There is something from childhood in the word “a cold”: a woolen scarf, tea with raspberry jam, a tablet under the tongue… Nothing dangerous with a cold, in fact, but remember about possible complications if a cold is left untreated or treated improperly.
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What is a cold?
Cold is popularly known as acute respiratory disease. Rapid hypothermia is doubly dangerous when the body is weakened and tired. You can catch a cold, if you sweat and then go out on the draft, so after a workout it is better to change clothes, even if it’s summer and after all water treatments, wait half an hour before you go outside.
The reason of cold is bacteria, living in the nose, throat and bronchi of each of us. These bacteria are not dangerous for a healthy one, but in case of weaken immunity they begin to multiply, causing pharyngitis, tonsillitis and other unpleasant things.
How to protect yourself from the cold?
If you want to protect yourself from the cold, do not neglect the morning exercises, run, swim, walk barefoot more often and just try to walk more. Start with a little, gradually accustom your body to endure the winter cold, unreliable spring warmth and chilly autumn slush.
It is easy to catch a cold in the spring and fall or at the end of winter, when there is a particularly sharp difference of day and night temperatures. So do not be lazy at this time to support your body. To strengthen immunity eat properly, take multivitamins and special drugs that strengthen the immune system – tincture of echinacea, golden root, mummy, propolis, oat broth, juice, aloe and honey.
How to treat a cold?
Do not bring down the temperature immediately – allow the organism to fight disease! The most important rule – do not interfere with your body, it knows how to deal with a cod.
Of course, fever, cough, runny nose, lack of appetite are not a fun, but this is the way how our body fights against the disease.
Therefore, you should not:
Bring down the temperature (if it does not rise above 38-38,5 C (100 F));
Take vasoconstrictor drops against the common cold;
Drink drugs that suppress the cough.
Why do I need to do so, and not otherwise?
With an increase in body temperature the body produces interferon (a special protein that is equally good against bacteria and viruses). Moreover, the higher the temperature – the more of interferon. If you bring down the temperature – there is not enough interferon. So you will treat the disease much longer until the immune system can find other ways to counter the infection.
If the mark on the thermometer is up to 38 C (100 F), or if you feel really bad (and the temperature is 37.5 C (99.5 F) – reduce the temperature.
How to lower the body temperature?
The temperature will drop as soon as you sweat and also drinking plenty of fluids promotes sweating. Drink concoctions of herbs, a variety of fruit drinks, and the ordinary water – the main thing that they should be neither cold nor too hot. The closer the temperature of the beverage to the temperature of the body, the better.
Broth of raspberries has the best diaphoretic effect. Honey is good too, especially lime one. Dissolve a tablespoon of honey in a glass of tea or milk and go to bed, cover with a warmer blanket… and waking up in the morning, you will not recall the cold. Before use sweatshops means, make sure that the body has something to sweat: drink the compote or fruit drink. By the way, cranberry juice has excellent anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activity.
Make sure that the room has cool and fresh air. Dress warmly and slightly open window and you will almost immediately feel relief.
If the fever does not subside, take a tablet of paracetamol, but remember that the effect will be lower if you drink enough fluids, or if the room is too warm.
Runny nose with a cold
Do not use vasoconstrictor drops, you just have to moisturize the nasal passages. Runny nose is another way of the body to fight the cold. It is the usual symptom of viral diseases, so inc ase of a cold it may not be. Runny nose prevents infection to penetrate further – into the throat and the lungs and mucus itself contains specific anti-viral agent.
If you catch a cold, it is now important not to allow the mucus to dry up. To moisten the nasal passages use various saline solutions, or usual boiled water with a little salt. Other options for treating are sea buckthorn oil or rosehip oil, onion juice, diluted with boiled water in a ratio of 1:4.
Mucus accumulates not only in the nose, but also in the lungs. This mucus is removed by coughing.
Cough and cold
If it is not prescribed by a doctor, in any case, do not take antitussives. For dry cough at the beginning of the disease use mucolytics, increase the amount of phlegm. And when the cough becomes wet – use expectorant drugs. Do not forget to drink more warm liquids.
For the treatment of cough use the following recipes:
Mix the grated black radish with honey and leave for a few hours – as a result you will get a medicinal drink for a dry cough.
You can drink sweetened onion juice (2-3 tablespoons per day) or a mixture of freshly squeezed carrot juice with warm milk (1-1).
Exotic recipe from Brazil: take a couple of bananas, stir with a glass of warm water or milk, add a spoonful of honey – by the way, it is a great dessert!
To get rid of cough during a cold, you can rub the chest with bear fat or lard and wrap up warmly. You can draw iodide web on the chest or put a bag with hot oats or salt.
Inhalation is another proven tool that increases the expectoration of sputum, thereby improving the condition. You can use a special inhaler or just breathe, covered with a blanket, over a saucepan of brewed chamomile, mint or thyme. Drink brew foalfoot and chamomile.
Treat a cold without delay. Colds, which began as a result of weak immunity, do not contribute to the strengthening of the body. Remember about flu virus.