When you feel a cold is on its way...

mikasamikasa ✭✭✭

What is your cold fighting regime? What have you found works for you?

Do you go straight to the pills, paracetamol, cold and flu etc

Or do you go the natural way and increase your intake of ginger,garlic, chillies, honey, lemon etc.

Also, when you're ill (not dying but still ill) do you have the luxury of taking a day or two off work or are you the type that goes to work regardless and spreads their germs?

Comments

  • Hot toddy - whether it works or not is debatable, but it at least ensures a good night's sleep.  image

  • I don't take the tablets - I think the body looks after itself the best. Rest up as much as you can.



    If I'm full of cold then I'll work from home if I can or at least keep myself to myself as much as possible.
  • DustinDustin ✭✭✭

    use nothing, take nothing - just get on with it.
    46 years of colds have taught me they go after a day or two.

  • mikasamikasa ✭✭✭

    I think you're right Dustin. I usually only have one really bad day, like today and I took the day off cos I just couldn't be asked to go to work. It's not worth it as it's quite a Iong commute. I guess it's more about trying to make yourself feel better on the day.

    cougie - I don't ever really feel the tablets do anything but sometimes end up taking them anyway,

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭

    Generally let it take its course, but dose up on paracetamol/Lemsip to try and aid in getting a better night's kip.

    I work in an office on my own so unless I'm at death's door or had a really rough night's sleep I'll come in and go through the motions!

  • I take zinc daily (science FTW). I also wash my hands or use alcohol gel to try and avoid catching anything.

    If I do get a cold then paracetamol if it's bad. Lockets (or similar) make me feel slightly better, inhaling steam can help clear you out a bit (or a warm shower).I tried decongestion tablets once, didn't seem to help.

    I usually feel well enough to make it into work, but I've occasionally taken time off.

  • DeanR7DeanR7 ✭✭✭

    echinecea perks me up when feeling a cold coming on. 

  • Im with Dustin with this one!

    Man up!! and get on with it.

    the body will eventually fight it. thats how we are designed. pills and potions are a non-natural solution.

  • Generally I will go into work, unless I don't feel safe to drive, in which case I'll stay home.

    Remedy wise, I start with an alternative hot toddy (tot of dark navy rum, equal tot of blackcurrant cordial and fill up with boiling water - does wonders and sweats out the cold) and up my garlic intake.  If it gets really bad then I'll just use a bit of paracetamol and ibuprofen. 

    Soaking in a hot bath is also really good as the steam helps clear tubes!

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    Spoonful of manuka honey, half a lemon, a big slug of brandy, topped up with hot water. Haven't actually had a full-blown cold for about two years, just the start of a sore throat.

  • Vicks first defence works wonders for me, it seems to have prevented the last two or three colds coming out.
  • I get a Thai takeaway - works really well! image 

  • A customer told me he didn't get colds any more since he takes zinc and selenium.  I told him he doesn't get colds any more because he's a reclusive Asperger who avoids social situations (his own description).  But still I got a stash and now if I start to feel sniffly I take zinc, garlic, echinacea, selenium and vit C.  It does seem to work.  Plus lots of water and exercise and sleep!

  • Geeky post warning!!

    I watched a documentary once about the cold viruses. 

    Basically our bodies have several fighting mechanisms. We can't really avoid the virus/bacteria flying around but as soon as it hits us through the nose or mouth, our defence system kicks in quite quickly. If you're healthy and you have enough white blood cells and good metabolism, you'll be likely to fight most of them off. Because the mucus slows them entering our blood, there's enough time  for your defense system to kick in before they get in to your circulation. 

    Except when you get them through your eyes. There is no mucus or anything to slow them down so it's straight in your system and blood circulation before youre body has enough time to fight back. You get them in through your eyes when rubbing your eyes and you have them on your fingers.

     

    So I started paying extra attention to my hands contacting my eye balls. If I need to rub my eyes I make sure I use antibacterial sanitiser before I do it. I just don't touch anywhere near my eyes unless I know my hands are clean. 

    On top of that I take daily doze of vitamin C, even more so when I know there are bugs around. I pay extra attention to healthy diet as well when people get poorly.

    I haven't had a cold since. I think it's been about 2 years. Everyone in the office has been full of it, this nasty cold that seems to last 3 weeks or so. I've been safe so far. 

     

     

  • Elli - interesting. I believe that's how Vick's First Defence works - kind of like extra snot that rinses away anything lurking in the nose. Also it makes your nose run, so it probably stimulates your own natural defences. Probably not a good idea to squirt it it in your eye though image .
  • Like Tom & Eli, I try to prevent transmission in the first place, through liberal use of hand santizer (I prefer Quash to the alcohol gels), not touching any public surfaces with my fingers (no hand rails on the bus/tube - hit lift and road crossing buttons with my knuckles), and wash my hands multiple times a day.

