Sick...again!

I’m sick…again…and every time I get sick, I feel like writing about it because I can’t go to school, I can’t go to work, and what else is there?! I thought about writing up a review for my last tart order, but I can’t rightly smell anything. I thought I’d write up a haul, but I can’t remember what all I ordered. I thought I’d write up a couple of DIYs, but again, I can’t do much anything because this cold/sinus crap, whathaveyou, has got such a hard hold on me. 

So let’s revisit the past, shall we, and I’m going to write up how to better survive these awful sicknesses going around this time of the year. Let’s begin!

For starters, the very second you feel a cold coming on, grab you come Coldcalm! Seriously! This stuff is relatively inexpensive for a regular package (less than $10 at Walgreens with their Member’s Card) and it’s all natural. I’m tired of shoving marked pills into my face, like I feel like I’ve been doing for months now (all prescription, no worries). This holistic approach helped ease the duration of my symptoms. My colds will last about a week; 5-7 days, usually, and this has shortened it to 4 days. I feel like tomorrow, I’ll be off to a much better start. 

Next, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I cannot say this enough. The gunk that’s coming out of your nose when it’s running, the ick you’re coughing up, sorry, but replace this all with water. Juice is fine, too, and tea, but make sure you’re alternating anything other than water with water so that you stay hydrated. Also, a nonproductive cough is caused by dryness, and this can be helped by staying hydrated. 

Drinks I recommend include: tea, water, and all natural juices. Any added sugars are going to “gunk” up your system, even more, so maybe stay away from anything too heavily concentrated or laden with sugar. If you can’t help that, cute it with water. I love herbal teas for anything illness-related. There’s peppermint teas for morning time and lavender or chamomile tea for evenings. These are easy to drink when you’re sick and can be sweetened with honey. Honey is antibacterial and will be easy on a sore throat. Hydrating lozenges or cough drops are good to have. 

For coughing, I know this one weird trick, and don’t ask me how or why it works, I have no idea. My mom used to put Vicks Rub on my feet at night and cover them with socks. No mess and it made me stop coughing. This works even now long enough for me to get to sleep. If I wake up in the middle of the night and repeat the process, it still blows my mind by how quickly it takes effect. True, it’s not the most pleasant experience, but it works. I can see peppermint or tea tree oil working on the soles of the feet, as well, but who knows. I also put a touch of Vicks on my upper lip, too, to ease congestion.

For other tips and tricks: prop up your head as you sleep to allow sinus drainage. Yum, right? Sleep in a well-ventilated area, no open windows, and I find that 70 degrees works best. Hm, what else? Oh, stay hydrated and go to bed with a water bottle next to you. If you’re anything like me, you’ll wake up and have the worst case of cotton-mouth with a side order of funky breath and dry lips. Again…yum! 

Let’s recap and I’ll add in a few other must-dos…

• ·         Drink plenty of fluids!
• ·         Eat with your medication; even just a little bit!
• ·         Stock up on Vitamin C!
• ·         Wash your hands like you’re being paid for it
• ·         Sleep propped up and in a good sleeping setting
• ·         Tea is awesome and good for you!
• ·         Vicks Rub + socks = no coughing fits!
• ·         Cough it up? Spit it out! (Yeah, sorry, but it works!)

·         Hot showers and hot baths are especially comforting when you’re sick.

I am not a doctor and have no medical training, so I can’t tell you what is right for you. But if you’re like me and can’t readily get to a doctor or just want to fight off a simple cold for yourself, I’m behind ya! These things work for me, so they may help you. Or they may not. I recommend a quick visit to a local nurse practitioner; they’re well-versed in common colds. Stay well, guys, flu season is upon us!