Unfortunately it's so easy to catch colds in crowded closed spaces and these being due to viruses we can only wait until they run their course though they say vitamin C and Zinc help reduce the intensity of the symptoms.
You shouldn't take seriously what others may say, had it been that way many people would have left me included due to posts one finds offensive. I was offended on three different occasions but just ignored it.
I'm sick...
by exwitless 13 Replies latest jw friends
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greendawn
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WTWizard
This is how I dodge many of the colds:
- Taking vitamin C. For this to work, you need to take a lot of the stuff. Many people take 250 or 500 mg per day, or use the crap version, and then wonder why it does nothing. You need about 4,000 mg per day, in two doses (or more), of the good stuff. I have found that doing this cuts my colds down to about a third the usual number.
- Echinacia. If you take this while you are first coming down with the cold or during the high risk period, it will boost your immune system. Be warned that if you take it all the time, it will exhaust your immune system.
- Astragalus. I take one pill of this a day; taking 8-14 can further boost your immune system and fight off a cold. The stuff is used as an herb, and is very safe to use all the time.
- Alpha lipoic acid. You take this every day, and it boosts your immune system. It also recycles antioxidants, and is itself a very powerful antioxidant. This is very safe, and may help manage diabetes, cleanse the liver, and slow down your aging. There needs to be more research about alpha lipoic acid and cancer, but it stands to reason that it may help your immune system clear it out, plus the antioxidant effect might prevent it.
- Plenty of sleep. You need to sleep more to fight off the cold. For the same reason, if you are feeling chilly, dressing warmly helps put resources into fighting the cold (but forget that old wives tale about going out in the cold without a jacket causing a cold. I know from personal experience that it does not. I did that trick on purpose in college, and caught no more colds than when I was "properly" dressed.) Only put on the extra sweater if you are actually uncomfortably cold; being too hot can also slow your immune system.
- Lots of water. Chicken soup, made without monosodium glutamate, is also a big help.
- Additional humidity helps for those winter colds, but is not likely a factor in colds that you get now. If things get too dry, it is an irritant and can lower the resistance to colds. Of course, this happens when it is cold out, which has spread the myth about going out without a coat causing the cold. In my experience, staying in a hot, stuffy room is more likely to do the job.
- And, finally, if you smoke, quit. Smoking adds a burden on your lungs just when you need to clear out the infection. Quitting smoking, at least for the duration of the cold, will help with that process. Even if you don't quit smoking permanently, or if you only cut back, you are still going to get some help by that action.
If these don't give you sufficient relief, then allopathic medicine will relieve the symptoms and allow you to go about your daily business. Bear in mind that this is at a price. The medicine suppresses symptoms while allowing the base cold to go on unimpeded. Many symptoms are your body's way of fighting off the cold, and medicine will impede that fight. And you are still as likely to spread it as if you were not taking the medicine (the natural remedies attack the cold itself, lowering the chances of spreading it and making you healthier all around). So, if all else fails, then by all means take something for it--but only while you actually need the relief. If you go for zero tolerance for symptoms, your cold will last longer and complications are more likely.
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dobbie
Sorry your'e poorly but i know what you mean about school. I was really healthy til my lad started last year and i ended up with three sickness bugs (and i have a BUG fear of being sick!) plus two flu-type viruses several colds and then ended with tonsilitus!Just waiting for it to start again lol! So sorry you were upset about something here, i don't know what and also about LDB as well, maybe you could have a little rest from here and see how you feel?We would all miss your posts and your avatar! Take care hun x
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exwitless
Aw, you guys are so sweet. Thanks for all your remedies. (I'm a bit curious to try nvr's recipe-sounds great! ).
Well, I just got back from the doctor. I went to an urgent care center because I could tell this "cold" was going nowhere but downhill. Turns out I have strep throat! Don't worry, you won't catch it by reading my posts. Just don't touch the computer screen where I've typed.
Thanks for all the well wishing and encouragement. I will definitely pass on your greetings to LDB. Maybe he'll come around.
With love, exwitless.