Home Remedies for Colds

Are cold symptoms making you feel miserable? Here are 12 cold remedies you can use right now -- at home -- to feel better.


Cold Remedy #1: Drink plenty of fluids to help break up your congestion. Drinking water or juice will prevent dehydration and keep your throat moist. You should drink at least 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water daily. Include fluids such as water, sports drinks, herbal teas, fruit drinks, or ginger ale. Your mother's chicken soup might help too! (Limit cola, coffee, and other drinks with caffeine because it acts like a diuretic and may dehydrate you.)

Cold Remedy #2: Inhale steam to ease your congestion and drippy nose. Hold your head over a pot of boiling water and breathe through your nose. Be careful. If the steam burns your nose, breathe in more slowly. You can buy a humidifier, but the steam will be the same as the water on the stove. Moisture from a hot shower with the door closed, saline nasal spray, or a room humidifier is just as helpful to ease congestion.

Cold Remedy #3: Blow your nose often, but do it the proper way. It's important to blow your nose regularly when you have a cold rather than sniffling mucus back into your head. But when you blow hard, pressure can carry germ-carrying phlegm back into your ear passages, causing earache. The best way to blow your nose is to press a finger over one nostril while you blow gently to clear the other.

Cold Remedy #4: Use saline nasal sprays or make your own salt water rinse to irrigate your nose. Salt-water rinsing helps break nasal congestion while also removing virus particles and bacteria from your nose. Here's a popular recipe:
Mix 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in 8 ounces of warm water. Fill a bulb syringe with this mixture (or use a Neti pot, available at most health foods stores). Lean your head over a basin, and using the bulb syringe, gently squirt the salt water into your nose. Hold one nostril closed by applying light finger pressure while squirting the salt mixture into the other nostril. Let it drain. Repeat two to three times, and then treat the other nostril.
To avoid exposing yourself to other bacteria and infections, it's important to watch what you put in your nose. According to the CDC, if you are irrigating, flushing, or rinsing your sinuses, use distilled, sterile, or previously boiled water to make up the irrigation solution. It’s also important to rinse the irrigation device after each use and leave open to air dry.

Cold Remedy #5: Stay warm and rested. Staying warm and resting when you first come down with a cold or the flu helps your body direct its energy toward the immune battle. This battle taxes the body. So give it a little help by lying down under a blanket to stay warm if necessary.

Cold Remedy #6: Gargle with warm salt water. Gargling can moisten a sore or scratchy throat and bring temporary relief. Try a half teaspoon of salt dissolved in 8 ounces of warm water four times daily. To reduce the tickle in your throat, try an astringent gargle -- such as tea that contains tannin -- to tighten the membranes. Or use a thick, viscous gargle made with honey, popular in folk medicine. Steep one tablespoon of raspberry leaves or lemon juice in two cups of hot water; mix with one teaspoon of honey. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before gargling.

Cold Remedy #7: Drink hot liquids. Hot liquids relieve nasal congestion, prevent dehydration, and soothe the uncomfortably inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat. If you're so congested you can't sleep at night, try a hot toddy, an age-old remedy. Make a cup of hot herbal tea. Add one teaspoon of honey and one small shot (about 1 ounce) of whiskey or bourbon if you wish. Limit yourself to one. Too much alcohol inflames those membranes and is counterproductive.

Cold Remedy #8: Take a steamy shower. Steamy showers moisturize your nasal passages and relax you. If you're dizzy from the flu, run a steamy shower while you sit on a chair nearby and take a sponge bath.

Cold Remedy #9: Try a small dab of mentholated salve under your nose to help open breathing passages and help restore the irritated skin at the base of the nose. Menthol, eucalyptus, and camphor all have mild numbing ingredients that may help relieve the pain of a nose rubbed raw.

Cold Remedy #10: Apply hot packs around your congested sinuses. You can buy reusable hot packs at a drugstore. Or make your own. Take a damp washcloth and heat it for 30 seconds in a microwave. (Test the temperature first to make sure it's right for you.)

Cold Remedy #11: Sleep with an extra pillow under your head. This will help relieve congested nasal passages. If the angle is too awkward, try placing the pillows between the mattress and the box springs to create a more gradual slope.

Cold Remedy #12: Learn about natural remedies like zinc, echinacea, and vitamin C. People looking for natural cold remedies often turn to supplements. Many of these remedies have not been shown to help and some hurt.

Zinc: While early studies showed that zinc could help fight off a cold more quickly, the latest consensus seems to be that zinc has a minimal benefit at best. According to the Food and Drug Administration, zinc nasal spray can cause permanent loss of smell.

Coping with Backaches and Edema Discomforts During Pregnancy

Backache, edema

The following are the most common pregnancy concerns and the strategies to deal with them while you are on the job: Backache
Backaches are common during pregnancy because of the increased weight you're carrying, especially if your baby is resting on your spine. Neck and shoulder aches can be due to tension and/or the increased weight of your growing breasts. Lower back pain that extends or shoots down one buttock and into one leg is probably sciatica, caused when the baby's head compresses the sciatic nerve. The tips that follow will help to relieve the discomfort of backaches or avoid them altogether:

• Drive comfortably—Move your car seat forward to keep your knees bent and higher than your hips. Use a small pillow to support your lower back area.
  
• Lift correctly—Stabilize your body first by assuming a wide stance and tucking in your buttocks. Bend at the knees, not at the waist, and lift with your arms and legs, which will take the stress off your back. Lift objects only chest high. If your job demands frequent heavy lifting, ask to be assigned to less taxing duties.
  