    I flew to the States recently and it was the first flight in years where I didn't get sick afterwards, and I owe it to acting like a crazy woman and wiping every conceivable hard surface at our seats with antibacterial wipes the second we sat down.

    That being said, despite my running, I have a severely depleted immune system because I had a bone marrow transplant 3.5yrs ago which means I started from scratch with my body's "cold memory" in 2009. When I get ill, I'm down for at least 2 weeks (at least!) so prevention is key for me. I asked one of my haematologists if there was ANYTHING I could take to boost my immune system and he said the only things with even a pinch of science behind them are vitamin c and zinc, so I try to take those daily.

  • I have also heard that you get a cold (Rhinovirus) through your eyes!

    I read an article basically saying that Cold Remedies are just convenient and make a load of money for the Pharmaceutical companies.

    When you get a cold your body will fight it, for example you get feverish symptoms as your body warms up to try and make itself an uninhabitable host for the virus. As we take Cold remedies we actually conteract our body trying to fix the problem. We end up adding days to having a cold.

    It sounds like a fair theory?

  • mikasamikasa ✭✭✭

    Elli - interesting reading. I wear contact lenses, and though I obviously wash my hands before I put them in/take them out, I work in an office where the air is really dry and the lighting bad so I do tend to rub my eyes quite often.

    I don't know what's changed but the last couple of years I have had more colds than ever before (didn't used to be a sickly person at all!).

  • KenbroKenbro ✭✭✭

    When I feel a cold coming on I increase my intake of vitamin C (100mg tablets). There is evidence to show that this can decrease the symptoms and during of a cold by about 30% and it certainly works for me. In addition I take zinc tablets, which are good for the immune system. 

  • mikasa wrote (see)

    Elli - interesting reading. I wear contact lenses, and though I obviously wash my hands before I put them in/take them out, I work in an office where the air is really dry and the lighting bad so I do tend to rub my eyes quite often.

    I don't know what's changed but the last couple of years I have had more colds than ever before (didn't used to be a sickly person at all!).

     

    People who work in air-conditioned offices catch more colds.

    Children are pretty good at spreading infections around, due to poor hygeine. So if you have more contact with them then that might explain it.

     

  • mikasamikasa ✭✭✭

    We don't use the air-con as no one likes it. Don't have much contact with kids either.

  • If I can feel a cold coming on, I will lay off the tea and coffee, drink at least a couple of litres of water, eat all the stodgy food I can find, and turn up the central heating, I sleep with windows open, and leave the heating on all night, it is the only time I ever wear clothing in bed, I wake up wringing wet and jump straight into a long hot shower, turn it down to cold before I get out and its usually gone or much less by lunch time. I always go to work as well (which helps) so am probably guilty of spreading it

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    I sometimes get that snotty and tickly-throat feeling as if something is trying to work its way in. So I go for a run and 99 per cent of the time that seems to clear it. Maybe I blow it all out with the snot rockets.

    On the very rare occasion I do get a cold it tends to be a real stinker. I work in an open-plan office and have no compunction at all taking as many days off as I need in order to a) not spread it and b) not go to work feeling awful.

    And while I've got it, hot toddies with a very large slug of alcohol. I figure colds move on quicker when I'm half-pissed.

  • I'm a biologist and pretty sceptical of all the cold remedies out there! As Demon Barber said, they could possibly prolongue your symptoms. Once the virus is inside your body, your white blood cells will already be fighting the infection. The snotty nose and temperature are a sign that your immune system is working so taking medication to stop this is likely to increase your time being ill.

    Prevention is definitely the best method, avoid ill people, wash hands etc and ensure you're healthy day to day by eating, drinking water and sleeping well.

  • I just don't get colds, even when family or work colleagues in tiny office are sneezing and coughing for all they are worth.  I used to get my fair share but nothing in probably the last 6 years or so.  I'd take it as a personal failing if I got one now.  When I remember I take a vit C and zinc supplement daily but its a bit hit and miss when I run out to remembering to buy another bottle.

    When I used to get them I'd have a hot toddy, whisky, green ginger sugar heated in a pan.  Dont know if it cured it but I didn't care as much.

    I do use handwash have a little bottle on my desk and in my bag. 

  • I usually go the natural way and increase intake of ginger,garlic, chillies, honey etc.

    I hardly get an off from work but sometimes I do. I have my cabin so there is less chance of spreading the germs.

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