Aargh, not another cold!
Here are our tips on how to get away lightly on the cold front this winter:
Boost your immune system
It’s never too late to start to boost your immune system, to help you to fight off all the viruses floating around out there. Try our top tips here.
Antiseptic wipes and hand washing
Regular hand washing is a great way to try to avoid other people’s viruses. But, if you are desperate to stop a cold spreading to everyone in the house (or from the person sitting at the next desk), antiseptic wipes are your friend to kill any stray viruses lurking on hard surfaces. Although sadly they are no protection against airborne droplets. Scientists are starting to look into whether there is a link between the health of the bacteria in your nose and the speed with which you throw off a cold though, so don’t go too crazy with the antiseptic.
Take an onion to bed
This is courtesy of my sister-in-law. Her family swear by cutting an onion in half and sleeping with it on your pillow (other sources suggest putting the onion in your socks). She claims it works…
Make an onion drink
Try boiling an onion or two in a pint of water for about half an hour, then drink the onion water. According to a friend, this is best drunk just before bed: the idea is that you sweat the cold out of you whilst you sleep. I tried this, and it worked a bit, but I was impatient and didn’t boil the onion for long enough. Another option is to heat some milk with an onion or garlic in it, and then drink the milk.
Honey and lemon drinks
This is a well-known folk remedy, and honey is now also recommended by the NHS as the top treatment option for a sore throat. Ayurvedic medicine uses similar recipes, recommending a drink of warm water with either basil leaves and honey, or with grated ginger, cinnamon powder and honey.
Rose hip tea
If you don’t fancy any of the drinks above, another contender as a cold remedy is rose hip tea.
Nasal sprays
Some studies have claimed that nasal sprays containing the seaweed extract carrageenan can help reduce the symptoms of a cold or even prevent a cold. Boots does a version if you fancy trying this, although there has been some controversy over how good the evidence is for these.
Infrared lamp
Some people claim that sitting in front of an infrared lamp reduces the symptoms of their cold. These are quite expensive, so possibly not for everyone, but infrared light can also help with some skin complaints and with some joint pain, so it may be worth splashing out on a lamp if you suffer from either of these.
Pineapple juice for coughs
Pineapple juice is anti-inflammatory and has pain reducing properties. It has been claimed to be a natural alternative to cough syrup, but there is little scientific evidence to back this up. It is also supposed to reduce mucus. If you like pineapple juice anyway, why not try it out.
Lung tonic
This Chinese medicine tastes vile, but according to my friend it does the trick. If you don’t like the taste, it is available in capsule form from eBay.
Kiwiherb
This New Zealand company creates herbal remedies embracing the wisdom of Rongoa (Maori herbal medicine). Try their De-Stuff for Kids Ear, Nose and Sinus Support or Winterguard options.
See also:
Self-Care
Find the NHS Self-Care factsheet for coughs here, and the factsheet for colds here, and the factsheet for sinusitis here.