“I have a cold, what do I do now?” Can you feel a scratchy throat? Maybe you feel achy in your shoulders and neck, or your even your whole body aches. Do you have a headache or feel like your head is stuffy?

I have a cold

There is a lot you can do at home to feel better faster. By supporting your body’s natural defense system you can fight off the common cold virus before it turns into a sinus infection or bronchitis.

That fatigue you feel is real. This means your body is fighting the invader and needs to allocate more resources for your immune system to protect you. This means rest is one of your best weapons for getting that cold gone faster. Taking a day or two off work or school isn’t wimpy, it is protecting your co-workers and allowing your body to have more energy to fight the virus before it gets out of control. Research has shown that sleep is important to keeping your immune system functioning optimally. click here for more

Stress has also been shown to decrease immune function. When you stay home from work, unplug so you can rest and calm your mind. If you aren’t hungry, don’t stress yourself by trying to eat. If you aren’t hungry this is your body telling you it has more important things to do right now than digest food.

Water is more important than ever. Best choice is warm or hot water or herbal or green tea. Avoid any kind of sugar or sweetener. Warmth is less of a shock to your GI system and makes the water easier to assimilate. By taking in a lot of liquid right now you are helping your lymph system transport waste (dead virus and other cells involved in the immune response). This is even more important if you are vomiting or have diarrhea. It is easy to get dehydrated in these conditions and that can be life threatening.

Your body’s natural defense includes running a slight fever. This makes your body a more inhospitable environment for the virus. To support this immune function you can avoid NSAIDs, drink hot tea, take a hot bath and get in bed under the covers and sweat it out. (However, If you are dehydrated please don’t sweat -this will make your dehydration worse.)

Other ideas include going to your Asian Medical professional.They can do manual techniques to help you feel better right away and give you herbal formulas specific to your needs to help you fight the virus and manage your symptoms.

Next time you start feeling like you are fighting a cold try resting, reducing stress, drinking fluids, staying warm and making an appointment right away with your Asian medical professional. You could avoid getting a sinus infection or worse.

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