Fall is at its end and winter is almost knocking on our door. Snow fights, skiing, skating, snowboarding and any outdoor activity makes our heart strong, our waist thin and our throat sore and scratchy. You’re starting to feel under the weather, you experience nasal stuffiness or drainage, sneezing, cough, watery eyes, low-grade fever, headaches, body aches and fatigue. Together with all the joys of winter, this season also brings us the common cold. So how can you beat this fun breaker? Curling up on the couch with a bowl of hot soup and a soothing cup of tea is not enough so here are some easy tips to kick cold to the curb.
- Put eucalyptus oil in 2 cups of boiling water and breath in the steam, this helps with nasal congestion.
- Take supplements such as Echinacea (antiviral and antibacterial, speeds healing) and goldenseal extracts to boost the immune system and Vitamin C and Zinc to help stop the cold from going through the entire process.
- Eat black horseradish because it has excellent properties to treat sore throat and upper respiratory tract infections, reduces fever, and expels concentrations of mucus.
- Gargle with sage infusion (it is used to cure sore throat, stuffed nose, gingivitis and coughs, is a powerful antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal), kava kava (it’s a pain reliever and it helps the insomnia caused by coughing and sore throat) and oregano infusion (fights respiratory allergies, laryngitis and sore throat, it has antifungal and antibacterial properties). You can also gargle with warm saltwater or a mix of water and pure tea tree oil if you have a sore throat.
- Take Myrrh, which is an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, it is very powerful and excellent for chronic sore throats. Besides, it acts as an expectorant and decongestant.
- Wild indigo is an antiviral and antibiotic that fights infections, stimulates the immune system, and cures chronic sore throats.
- Do not take over-the-counter medications as they may cause undesirable side effects, therefore they must be taken with care. For instance, in the US, $1 billion a year are wasted in nonprescription drugs for cold and coughs but often this medicines not only do not work, but also lead to serious health issues due to side effects.
Nevertheless, it’s very important to keep in mind that there is no cure for common cold and these tips are not a remedy, their purpose is to alleviate the symptoms while the body fights off the infection because common cold is a self-limited illness that will resolve spontaneously with time. They will not prevent or shorten the duration of the common cold.
Leave a Comment