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Feel a cold coming on? Here’s what to do

‘Tis the season of sore throats, running noses and serious sneezing spells. If you feel a cold creeping in, taking quick action might just stop it in its tracks.

That cold that’s been going around – the one you’ve managed to avoid for weeks – it’s finally found its way to your respiratory tract and the symptoms are starting to show. But before you resign yourself to a day in bed, have a go at ridding yourself of the virus straight away. These simple tricks will help lessen your symptoms, or might even eliminate them completely.

Take a steamy shower

A hot shower is a great way to hydrate your sinuses and help clear blocked nasal passages. Leave the bathroom fan off to make sure the room gets extra steamy, and be sure to take lots of big, deep breaths.

Go big on vitamin C 

Even if you’re a daily orange juice drinker, cold season is the time to reach for the vitamin C. Pick up some fizzing immune support tablets from the supermarket, add them to a glass of water and drink the tangy concoction once a day.

Fill up on fluids

Drink plenty of fluids, water most importantly, to naturally reduce congestion and help your kidneys and liver flush out waste. Take a water bottle with you everywhere to remind yourself to stay hydrated.

Feed your immune system

Certain foods are known for their immune-boosting power, including: garlic, blueberries, beetroot, cranberries, carrots and ginger. With anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties, these natural ingredients will help your body form a strong defence against an approaching cold.

Go to bed early

Extra sleep will go a long way toward warding off a cold. When your immune system is working to fight an infection, you need even more rest than usual. Try getting some shut-eye an hour earlier than your usual bedtime.

Try a saline spray

The Mayo Clinic recommends saline drops and nasal sprays over decongestants, as they don’t cause symptoms to come back stronger when you stop using them. Saline is also gentler than other medications, as the salty solution helps liquefy blockage and wash away congestion without any artificial ingredients.

Gargle salt water

Gargling a glass of concentrated salt water may not leave the best taste in your mouth, but it will help a sore throat. The salt creates a less-friendly environment for bacteria, easing your symptoms or stopping them completely.

Use a humidifier 

There’s nothing more frustrating than an itchy, tickly cough that just won’t let up. Turning on a humidifier, especially at night, will add moisture to the air you breathe in. This will help lubricate your respiratory tract and calm irritation in your ears, nose and throat. A humidifier is particularly useful if you like to crank the central heating in the winter, as it combats the otherwise dry air caused by toasty radiators.

What are your best cold prevention tactics?

Disclaimer
All content on Silversurfers.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated at all as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. Silversurfers will not be responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content on www.silversurfers.com and we are also not liable for the content of any external websites or links from or to Silversurfers to any other websites. Please always consult your own doctor if you’re in any way concerned about any aspect of your health.

 

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Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor

Hello there! I’m Rachel and I’m the Assistant Editor for Silversurfers. I work behind the scenes to bring interesting, informative and entertaining subject matter to the Silversurfers community. I hope you enjoy the features we have shared with you. Please feel free to comment below and share your thoughts with us, we love to hear from you!

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