WE are beginning to experience cold weather at night and some of us find it really difficult to breathe because of a blocked nose, headaches and even body pains.
There are many ways this can be countered and adults need to understand and take extra precaution in dealing with younger ones, particularly children at home at night.
Simple procedures could be followed to avoid frustrations and even spending too much on medication and going to a doctor.
Young children should always be given the extra care and parents/guardians should make sure they wear proper clothing at night to avoid sleepless nights.
In this cold weather, it is always important to follow instructions or simple steps given by medical professionals so you do not have to spend much money visiting your doctor or going to the hospital because you are sick.
So simply put, prevention is always better than cure.
In any cold season, whether be it in the day or at night, it is always important to drink a lot of fluids.
Health professionals say drinking sufficient fluids can help replace fluids lost from mucus or from a fever and it is always advisable to drink a lot of water.
A website, www.wikihow.com, also shares that eating chicken soup can help you get over your cold more quickly.
Chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties and also temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus through the nose, which in turn relieves congestion.
It is also important for you to stay away from alcohol, cigarettes, and caffeine because these are products which can cause a lot of cold.
Avoiding these products while you are sick may make you feel better and reduce the duration of your cold symptoms.
Below are tips from www.qz.com on some complete guide to getting through a cold.
Stay home and sleep
Yes, it’s tempting to go into the office. And if all you feel is a tickle in your throat, you might as well.
But if you’ve got a fever, coloured mucus, or other symptoms that suggest your “allergies” might be a long-lasting cold, get back to bed.
Even if you don’t care about infecting your coworkers, it’s important to take some time off.
Working remotely might not cut it: You need rest to fight a cold.
Depriving yourself of sleep can actually handicap your immune system.
However, a little work is fine in moderation.
“Telecommuting is a really good option if you have something to do but can’t work a whole day, or know you’re just not going to be productive,” Jennifer Collins, an assistant professor of immunology at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, told The Huffington Post: “You can work a little, nap, then wake up and do a little more work.”
Raid your spice cabinet
Gargle, gargle, and gargle some more. The Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies suggests frequent gargling with warm salt water during illness.
The salt water draws out fluid from your inflamed throat tissue, so swelling goes down.
The act of gargling can also loosen mucus, which holds on to allergens, bacteria, and fungi that keep you feeling ill.
In fact, gargling when you’re healthy could prevent infection in the first place.
While it hasn’t been investigated as a cold remedy, turmeric is also known for its stellar anti-inflammatory properties.
Give golden milk a try (that’s turmeric in warm milk, with honey) or, if you’re all mucus-y, skip the milk (which doesn’t increase mucus, but might make it feel thicker) and try a concoction of turmeric, water, lemon, and honey.
Pour some water up your nose
Just as gargling with salt water can help reduce inflammation in the throat, pouring it through your nasal cavities can reduce swelling and congestion in your nose and sinuses. Studies show (paywall) the treatment to have a small but positive effect on cold symptoms.
If a simple neti pot doesn’t appeal, you can even invest in an $80 “Sinus Irrigation System.” Just be sure to use filtered water:
Several deaths have been linked to the use of contaminated water for sinus rinsing. Your cold might go away, but a brain-eating amoeba isn’t a great substitution.
Load your soup with garlic
Like a lot of home remedies, the jury is still out on garlic as a cold cure.
One study (paywall) led by University of Florida nutritional scientist Meri Nantz, found indications that garlic extract can limit the length and severity of a cold, but for now this is the only good evidence.
