We’ve all been there. We get to work and everywhere you look there is someone coughing or sneezing, spreading germs everywhere. You start to panic because even though you just had a flu shot and are taking all the necessary precautions, you start feeling slightly congested or sneezing, so what can you do?
One of the biggest mistakes people do is ignore the early signs that your body sends you. Many times you can feel tired, have a headache, feel congested, or have a slight cough and do absolutely nothing about it. These are early signs of a cold and here are some tips that can help you kick that cold to the curve before it worsens.
Kill Bacteria With Good Bacteria
If you don’t already have probiotics with yogurt for breakfast, it might be a good idea to start. Probiotics are the good bacteria that can help fight a cold and make your symptoms less severe. Probiotics like Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG and Bifidobacterium animalis can help regulate your immune system’s inflammatory response and can even help reduce wheezing.
Use a Saline Nasal Rinse
Use a saline nasal rinse three times a day. This will help flush out the cold virus that is making you sick, as well as compounds like histamines, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes that cause sniffling.
Zinc Or Turmeric
Zinc lozenges and tablets are very popular and an effective way to fight off a cold. It can help boost your immune system and prevent lower respiratory infections. Take at least 80 milligrams a day until you notice the symptoms go away. Turmeric contains curcumin which is anti-inflammatory and can stop viruses from getting worse. Take 1,000 milligrams of turmeric until you feel better. Both of these can be found in the natural supplements aisle at many drugstores.
Sleep More
Getting plenty of sleep can help your immune system perform better. Make sure you’re sleeping at least 7-8 hours every night that way your immune system has all the energy it needs to fight off a cold.
Sweat it Out
Going for a 30 to 60-minute cardio workout can help you break out in a sweat and help you kill viruses. Most cold viruses survive in temperatures around 98.6 degrees, which is why when you get a fever, this is simply your immune system fighting off and killing a virus with heat. A workout is only good if you don’t have a fever, if you have problems breathing or a fever, then skip the workout and keep hydrated.
Tea is great when you’re sick with a cold or the flu and it’s encouraged to have tea as often as you want because it is packed with antioxidants. Cinnamon hot tea with lemon is a crowd favorite because it helps soothe a sore throat and keeps you hydrated. Black tea helps chase away the chills and helps fight viruses too. Adding a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to hot water and lemon juice and honey helps create an alkaline environment that helps kill bacteria and viruses.