The common cold is what the name suggests, very very common. How many times have you heard before about drinking ginger and honey tea and wrapping yourself up in a warm comfy blanket when you are in the middle of wiping your runny nose and sneezing? A lot many times, I am sure! I know I know, common cold, is like the most ‘normal’ of all ailments but I find it to be the most nagging of the lot. What I hate the most, stuffiness of the nose. Now I am trying to compile a list of what we can do to cure our yearly bouts of 'The Cold.' Well, these are seriously easy ways to combat it.
Do not reach out for those antibiotics
Well, I am assuming that you already know that antibiotics treat bacterial stuff and your common cold is viral. So nope, its a stop signal for antibiotics here. More often than not, your silly cold will see through its life cycle of 3-5 days. Hang in there.
Let's get some help from these
If it's already chilly outside, I am guessing you already have your humidifier running. That will soothe you when you have a cold. And do not forget your saline drops for that silly stuffy nose. It works wonders for me. Walgreens has a host of nasal sprays that you can try. And while you rest, try to put your socks on, keeps your feet warm. Warm feet, cozy body!
Little things go a long way
And if you are fishing for more comfort, put your head up a little with an extra pillow, helps in breathing better! And of course, drink, drink and drink more water and stay hydrated.
Ever heard about essential oils?
I use this roll-on oil Sensur. It's essentially eucalyptus oil. For me, it's my go-to stuff to the extent that you'll find one in my handbag all the time. It works wonders for my migraine pain or when I am feeling heaviness due to a sticky cold. Can’t undermine the power of Ayurveda, can you?
And if you are the one with a stuffed up nose
A warm water shower is the answer for you dear! It helps relieve the stuffiness from your nose. And if going into the shower is something you are not looking to do on a winter evening, just let the bathroom tap run hot water, do not turn the exhaust on and keep the door shut. Let the steam sit in the bathroom to give a sauna-like feeling, inhale the steam. Loosens the mucus, clears up the nose. Trust me, it works wonders!
I would say keep your gyming routine on, of course with disclaimers here
I would say bunk the lifting or any heavy-duty exercise but do enough to keep you away from slacking. Over exerting may cause exhaustion, avoid that. But don't sit at home and don’t chuck the routine altogether. It somehow makes me feel even more sick and I tend to sink in that feeling. Shrug off the lethargy and try walking on the treadmill or a bit on the elliptical at least.
I know that you know this, but the healing power of soups
Ah, the hot soups! How about veggie garlic soup, garlic anyways helps cure cold symptoms, so it's a win-win. Also, try soups like chicken soup, butternut squash soup [anyways it's time for the best butternut], light tomato soup or the coconut noodle soup. All these taste yumm and great when you have the flu or cold. Want more soup ideas, look at All Recipes.
I bet you did not know about this famous grandma's oil
Ok, this one is like a goldmine for the ones who are reeling under the grip of cold. Take a pinch of Nigella seed and a clove of garlic. Put a few spoons of mustard oil in the pan, slightly warm all the three together and strain the oil. Try rubbing it on the feet and put socks on to trap in the warmth. A little stinky, yes! But a little stink takes you a long way! Out of the cold, I mean!
We would want to prevent cold as well
I mean, we should in the first place try and dodge getting that pesky cold, right? I have read so many articles that have suggested getting enough rest so that our body is ready to fight those cold viruses, getting enough of Vitamin D, cutting down on the sugar that you shove into yourself, because, sugar actually reduces your body's ability to fight these ailments. So the lesser the better!
See, a common cold is nasty and sometimes gets so annoying that it gets the better of you. But listen you'll get over it and very soon. If you can just try what we have been talking about all along, it will make you feel much better. Promise!