With the trees turning to vibrant colours of red, orange and yellow, the cooler temperatures settling upon us and the day light hours fading away most people want nothing more than to bundle up and cuddle with their loved ones by a nice and toasty fire. And, as much, as I know that fall means that very thing, I also know that it comes with an increased number of patients walking through our front door looking for any way to decrease and eliminate those pesky sniffles and nagging cough that is keeping them up all night.
So with this in mind, I realized it was time to share some easy tips to help you get over that nasty cold and get you back to cuddling with the ones you love!
Enhance Your Immune Function
It should come as no surprise that your immune system is your best friend when it comes to getting your health back on track. Boost your immune system by:
- Decreasing/eliminating sugar intake. Sugar acts to decrease white blood cells (important immune cells that help fight against an infection) in our bodies.
- Avoiding dairy, wheat, bananas and oatmeal as they are mucogenic (mucus forming). Mucus is the seat for bodily infections and it makes it more difficult to fight the cold. Increasing mucus can also make it more difficult to breath and cough.
- Increasing your dose of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E and zinc. A tip on Vitamin C: because Vitamin C is water soluble and does not accumulate in your body, don’t be shy to increase your dose (for example: 1 gram every 2 hours) and listen to your body as it will let you know when enough is enough in the way of some loose stool.
- Get plenty of rest! Your body needs extra energy to fight that cold.
Aromatherapy & Herbs
- Steam & Eucalyptus Inhalations – we all know that steam can help you loosen that congestion and increase the productivity of that cough but to make it even more effective add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil to your humidifier or shower. Eucalyptus essential oil is amazing because it has anti-microbial, anti-spasmodic, decongestant, analgesic and febrifuge (decreases fever) properties (just to name a few).
- Chest rub with Eucalyptus or Thyme oil – instead of opting for a store bought product that is most likely petroleum based, why not make your own? It literally takes 2 min and will be healthier for your skin. Just add 5 drops of essential oil in 1 ounce olive oil and rub onto chest and cover with a warm wash cloth.
- Warm bath – add 1 to 3 drops of eucalyptus or thyme oil to a warm bath
- Herbs – There are many herbs that are used in the treatment of the common cold. Some of these include Garlic, Echinacea, Myrrh and Astragalus. We can help you choose the herbs that are right for you.
Homeopathic Remedies For the Common Cold
There are many homeopathic remedies that are indicated for the common cold. We can help determine which remedy is best for you. Here are just a few of the remedies and their key symptoms:
Aconite – this remedy works best within the first 24 hours of a cold that comes on suddenly and violently. It is useful in colds that come on after exposure to a cold dry wind, or from fright or shock. It can also be useful in high fever that comes on suddenly.
Ferrum phosphoricum – this remedy is especially useful in the very first stage of the cold, when the person feels as if they are coming down with something but there are no clear symptoms.
Allium cepa – this remedy is useful when you have a profuse, watery nasal discharge that burns and irritates the nose and upper lip. The eyes can also be runny, however, the discharge there is typically non-irritating.
Nux vomica – this remedy is for a cold that comes on from overwork or from overindulgence in rich foods or alcohol. It is typically accompanied by sniffles and is made worse by going outdoors.
Pulsatilla – this remedy is useful when one has a “ripe” cold with thick, bland or yellow-green mucus. The person is typically weepy, whiny, and clingy and wants to be cuddled.
Of course, you could always come see us too and together we can devise a plan specifically for you!
