How to Take Care of Yourself During the Cold!

 

A cough is our body’s response to something that bothers our throat or airways. It is a reflex that helps you clear your airways of irritants. There can be many possible causes of coughs, including infections, allergies and acid reflux. The best treatment for a cough will depend on its underlying cause. Natural remedies are proven to be very useful in preventing cough and also do not have any side effects.

So now the question arises that what you should do to combat cough or cold? Try to follow the following tips when you are suffering from a cough.

Rest

Given our present lifestyle, we get too busy and piled up that we often forgot to take care of ourselves. But we should always remember that just like a machine needs some time off, the human body needs proper rest. Try to stay at home from work or school if you have a bad cough or feeling drowsy after medications. This will not only help you heal faster but also reduce the chances that you will infect others.

Stay hydrated

It is very important to drink plenty of fluids during the time of illness. Water, warm lemon, juice or clear broth are very good choices. Drink lots of water to thin mucus. You can also use a humidifier. Drinking lots of water helps in thinning the mucus and soothes a dry or sore throat. You can also have honey or lemon juice in hot water or tea that will help you ease a dry cough. Try to avoid caffeine and alcohol as they can dehydrate you. Research also indicates that drinking liquids at room temperature can alleviate even more symptoms including chills, sore throat and fatigue.

Inhale steam

It has been proven scientifically that inhaling steam can improve wet cough. You can take a hot shower or bath and fill the bathroom with steam and just stay in the steam for a few minutes until symptoms subside. Alternatively, you can fill a large bowl with hot water and make your steam bowl. Inhale the vapour for 5 minutes. To improve the experience you can also add some herbs, essential oils like rosemary which will also help release decongestion.

Take medications

Try to take medications as prescribed by the doctors. During cold and flu season cough tends to be wet because our lungs are filled with mucus and then wet cough transitions into a dry cough that produces no mucus. You can have torex cough syrup for dry cough and torex cough syrup for wet cough. The overuse and misuse of these medications can cause serious damage. Some experts are also in the favor of not giving cough and cold medications to younger children below the age of 5 years.

Saltwater gargle

The most simple yet the most effective remedy is a saltwater gargle to treat a wet cough or soar throat. Saltwater helps in reducing the phlegm and mucus in the back of the throat. You just need to stir half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water and gargle.

So these were all the tips that can help you cure cough.