Cold and Flu: Prevention and Cure
Every year, millions and millions of cold viruses are caught in Australia alone. This year has been a really bad one. I got hit a few more times than I wanted to which led me to researching, just how do you avoid colds and what do you do just on the onset to get rid of one?
Colds are annoying, I hate them. They cost us time, money and we end up feeling miserable for days to weeks!
First, let’s get one thing straight. Colds are viruses, not bacteria, so antibiotics are of no use unless you have a secondary infection that goes into your chest causing bronchitis or pneumonia. But let’s stop that cold before it gets to that stage. Even better, let’s avoid getting one at all.
How Do You Catch a Cold?
Hand to hand contact with someone that coughs in their hand. This is the main one. Then you stick your hand in your mouth, ears and nose etc. So many objects that we touch every day will be infected and spread by infected carriers. Surfaces like keyboards, door handles, pens etc.
Now if your immune system is functioning OK, there shouldn’t be a problem knocking this virus out. It’s when we eat the wrong foods, get stressed, don’t wear enough clothes and lack sleep that our defences drop and we get SICK.
A few things that make your body susceptible to cold and flu are:
1. Eating too much sugar
2. Not wearing enough clothing and keeping our of the cold and wind
3. Letting stress get on top of you
4. Vitamin D deficiency
5. Not getting adequate sleep during the dark part of the day
6. Wash your hands!
How Long Do Colds Last … and How to Get Rid Of Them Quicker Or Avoid Them All Together?
The majority of colds, maybe 70-80% last around a week. 10-15% maybe 2 weeks, and a small amount over two weeks, usually in imuno-compromised patients, smokers or if there’s a really stubborn virus going around.
How long the cold lasts is often a combination in strengths/weaknesses of the above 6 points.
Diet And Eating Too Much Sugar
One point I like to stress is digestion. Most of our immune system is produced in the lining of our intestines. It is of utmost importance that you have a good functioning gut so that you can 1. Absorb nutrients properly from your food and 2. Produce adequate immune responses to pathogens such as bacterial and viral invasion. Digestion is something I personally love treating because it took me years to work it out as I had my own problems for years. Now it’s easy for me and I get great joy seeing people well with a healthy regular digestive system.
Sugar is a well-known immune suppressant. It can destroy the germ killing power of white blood cells for up to 5 hours after ingestion. It can reduce the production of anti-bodies, which are the cells in charge of attaching to and inactivating foreign cells and pathogens in the body. It will neutralize the action of EFA’s (essential fatty acids) and even interfere with the transport of vitamin C.
Hint: Stay off the refined sugary foods and sweetened drinks for a while if you think you’re getting run down.
Hydrogen Peroxide: Really?
This is a bit of a weird one and something I only just came across this month. I tried it, I’m not totally sold but- it’s an interesting theory…some people swear by it.
It started in 1928 with a doctor named Richard Simmons who theorised that catching a cold started in the ear canal then spread to the rest of the body. The cure? Hydrogen peroxide 3% dropped into the ears to cleanse. Then in 1939 research was conducted in Germany with some success.
What to do? As long as you catch the cold at the onset up to 12 hours this is meant to work. Buy 3% hydrogen peroxide from the chemist for a couple of bucks. Place about 3 drops of liquid into your ear canal while lying on your side. It will start to bubble and pop for about 5 minutes. Drain out the liquid then try the other ear. If anything it’s very effective at cleaning the wax out of your ears. My local chemist said she commonly sells it to divers and swimmers who get ear infections and wax build up.
As long as you use the 3% it’s safe. It’s the other strong ones used for bleaching your hair you don’t want. If you have questions or concerns it’s best to talk to your chemist or doctor.
So What Else Can You Do to Recover From the Onset of a Cold?
Well, if the old peroxide doesn’t work and you start getting that itchy throat there is a Chinese medicine home remedy.
CONGEE!!!
Yes, the one I keep hammering to you in the clinic! Congee rules!
So, you need hot rice congee, fresh spring onion, ginger, lots of lemon and fish sauce. Eat a big bowl, put on a few layers of clothes and sweat it out in bed. I don’t recommend this method of sweating so much in people over 60 or with a heart condition. But if you’re young and otherwise pretty healthy, it does work pretty well usually.
Not sure how to make congee?? Well, check out my video then!
Dietary Strategies to Kick a Cold
If you do end up getting a cold, the best thing is to rest, take lots of fluids, dose up on zinc, vitamin c and chicken soup/congee.
Also, avoid sugar and sweeties!
When you get that feeling of ‘oh, I don’t feel well’, it’s time to go through the health check list. 1. Check your sugar- cut it out 2. Rug up. Wear thermals and ear muffs etc. 3. Check your stress. Meditate or relax as much as you can. Take a bath 4. Make sure you’re getting enough sun light or take a supplement 5. Go to bed early. 6. Wash your hands often
Diet wise, make some good food choices:
· Good clean food, no take away. Prebiotic rich food to help your digestion such as kefir, miso, kimchi, garlic.
· Home-made chicken soup
· Coconut water
· Locally grown fruits and vegetables
· Mushrooms, especially Reishi, Shiitake, and Maitake,
· Congee
· Green leafy veggies
· Lots of fresh water
· Not too much phlegmy foods like milk, cheese and yoghurt
Supplements to Get You Through or Prevent the Worst
· Vitamin C: A very potent antioxidant
· Vitamin D: Vey important immune mediator
· Zinc: Also very important for the immune system
· Dry Cough Tincture: Made by us at the clinic now in a convenient tincture. A thousand year old Chinese medical formula amazing for that persistent dry cough.
· Dry cough syrup: Pi Pa Gao. Famous old Chinese medicine syrup used to soothe the throat
· Olive leaf extract: High in antioxidants and used for thousands of years in different cultures.
· Gan Mao Ling: Chinese medicine tablets. Great for cold and flu prevention.
Remember This Tip: Wash Your Hands Often, but not Too Often
Hand washing is a really practical method of infection control. Note that your hands do have a natural anti-bacterial coat so you don’t want to be obsessively washing hundreds of times a day unless you work in a hospital.
What If I’m One Of Those People Where The Cold Always Goes Into My Lungs?
One good tip I’d like to leave you with is this. If you have followed all the above advice and you have a snotty nose that runs down the back of your throat, you want to clear this especially it that snot turns green or yellow. It will likely then run down into your lungs and festers in there. Get a netti pot or nasal irrigation pump and regularly clear out your nose morning and night. This will significantly reduce the likelihood of the cold progressing to a chest infection.
Note:
I hope you have all enjoyed this information and it helps you out some day. Please use it with common sense and always contact your doctor if you get a high fever, symptoms become severe or you feel worried in any way about your health and safety.
