Cold Season Care

Cold Season Care

 

The fall leaves are beautiful, the air is crisp, sweaters are cuddly, and football means that there is finally something watchable on tv most days of the week. What's not to love? How about the onslaught of sneezing, sniffling, coughing, watery eyes, aches, and pains? In other words the cold and flu season** is here and going to keep us company until next spring.

Last winter I made the commitment not to buy any conventional OTC cold/flu medications. I hated the way they made me feel, I hated the price, I hated the taste, I hated the companies that made them, I hated how I always seemed to have to go out and buy more just when I felt the most punk... So last winter I decided to put my foot down and tell my long-suffering husband that we were jumping off the cold care bandwagon. It felt right, but I wanted to know for sure, so I did a little research into the ingredients lurking in those iridescent bottles of blue (or green or orange) syrup.

Ah. Well then. Prepare to have your mind blown. Did you know that acetaminophen is a by-product of the coal industry and that during the process of metabolization turns into a cannabinoid? Yep, what you're thinking. Dextromethorphan HBr is what is listed on several brands' bottles but the body breaks it down further into levorphanol which is a pain killer 5x more powerful than morphine. Amazingly just 12x the normal dose can give you psychedelic highs. Doxylamine succinate is a sedative more powerful than most prescription hypnotics and is the second strongest antihistamine (behind benadryl). Information regarding guaifenesin varies widely (irrespective of dosage or isomers) from low toxicity to very toxic to specific organs when taken internally... So no worries there... Let's not even delve into the artificial colors, corn syrup, thickeners and preservatives.

Even if you are a proponent of better living through chemistry and have complete faith in our regulating government body, the FDA, you have to ask yourself what these compounds are actually doing while they are swimming around in your system? The answer is that they only mitigate the symptoms, they don't support the body, they don't decrease the length of your cold/flu.

So what's an informed consumer to do? Arm yourself with knowledge and then make an informed decision about your health! There are many good books on the subject of helpful herbs for internal use.

Once a cold has reared its ugly head some of my tried and true internals include: echinacea, golden seal, garlic, ginger, citrus fruits, zinc, cayenne powder, cinnamon, and marsh mallow. An easy way I have found to dose myself is by taking a cup of tea an hour. I like the Seasonal Herb Sampler by Traditional Medicinals (no I am not being paid an endorsement fee). To ease breathing I like steaming, either over a bowl of water with a towel over my head to keep the steam in or Vicks makes a great electric personal steamer. The trick is to use an effective essential oil mix, I use 100%Pure Eucalyptus vapor bath, its easy, strong, natural and already mixed. Neti pots are also helpful. Find foods that are loaded with vegetables and strong flavors, think blazing Thai, that will help clear nasal passages and increase circulation. Now there are some good eucalyptus and camphor natural cough lozenges.

For aching muscles a hot soak in a tub is great, add anything that has a detox action or works for sore muscles. I like rosemary (again 100%Pure has a great rosemary muscle soak) and mustard. A massage can be very helpful, but it varies person to person.

Proper rest, hydration, diet, and stress-management are all important factors in preventing and caring for colds/flus. During school and the holiday season it takes even more self-care to stay on top of your game. Make sure to sanitize your hands during the season and do NOT touch your face unless your hands are clean.

Ironically paper tissues are more abrasive to nasal tissue than cloth and are not any more sanitary when proper hygiene guideline are followed. The plus side is you won't resemble Rudolf and you can save trees at the same time. 

**Incidentally did you know that it is now believed that both flues AND colds are caused by viruses, the only difference being the severity? http://nccam.nih.gov/health/flu/ataglance.htm
***I used many sources, including MSDS write-ups of all compounds listed. As with any thing I write, don't take my word for it - look it up yourself. Remember, READ THE INGREDIENT LIST ON EVERYTHING YOU BUY. If you don't know what it is, don't buy it. At the very least find out what the unknowns do, how they are made, and what the body does with them.
**** I am not a doctor, I am not prescribing medicine, dosages, or suggesting that you stop your doctor prescribed medications.