What do you do for a cold?

Hot Stones Ginger Wine - you can feel it burning its way through the mucus as it slides warmly down. Their mulled ginger wine is good too.
Stilton and garlic soup with a hefty slug of Port.

 

I'm a man.

I just pretend it isn't happening.

Works for most things in life.

 

Four thieves oil in a humidifier or diffuser, salve of extra-virgin coconut oil and peppermint oil, lots of garlic, plenty of food and fluid, and as much rest as can be gotten. And buckets of Gypsy Cold Care tea.

 

- Hot Cider has loads of Vitamin C and eases sore throats.
- Humidifiers steam up a room and help ease nasal congestion. Vick's Vapo-Rub helps too (menthol gel).
- Lots of Water, obvs.
- Because I get sinus infections (not colds), I almost always end up having to go to the doctor to get some sort of antibiotic (which I had to do twice this week because the first one tore up my stomach).

 

I cannot tolerate the majority of cold medications on the market so I am a bit limited as to what I can do. Instead I usually will eat something spicy to encourage drainage, lots of hot brothy soups, neti pot, aromatherapy baths, vicks vapor plug ins, hot teas often with lemon and honey. If it happens to cause fluid in my ears I will use Afrin but only a dose or two as it can cause issues with addiction. Antipyretics and pain relievers as needed. I have a distaste for salt gargles but have found that eating some chips, pickles or other salty foods can often provide some relief of sore throat. If I have a cough, I like to use Delsym as it is longer lasting than most cough remedies and alcohol free.

The department of health used to offer a cold kit for medical offices to use as patients were often quite insistent on getting antibiotics which would be worthless for their viruses. I remember the kits contained a couple dry packaged soup mixes, tea bags, generic tylenol and sudafed.

On the grossness of human beings. Whether you are ill or not, try to refrain from touching your face as much as possible. Nix the handkerchiefs, I realize some people like them but seriously consider how disgusting it is to blow your nose and put it in your pocket. If you use a tissue, immediately put it in a waste container (don't leave it lying about for someone else to discard or put into your pocket) and then please wash your hands. If the frequent hand-washing is not feasible, keep hand sanitizer for that purpose. Cough into your armpit or elbow, not into the air and not into your hand which may touch god knows what before you eventually wash them. Stay home if you can, if you must go to work consider using some antibacterial wipes on your keyboard, phone, desk etc others may need to touch. Replace your toothbrush when it is resolved and consider keeping the family toothbrushes separately confined as well. If you opt for a visit to the physicians office and they offer you a mask, wear it. Please don't just hold it in your hand like an idiot, it is to protect healthy yet frail patient's from illness.

 

Mucinex, advil ( or other NSAID ), take it easy. Well, unless I just feel like hitting the gym really hard and making it worse. I do that sometimes, because I'm hard headed.

 

One of my doctors suggested copious amounts of Brandy (or whatever you like). He said as the hangover dries your cold out, and if not the headache takes your mind off it.

 

I don't really get colds anymore. Even when I am around those with them. The more you're outdoors it seems the less you get a cold. Allergies are a bit different. When I feel a cold I will take flax seed and make a green smoothie for the morning, seems to turn it all around. But maybe I have a stronger immune system.

 

Sleep
Ginger tea
pepper milk
spicy food

 

Allow me to display a bit of ignorance. Could you tell me about pepper milk? Is it, like, warm milk with black pepper in it, or something more involved?

 

Steaming, hot chicken soup, lots of sleep
I don't take medicine for cold perhaps it never gets that worse even though I live in northwest

And keep hair short

 

Advil for any aches or pains, hot tea or chocolate makes my irritated throat feel better, and Nyquil to help me get some sleep.

 

I'm heading to Whole Foods for some tea, broths, and vegetables.
Between the airports, flights, and cold weather I wasn't used to, my sinus congestion is now in my chest.
I wanted to go to the gym and punish it, but I had a damn asthma attack running back up the stairs with my gym clothes. Fucking eh.
I'm pissed and determined, so I'm going all out. Fucking malaise. I'll show you who's boss.

 

Oh gods, that sounds awful.
I was planning to simmer chicken broth with garlic, wiri wiri peppers, sage, thyme, and other herbs and sip on that.
I'm super sensitive to ginger, so I was going to juice it.

 

• Hot liquids, usually tea (Tazo's Zen Ginger green tea—I think?—does good things).
• Vicks ALL over my face and chest. Sometimes I just sit with the container in front of my nose and breathe it in deeply, if I can, a few times before I go to sleep.
• Japanese restaurants: Miso soup to soothe the chest and throat, and some wasabi-slathered sushi to clear the sinuses.
• More sleep, though sadly that's usually the hardest to come by (and my own damned fault).
• Long bike rides to clear out the lungs, once i'm feeling up to them. Knock on wood, I think I've gotten sick much less frequently since I've been getting places by bike... so there's that.

Oh, and frequent and thorough handwashing—working for a hospital has certainly hammered that message home to me. I also don't cough into my hands anymore, only into my elbow.

I have a Neti pot but have not actually ever tried using it—too turned off by the prospect of doing it wrong and getting that whole drowning sensation. Next time I'm sick, I'll give it a go.

Feel better, everyone!

 

Going to repeat what I said earlier in this thread - Sleep, run around outside in the cold, and slam Vernor's.
The Michigan hospital.

 

I usually avoid getting sick at all costs. I don't feel the least bit bad telling people (politely) to stay away from me, and prefer elbow bumps to handshakes.

Lots of water and rest usually works once it has taken hold. When I get desperate, I combine hot brandy, lemon juice and some sugar in a double-shot glass and down the whole thing before bed. Guaranteed to make you sleep well and feel better in the morning.