5) Take a Steamy Shower
Steamy showers moisturize your nasal passages and relax you. If you're experiencing chest congestion, pour some steaming hot water in a bowl, get your face near the water, close your eyes and cover your head with a towel. The steam will relax your nostrils, help clean the phlem out and clear your pores!
6) Use a Salve Under Your Nose
A small dab of mentholated salve under your nose can open breathing passages and help soothe the irritated skin at the base of the nose. Menthol, eucalyptus and camphor all have mild numbing ingredients that may help relieve the pain of a nose rubbed raw.
7) Apply Hot or Cold Packs Around Your Congested Sinuses
Either temperature may help you feel more comfortable. You can buy reusable hot or cold packs at a drugstore. Or make your own. Take a damp washcloth and heat it for 55 seconds in a microwave (test the temperature first to make sure it's right for you.) Or take a small bag of frozen peas to use as a cold pack.
8 ) Sleep With an Extra Pillow Under Your Head
This will help with the drainage of nasal passages. If the angle is too awkward, try placing the pillows between the mattress and the box springs to create a more gradual slope.
9) Don't Fly Unless Necessary
There's no point adding stress to your already stressed-out upper respiratory system, and that's what the change in air pressure will do. Flying with cold or flu congestion can hurt your eardrums as a result of pressure changes during takeoff and landing. If you must fly, use a decongestant and carry a nasal spray with you to use just before takeoff and landing. Chewing gum and swallowing frequently can also help relieve pressure.
Remember, serious conditions can masquerade as the common cold and a mild infection can evolve into something more serious. If you have severe symptoms or are feeling sicker with each passing day, see a doctor.
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:57 pm
good list! let me add some text from an article i read today.
Ten Foods to Kick a Cold and Boost Your Immunity
Here are some foods which will help boost your immune system when you are feeling under the weather:
Yogurt/Kefir
Yogurt packs a healthy dose of good bacteria that can protect the body against harmful bacteria and infections. These good bacteria are called probiotics, and studies have shown eating yogurts rich in them can lead to an improved immune response by increasing the body's white blood cell count. Traditional kefir is similar to yogurt but cultured with special kefir grains, so it contains slightly different bacteria.
Turmeric
Turmeric is found in every yellow curry, and its golden color is the result of curcumin, a polyphenol with strong cold and flu-fighting properties. Curcumin prevents some immune cells from responding to stimulants and so has modulating and anti-inflammatory effects.
Garlic
Many of the immune-boosting properties of garlic come from its sulfur-containing compounds, particularly one called allicin. These compounds are effective against bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections. They also enhance the immune system and have anti-tumor and antioxidant features.
Oregano
The antioxidant activity in oregano is due to its high content of phenolic acids and flavonoids, color compounds that are also anti-inflammatory. When eaten, oregano can protect against the common cold, influenza, fevers and indigestion.
Red Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are both low in calories and dense in nutrients. They are a good source of phytochemicals as well as beta carotenes and vitamin C. Gram for gram, red bell peppers have twice the vitamin C of most vitamin C-containing fruits and vegetables, including oranges.
Green Tea
Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, after water. It is rich in polyphenols -- plant antioxidants -- as well as a number of other chemicals that can help protect the body against cold or flu.
Pumpkins
Pumpkins are packed with beta carotene, a nutrient that your body breaks down to make vitamin A. Vitamin A helps the proteins that regulate cell-to-cell communication, which is the foundation of the immune system. Vitamin A also aids in cancer prevention, because cell-to-cell communication breakdown is one of the primary causes of cancer.
Ginger
Ginger contains a compound called gingerol, a relative of capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their zing and heat. When it is dried, ginger contains less gingerol and more shoagol, an anti-inflammatory agent. Ginger has been shown to reduce nausea and vomiting.
Oysters
Oysters are widely thought to be an aphrodisiac -- probably because of their high zinc content, which is necessary for testosterone production. Zinc is also very good at protecting the body against colds and flu. Zinc enhances the function of helper T cells, which are important in identifying foreign antigens and alerting other cells of the immune system to invaders. Even a mild zinc deficiency can have adverse effects on the immune system.
Broccoli
Broccoli is an excellent -- and cheap -- source of vitamins A, C and E. In addition, broccoli is high in glucosinolates, which stimulate the body's immune system. Broccoli is a doubly powerful food because of its high concentration of sulforaphanes, which are potent anti-cancer agents.
