My friend Mark is calm and laid-back. Whenever he gets a cold, true to his nature, he takes a passive approach in treating it. What does Mark do? Other than blowing his nose, absolutely nothing. His logic is, there’s no cure for the common cold. And taking over-the-counter products only medicates the symptoms, so why bother? I, on the other hand, take a proactive approach whenever I’m under the weather. Read this informative guide and learn how to get over a cold!
Simple Tips to Follow
They don’t call it the “Common Cold” for nothing. Catching colds is something that most of us have in common. In fact, most adults get three colds a year, while kids get six to ten colds annually. The next time you feel a cold coming on, that is- you feel symptoms like a sore throat,
stuffed-up or runny nose, a tickle or scratchiness in your throat coupled with hoarseness or a dry, hacking coughs, a headache, body aches and a run-down feeling- follow these simple tips to help get over it:
1. Drink Plenty of Fluids
Drinking plenty of fluids is a vital part of kicking the cold bug out of your system. Water alone helps to remove toxins, including mucous, from your system. Fruit juices such as orange and grape are chock-full of beneficial Vitamin C which helps boost your immune system. Did you know that drinking pure pineapple juice is even better for you? Pineapple juice contains Bromelain. This enzyme not only breaks up congestion, it’s a natural infection fighter.
If you have a fever, here’s a helpful tip to get over a cold: drink iced liquids to help bring your temperature down.
Herbal teas such as Green Tea and Chamomile are also wonderful liquids to drink.
Avoid drinking liquids like coffee and soda pops that contain caffeine. Because instead of hydrating you, caffeine dehydrates you because it’s a diuretic.
And, of course, don’t forget to drink chicken soup or broth. Chicken contains an amino acid called cysteine, which has been proven to help break up congestion.
2. Watch What You Eat
You’ve undoubtedly heard the old saying, “Feed a cold, starve a fever.” If you employ this tactic to get over a cold, just keep this in mind: stay clear of milk and other dairy products that create mucous. Instead, look to other foods such as pineapple and citrus fruit, whole grains, garlic, onions, horseradish and peppers.
3. Get Plenty of Rest
In our hectic world today, it’s hard to take time from your busy schedule to get plenty of rest anytime. But, getting plenty of rest is especially important to get over a cold. The cold virus and its symptoms wears down your immunity system. Rest helps build your body back up!
4. Gargle!
Gargling two to three times a day gives your body three benefits. First, it helps break up and remove mucous from your throat. Two, it relieves the pain of a sore throat. And three, gargling helps kill germs in your throat and mouth. A simple gargle of a cup of hot water with a 1/4 teaspoon of table salt stirred into it is most effective.
5. Wash Your Hands Often
Wash your hands often and you’ll help prevent infecting yourself and others with your cold. This is especially important after you blow your nose.
Best Medications to Take
Of course, taking aspirin, Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen helps get rid of body aches, sore throat pain, and lower fevers. Cough syrup can be effective in reducing dry, hacking coughs and making coughs more productive. There are many over-the-counter medications you can take to help you get over a cold. Just be sure to follow the dosage instructions!
I had a doozy of a bad cold just a few months ago. Besides following the simple tips, I took Tylenol Cold Head Congestion Daytime Caplets. This product contains a Pain Reliever- 325 mg of Acetaminophen, a Cough Suppressant- 10 mg of Dextromethorphan HBr, and a Nasal Decongestant- 5 mg Phenylephrine HCl. One tablet took care of a variety of systems for four hours. The best feature of this medication is that I didn’t feel drugged up.
To get over a cold that has you coughing and wheezing because of heavy congestion, Alka-Seltzer Plus Mucus & Congestion Tablets- Lemon Lime Flavor is my pick.
Finally, to help yourself get over a cold, taking Zinc is most effective. Zinc has been proven to kill the cold virus. This will help you get back on your feet in a shorter period of time.
