Cold and Flu Remedies

I grew up in Germany, with a father who was a doctor - who also was very much up on natural remedies. As kids, we took more herbs than prescription meds. And I learned about the kinds of things that helped us get better.

I've forgotten some of the intricate "wraps" and Kneipp water treatments, but the basics stayed with me.

Keep really warm, sleep a lot, and ingest lots of comforting hot liquids, including tea and soup. I do all those things even now.

More specifically, I use a range of concoctions of chicken soup, with a lot of garlic, ginger, and cayenne, garnished with chopped green onions for more texture, taste, and extra germ fighting power.

One of the helpful things in chicken soup that I wasn't aware of until fairly recently is SALT. Yup. Drinking/eating hot salty liquids helps reduce the number of germs that are living it up in your throat. Same principle as gargling with hot salt water, but much more enjoyable!

I also use a lot of Vick's Vapurup, - in the usual places (throat and chest, as well as on the back, at least where I can reach), and I also slather it on the soles of my feet. I forget where I read that but it amplifies the power of that stuff inside, from eucalyptus, menthol, and so on.

And of course I wear warm socks to enhance the effect. In fact, warm feet are crucial - that's what my father used to tell me too.

If you're lucky, you can catch a budding cold before it has a chance to grow into the real thing. Just nip it in the bud!

How?

Here are a few things that I do:

1) Take an Airborne fizzy tablet or any of the newfangled versions.

2) Gargle with warm salt water OR have some chicken soup with lots of garlic and ginger and some cayenne or other peppers, or both.

3) Use a Neti pot and flush out your nasal passages with warm, slightly salted water.

4) Slather yourself in Vick's Vaporub, put on warm jammies and an extra t-shirt underneath (and maybe wrap one around your neck like a scarf, and get lots of sleep.

5) Get a bottle of Gaia Herb's Quick Defense. This is powerful stuff. Take a couple of these caps several times a day.

6) Wash your hands a LOT and avoid touching your face. No need to spread those germs around.

7) Take your vitamins, with extra D.

8) Here are two things I added to my "routine" a few years back and it made a real difference:
Olive Leaf and NAC (N-Acetyl-Cystine). Both of them are powerful immune system strengtheners, and they work in slightly different ways. I always take both.

Should you see a doctor? And if so when?

If the above doesn't make you feel better, or if you're running a fever, or develop headaches or other painful symptoms, by all means go see your doctor!

Then again, realize that antibiotics probably won't do too much to help you get rid of your cold - or your flu if it's an actual flu.

However, these days, doctors have some powerful antiviral drugs as well, such as Tamiflu.

Opinions may vary, but personally, I'm in favor of getting a flu shot.

BUT... If you already have a cold, be sure to wait until it's gone. Or make sure to get that flu shot BEFORE you get sick.

Why? Because if your body is already fighting an infection, the flu shot won't be as effective. Or so I've been told.

So get that shot as soon as possible. Or wait until you're better.

They now also have low-mercury flu shot versions, and I personally ask for that version every time. I even go shopping
around to get the low-mercury shot.

Please note that I am NOT a medical doctor, just a doctor of philosophy, so I do not dispense medical advice but simply share my opinion.

Sure, it helped me. And it has helped quite a few of my friends too. But you should always see your doc if you have questions or serious symptoms.

Do all of the above, and add additional herbs...

1) Take some kind of Echinacea and Goldenseal concoction.

2) Take a hot shower or bath, with some immune system strengthening aromatherapy.

3) Drink lots of hot tea.

4) Have lots of hot soup, with all the chopped garlic and ginger and hot peppers (or cayenne powder) you can handle.

5) If you can and you're not a vegetarian, get chicken soup.

6) If you have a good Thai restaurant nearby, get Tom Kha Gai (that's the Thai Chicken Coconut Soup). It works wonders. Get the jumbo size and enjoy.

7) In addition to applying Vick's VapoRub to your chest and throat, also put it on the soles of your feet and wear warm woolen or cotton socks.

8) Sleep a LOT. Take naps.

9) Visualize yourself getting well and being well.

10) Be sure to do the things you did in the prevention module.

11) Take over-the-counter drugs just for the exact symptoms you have

12) Avoid using more drugs than necessary, and check all the ingredients so you won't inadvertently overdose.

One last thing... If you're sick with a cold OR the flu, (yes, even with "just" a cold), please don't share. Don't go out there and don't spread those germs around.

It's inconsiderate and irresponsible. Sure, we don't think of a cold as a dangerous infectious disease, but that's exactly what it is.

It won't kill people, most of the time, but you never know who you may give it to, and some people can develop complications. Every year, some 30,000 or more people DIE from flu-related complications. Don't be cavalier and think it's "just" a cold and people shouldn't be such sissies.

Stay home. Cover your mouth with tissues when you sneeze or cough, and get rid of those contaminated tissues promptly. And wash your hands a LOT.

Most importantly, get well soon!

One of the particularly obnoxious symptoms is that sinuses can get so stuffed up that you can't breathe, which can make sleeping very difficult, and lack of sleep can weaken your immune system and make things worse.

So here are some tips...

The Vicks VapoRub helps a lot, especially the bit on the soles of the feet (along with putting it on your chest, back, and neck.

And then... I personally really like the traditional Sudafed. The one they keep behind the counter in the pharmacy these days and you have to sign for it. What the heck! It's the only stuff that really works well. You don't even need two of them most of the time, so a package lasts a while...

What if you have to fly with a cold? Try to avoid it if at all possible.

The thing is that once your sinuses get clogged up and the Eustachian tubes get clogged up too, you may experience EXTREME ear ache when on a flight. It's extremely intense and left me literally crying with pain when that happened to me.

It can also blow out your ear drums! Just avoid it. But what if you can't?

Be sure you have your trusty Sudafed - the original formula. That's the one that contains Pseudoephedrine HCI Take some before the flight so things drain a bit before take-off, and take an additional one or two an hour before landing (depending on length of flight. Don't take more than 2 every 4-6 hours, and definitely don't take more than 8 in any 24 hour period.

Oh, one more powerful nose-declogger, other than the previously mentioned garlic/ginger/cayenne chicken soup: horseradish or wasabi.

Use it generously!