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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 8:17 pm
Oregano bread = heart
You know it's funny, all these healthy things nature gives us to stay healthy and give us what we need...But people still feel the need to take 9 pills a day full of the stuff they can get naturally confused
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 3:35 am
i've been starting to see some stuff that says that vitamin pills are sortof worthless compared to whole foods. The quality varies from company to company and I forget what else. although I think if you have any sort of deficiency then pills can be very helpful to get you back on track.
I take zinc currently.
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Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:55 pm
I'd like to add echinacea tea (anti-viral, immune booster), eucalyptus oil (inhale - decongestant and antispetic) and liquorice root ( decongestant, soothes throat).
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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 1:39 am
This is brilliant for pregnant ladies as any meds might cause harm!
The kicker is, most pregnant ladies get the flu because their immune system is weakened so the body doesn't reject the baby!!
Thanks! I've been suffering quite a bit <3
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 6:42 am
Good for the flu... chicken soup, or atleast the broth with these ingredients:
2 tsp each of dill, rosemary, sage, tyme, and cinnamon. (add more if you want these stronger, I just mostly eyeball the amount.)
1 clove of garlic chopped
chicken broth (home made is best)
Why cinnamon you ask? Well it gives a slightly sweet flavor, and it settles the upset queasy tummy feeling.
Rosemary works as a good pain reliever too.
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 7:26 am
I've been sucking on small bits of honey. It makes for a great temporary sore throat relief, as it coats your throat. Much better than throat lozenges.
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 9:39 am
Mint tea does wonders for stomach aches.
Catnip tea works for headaches or migraines.
Amy's No Chicken Noodle Soup also helps with colds for those who don't eat or like meat.
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 10:48 am
This is wonderful!
I've been drinking lemon tea with a spoonful of honey like nobody's business lately.
@momoxhime: Do you know of any other teas that do the whole anti-viral/immune booster thing? Echinacea causes me to have issues with this whole breathing thing. confused
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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 6:29 pm
wolfen26 Good for the flu... chicken soup, or atleast the broth with these ingredients: 2 tsp each of dill, rosemary, sage, tyme, and cinnamon. (add more if you want these stronger, I just mostly eyeball the amount.) 1 clove of garlic chopped chicken broth (home made is best) Why cinnamon you ask? Well it gives a slightly sweet flavor, and it settles the upset queasy tummy feeling. Rosemary works as a good pain reliever too. Along the same lines is a bowl of miso soup, using chicken broth and with some ginger. Very nutritious and filling when you're sick and lacking appetite.
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Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 8:18 pm
Peppermint tea works wonders for clearing up congestion, I hate how it tastes, but it works well.
Honey is a natural cough suppressant that works very well. So instead of taking cough medicine, have a couple spoonfulls of honey. It works great, and tastes soooo much better.
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Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:18 am
Zinc
Numerous studies show that when taken early in a cold, zinc can keep the virus from replicating, reducing the time you're sick by 50%.
Vitamin C
Conflicting information. Some studies say it's not worth anything once you're already sick. Some studies say that it can reduce symptoms and duration by only 20%. If it works for you keep on doing it.
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Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:20 am
Some symptoms that your flu may have progressed to pneumonia or bronchitis:
- green or yellow phlegm (the mucus you cough up, with pneumonia it can even be a rusty red color)
- persistent cough.
- chest pain
- extreme weakness
- high fever
- shortness of breath and chills.
If you're getting better with the flu it's probably fine to wait it out, however if you're symptoms get really bad and you have a 101 F fever or higher or you've been sick and not getting better for 1-2 weeks then it's time to call your doctor.
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:59 am
My mother used to make the most potent drink for colds when my brother and I were little, I don't remember exactly what was in it but it included lemon juice, elderberries, honey and ginger.
I would only ever recommend it exactly the way she used to make it to the very strong of heart and stomach, but it was effective, and the elements can be used in ways that won't be quite so merciless.
Tea with lemon juice and honey is an age-old classic for soothing the throat.
A herbal tea made from lemongrass is good for reducing fevers, and good for the digestion.
(It's really quite pleasant to combine those two teas, as well.)
Ginger Tea is good for combating colds and flus as well, but there are some people (like myself) that find the taste to be somewhat more then they can take.
Elderflowers made into a tea, and Elderberries (either eaten fresh or dried and turned into tea, and it's possible to add them fresh to fruit juices), are wonderful for the immune system if you can get them, and are something I miss dearly.
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