For what seemed like the entire fall season I had the misfortune of being plagued with the worst cold that I’ve ever had. Officially ranked worse than the cold that overtook me in the summer of 97 when it was 100+ degrees outside and inside my body. At the time I thought, it’ll be utterly impossible to ever feel this horrible again.
How wrong I was.
My initial contact with this monster of a cold happened when my first born started school. Within her first week she was already sick as a dog, and as much as me and my husband tried to keep it from spreading it was no use. It slowly over several weeks took over my son, husband, then me – of course, I got hit the hardest and was sick the longest. Not only was I not expecting it to be so bad, but I was also unprepared for it as well.
I’m not one to visit the doctor. I’m more of a ‘ride it out’ kind of gal. I figure why get a prescription when there are plenty of things that I can do to help me get better:
Get as much rest as you can
I know that its hard to wallow in bed all day when there are tasks to be done, but when you’re sick sometimes you’re left with no options. Your body craves the covers and you must answer. If there is no one whom you could call upon to stay with you, then you should make use of a sitter service and have one come over so that you can give your body the rest it needs to fight off the war going on inside of you.
Drink lots of hot liquids
Hot liquids from ranging from herbal teas, hot water with lemon and honey, and broths are your friends. Hot liquids will soothe your throat and body from the soreness. But if that isn’t enough, and it usually isn’t, try Theraflu. I swear by this stuff. Not only will it soothe your throat and body, but it will also ward off your uncontrollable coughing spells, relieves congested sinuses, headaches and reduces fever.
Take your meds
I love Sudafed. It is my go-to when I’m congested or suffer from other head cold issues. It works quick and doesn’t put me down for the count like Benadryl. But whatever medication you choose, make you take it as directed and do not skip a dose because you’re starting to feel a little better. Don’t take the chance that your body is playing tricks on you and you end up relapsing due to a missed dosage.
Soak in hot water
If you’re not gonna drink hot liquids(which you totally should be) then you need to submerge your body in it. The heat from the water will cause steam, and the steam opens your sinuses and ease body aches. Why do you think when you’re in the shower you can breathe and feel great but within an hour of coming out, you feel like crap again? Because we can’t spend the entire day in the bath, although we all wish we could, you can use a humidifier to help you breathe easier.
Ingest plenty of citrus
Lemon and oranges are the best things for a cold. I went most of the month without either cause I kept thinking, any day now I’m gonna feel better. When in actuality I was only making myself feel worse. But from the moment I took my first swig of orange juice that I noticed a change in my body and how I felt. I felt my throat start to return to normal, my sinuses eased up some and I gained a burst of much-needed energy.
Eat plenty of soup
When you’re sick the last thing you feel like doing is eating. Your throat is raw, your taste buds are shot and your stomach has an out of order sign on it. But just because you feel that way doesn’t mean that its right to go on without eating. Soup, like hot beverages, has many uses, of which provides the nourishment your body needs to fight off the cold.