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Detox
Your Body
Bird Flu
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Conquering
the Common Cold
by: Mari Peckham
What do we know about the
Common Cold?
- No Cure. Antibiotics,
designed to knock out bacterial infections, do nothing when it comes
to treating a cold.
- None of us are safe!
No matter how strong and healthy we are, an occasional cold will
reduce us to whimpering, sneezing, coughing versions of our former
selves.
So, what do we do? Lay
back with a box of tissue, pop a couple of cold tabs and wait it out?
Not necessarily! Doctors who specialize in self-care medicine say that
there is a lot more that we can do to get through a cold comfortably,
and possibly more quickly! Here is some of the best advice that experts
have to offer on the subject.
- Vitamin C -
"Vitamin C works in the body as a scavenger, picking up all
sorts of trash - including virus trash," Says Keith W. Sehnert,
M.D., a physician with Trinity Health Care in Minneapolis,
Minnesota. "It can shorten the length of a cold from seven days
to maybe two or three."
Studies conducted at
the University of Wisconsin found that cold sufferers taking 500
milligrams of vitamin C four times a day suffered from about half as
many symptoms (coughing, sneezing. etc) as those not taking the
vitamin.
Best way to get it?
Drink it! Orange, grapefruit, and cranberry juices are excellent
sources of vitamin C.
- Zinc - Suck on zinc
lozenges and cut your cold short, to an average of just 4 days! It
also can help reduce symptoms such as dry, irritated throat.
Unfortunately, it doesn't work for everyone, but when it works, it
works!
- R and R - Take a day
or two off of work, or at least slow down! Extra rest enables your
body to focus it's energy on getting you well.
- Stay Warm - Keep your
immune system cozy by bundling up against the cold. This way your
body can use energy to fight your cold instead of protecting you
from the cold.
- Eat Lightly - Eat, but
steer clear of foods that put a strain on your body's metabolism.
Eat fewer fatty foods, meat and milk products, and eat more fresh
fruits and vegetables.
- Chicken Soup - A silly
folk remedy? No! Researchers at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in
Miami Beach have found that hot chicken soup, either because of its
aroma or its taste, "appears to possess an additional substance
for increasing the flow of nasal mucus." Researchers say that
this mucus serves as a first line of defense in removing germs from
your system, so eat up!
- Liquids - Drink six to
eight glasses of water, juice, tea, and other mostly clear liquids
daily to keep the body hydrated and to flush out impurities.
- NO Smoking! - Smoking
aggravates the throat and interferes with the infection-fighting
activity of the cilia, the microscopic "fingers" that
sweep bacteria out of your lungs and throat. Even if you don't quit
for good, at least stop for the duration of your cold.
- Salty Gargle - Dr. Van
Ert of San Francisco advises mixing 1 teaspoon of salt into a glass
of warm water and gargling away whenever your throat hurts.
- Hot Toddy - Get a good
night's sleep and clear a stuffed-up nose by sipping a "hot
toddy" or a half a glass of wine before bedtime, suggests Dr.
Caughron, a family practitioner specializing in preventive medicine
in Charlottesville, Virginia. But don't go overboard! More alcohol
than that can stress out your system and make recovery more
difficult.
- Get Steamed - Clear
congestion and relieve a dry cough by taking a hot steamy shower. Or
make a steam tent by draping a towel over your head above a bowl of
boiling water.
- Keep Your Germs to
Yourself - Cough and blow away, but do it into a disposable tissue
instead of sharing them! Then promptly throw the tissue away and
wash your hands.
- Medicate - If you
decide to take over the counter medication, follow the instructions
carefully and only take medication that addresses the symptoms that
you are suffering from.
Looking for alternatives
to drugs? Try these herbs and teas that contain special properties that
are natural antagonists against colds!
- Goldenseal and
Echinacea - "I recommend herb capsules such as goldenseal and
echinacea at the early onset of a cold," says Elson Haas, M.D.
He says that goldenseal stimulates your liver, which helps to clear
up infections. Echinacia clean your blood and lymph glands, helping
circulate infection-fighting antibodies and removing toxic
substances from the body. Try one or two capsules twice a day for up
to two weeks.
- Garlic - Garlic is
known for its antibiotic effect and "can actually kill germs
and clear up your cold symptoms more rapidly," says Dr. Haas.
He recommends two or three oil-free garlic capsules three times a
day.
- Licorice Root Tea - Dr
Van Ert recommends this teas for it's anesthetizing effects for
soothing irritated throats and relieving coughs.
- Other Teas - Celestial
Seasonings Sleepytime tea, or tea brewed with hops or valarian her,
have natural tranquilizing effects that will help you rest. Add a
teaspoon of honey, a simple carbohydrate that has a sedative effect.
- Monolaurian - Dr. Van
Ert also recommends this fatty acid (available in capsule form) for
it's antiviral effect. He recommends taking two capsules three times
a day with some food, for helping the immune system stay fit to
battle the cold virus.
A cold may be something
that we have to live with, and through, but finding ways to make the
best of it will help you get back on your feet in record time.
About The Author
© Mari Peckham
Mari Peckham is the
President of Peckham Enterprises and webmistress of PowerPromoPlus, your
online advertising solution at: http://www.powerpromoplus.com
To subscribe to her
online advertising tips, tools and techniques ezine, Advertise_Online,
send any Email to: advertise_online-subscribe@egroups.com
or visit: http://www.powerpromoplus.com/advertise_online.htm
This article was
posted on February 4, 2002
Article from www.articlecity.com
Disclaimer
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