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I'm sick. My birthday is coming up in just a few days,....and I'M SICK! Ugh. I only have 1 working nostril and my toddler doesn't listen when I ask her to fetch me fluids.
Lots and lots and lots of those fluids that she hasn't learned how to fetch yet. If you can't bear to move to get them yourself, stock up early on.....fill several water bottles and keep them nearby. Also, stop popping the Vitamin C. Take it every few hours (don't take 'too' many or you'll end up with some not-so-pleasant side effects, but taking it more than usual will give your body some extra to fight with and get you back on your feet once the cold itself passes). Try to get some decent sleep, too....with a toddler, NaBloPoMo (hehe), and well, a life, it can be tough, but try to squeeze in some quality time with your pillow and blanket. Feel better soon and happy early birthday!
Yeah, the suggested limit is around 2000mg a day (which is quite a lot compared to what most people get anyway, but if you're popping them left and right, that's where this comes in). Around that point, you can start getting diarrhea, stomach aches, nausea, etc.....which turns your cold into feeling more like the flu. Yuck! Just get some a couple times a day as soon as you start feeling yourself icky so it gets a chance to start helping out your system.
I've also heard people recommend Airborne. Apparently it has a whole bunch of vitamins, electrolytes, etc, in it, but I've never tried it myself.
Ginger tea, if you are a tea drinker, provides temporary relief. When you brew your tea, add some grated or pounded ginger. Add some honey and milk, if you like milk in your tea. It always helps me! It helps even more when someone else makes it for me!
And, yes, fluids! Lots and lots of fluids. Warm herb tea is also a good idea.
I'm a big believer in the healing power of hot and sour soup. The last few years, when I've gotten sick, I skip the chicken soup and go straight for the Thai hot and sour soup. It's full of healthy stuff and if you can stand the heat, the chillies will clear out your head and sweat the sickness right out of you. I think there are benefits to your immune system as well. It has the side benefit of being something you can actually taste!
i get Zicam swabs (gel preparation of zinc compound) and dab gently into my nose. this tends to work best at the first onset of a cold or flu, and usually zaps it so it only lasts 3 days instead of 7. but, in desperation i've tried it when a couple of days into my cold, and it still seems to help though not as much.
caution: don't get the pump dispenser, as some people have had problems overenthusiastically pumping the gel up into their forebrains. (not saying you'd be so silly as to do this.) seriously, too much zicam can wreak havoc on your sinuses.
hope that helps! nobody's happy unless mama's happy!
Use a Neti pot to clear out your nostrils. If that thought weirds you out, steam your face over a bowl of hot water under a towel to help free up your mucus. And squirt a mild saline solution up your nose.
Zinc lozenges, lots and lots of juice, rest.
The ginger tea suggestion is good too; any kind of herbal tea is generally good, and stay away from dairy!
Wow...those were some great and very interesting suggestions. Thanks :) I'll be sure to start my regimen in the morning. I'm not quite sure what a neti pot is, but I can do the large bowl of hot water.
I'm also very curious about the Zicam swabs.
I'm pounding the tea! So much that I'm still awake at 2am, lol!
Zinc tablets, the kind that dissolve in your mouth. Those make me feel so much better soooo quickly. Yes they leave a nasty taste after you're done, but they really work.
And neti pot, oh goodness, find one of those, they've saved me so many sinus infections since I've been using them. This site has good info jalaneti
Good luck getting over being sick, no fun having a sick birthday!
LOL! Sorry you are awake because of the tea! Have herbal tea with ginger at night instead of regular tea! Hot & sour soup is also great for opening up the sinuses. Hot water fomentation or steaming your face over a bowl of hot water is about the best temporary solution.
Don't blow your nose too hard - that's not good for your sinuses is what I was told.
I have a friend who swears by sinus irrigation. She says it keeps most of her allergies at bay.
thanks for that tip. Yea...i think i made the wrong move with all the caffeinated tea later in the day. I'm now sipping a nice warm mug full of herbal (non-caffeinated) tea :)
I'm pretty sure this is a cold. I have also presented with a bit of the aches and pains, as well as a sore throat. Oh the joys of cold and flu season!
I second the neti pot. Mine always makes me feel better almost instantly.
Also - garlic. You'll stink, but taking a clove of mashed raw garlic (use a garlic press) in a spoonful of honey several times a day works like a charm for me. You have to use it consistently for a couple of days. Garlic is a powerful antibacterial and antiviral.
At the first sign of a cold, I'll start using zinc lozenges (Cold-EEZE or generic) and Airborne (or generic again). This has worked well for me and generally reduces the length of my cold. Especially with the two little ones at home. Also, I *try* to accept being sick and not resist it. Sounds crazy, but the body's doing what it needs to do.
Thanks so much everyone :) I am in desperate need of TLC and rest. I have a feeling that is the biggest culprit in why this cold is still lingering.....14 hours left to get better! I have a feeling I may be sneezing out my birthday candles :(
At the first sign of a cold I start making myself the following cocktail 3-4 times a day:
1 packet of Emergen-C powder
one dropper of Nettles/Eyebright (for runny nose and itchy eyes)
one dropper of ecihnacea
all mixed into 4-6 oz of elderberry juice (can be found at a local vitamin store like Super Supplements)
For the last two years this has nixed my cold within three days - never any lingering cough or drowsiness for weeks on end.