• Limit your standing—Try not to stand in one place or one position for too long. If your job requires long periods of standing, keep one foot on a raised surface, such as a step or a box, to prevent your lower back from curving inward; or stand on a small, skid-proof rug. When standing at a table, lean forward with your knees slightly bent, and support your weight with your hands or elbows.
  
• Use ice or a cold pack—Place a bag with ice, wrapped in a towel, against the small of your back when you're sitting down.
  
• Relieve strain—When seated at your desk, prop up one leg on a footstool, stack of files, trash can, or anything else available. When walking, sitting, or lying down, avoid putting stress on your back muscles by tucking in your buttocks. Keep your back from arching forward when you stand or lie on your side. At work or at home, you can also lean forward in a chair and lower your head to your knees for thirty seconds. Rise and repeat six times, up to six times a day.
  
• Stretch daily—Try setting the clock on your computer to beep at you every thirty minutes to remind you to stretch.
  
• Avoid wearing high heels to work—Wear sturdy shoes, with a heel no higher than one inch. Save higher heels for special meetings and appointments with clients, and place thin, foam-rubber inserts in the toes to reduce pressure.
  
• Wear a maternity belt—A wide, soft, supportive elastic band that wraps around your lower back and under your belly can take over part of the job of tired, stretched abdominal and back muscles as it cradles the weight of your growing belly.
  
• Poor posture can also cause your back to ache—Try to keep your shoulders and hips in line as you walk, and keep your back straight by tucking a pillow behind you when you're seated.

Edema (Swelling)
More than 70 percent of pregnant women experience some fluid accumulation in their feet, legs, face, and hands. This condition is related to hormone buildup in your system, which results in the kidneys collecting more water and salt than normal. If your job keeps you on your feet, you are also more likely to experience edema.
If you experience sudden, extreme swelling, you should immediately alert your physician. This could be a warning sign of preclampsia or toxemia. Mild swelling, which is considered normal and beneficial, can be relieved by these methods.

• Raise your legs—Prop up your legs at work on anything available: a stack of papers, books, or a box. Also, elevate your feet and hands above your heart to reduce swelling by gravity. If possible, lie down during the day on your left(heart) side, not on your back. This position prevents your uterus from compressing major arteries and lets your system reabsorb the fluid. Also try walking around the block on your lunch hour.
  
• Soak your feet—Tired, burning feet should be soaked at the end of a workday. Rotate your ankles to reduce swelling.
  
• Keep water at your desk—Consuming extra water will help to draw fluid from puffy tissues back into your bloodstream to be excreted by your kidneys later. Have a glass or a squeeze bottle of water nearby throughout the day.
  
• Wear loose clothing—Although you always want to look well dressed at work, choose looser clothes for maternity wear. Wear elastic support hose, too, and remove tight-fitting rings and other jewelry. Keep an extra, larger pair of shoes in your office to wear when your feet swell.
  
• Watch your diet—Stay away from fatty foods, eat plenty of protein, and cut down on salt, which causes fluid retention.
  
• Avoid chemicals—Chemical diuretics have been found to be harmful to a pregnant woman. Try taking a couple of spoonfuls of apple-cider vinegar, a natural diuretic, before each meal. Herbal and homeopathic remedies can help.

What (and What Not) to Feed Your Kids

Feeding kids can often become a battle; feeding them healthy foods can be a war.

“I have found that if you explain to your children why a food is good or not good for them, things become easier,” advises Maria-Paula Carrillo, M.S., a clinical dietitian at Children’s. “Allowing them to make certain food choices also helps. For example, give them two fruit choices with their meal or let them pick the flavor of their yogurt for a snack.”

Here, Carrillo recommends five healthy foods to serve your kids along with serving suggestions, and she also lists five not-so-healthy choices to think twice about letting them eat and alternatives for them.

Consider these…

Pizza

Stay away from toppings like high-fat meats and extra cheese as well as dips like butter or ranch dressing. But pizza can be a balanced meal if you add some vegetables or fruits and lean meats (like grilled chicken), and choose a thin crust.
Serving suggestion — make your own at home using an English muffin, marinara sauce, low fat cheese, ham or chicken and their favorite vegetable.

Think twice before giving your kids ...

Doughnuts

They can have up to 20 g fat and 20 g sugar per serving, and from 250 to 450 calories per doughnut. In addition, eating one of these for breakfast will have your little one sleepy and hungry within a few hours.
Alternative — offer a whole grain waffle with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and ½ a banana as the topping.

Berries

Good sources of lutein (good for vision) as well as antioxidants and phytochemicals (which help prevent many diseases). Naturally low in calories and fat and rich in fiber. Quick and colorful snack for kids.
Serving suggestion — blend them with milk and ice to make a refreshing smoothie or layer them on top of yogurt and high fiber cereals for an easy breakfast or afternoon snack.

Think twice before giving your kids ...

Candied Fruit Snacks

These sticky “candies” may contain only a small amount of fruit or fruit juice; are usually made of sugar, gelatin, and more sugar; and can cause tooth decay. May have added vitamins but fresh fruits have them, too, and they are natural.
Alternative — try a small serving (1/4 cup) of dried fruit.

Popcorn

The air-popped kind not covered in butter. This snack is a whole grain and good fiber source. Without extra toppings, it is a low–fat, low–calorie snack. For flavor, sprinkle with small amounts of salt or butter-flavored sprays.
Serving suggestion — for a quick snack, have 100 calorie bags of popcorn ready to pop at any time.

Think twice before giving your kids ...

Sugary Beverages

Juice, soda, fruit punch, flavored milks, sweet tea, etc. These high-calorie, high-sugar drinks can cause many problems in children, including rapid weight gain, decreased appetite, cavities, and change in bowel patterns.
Alternative — choose water or skim or 1 percent milk.

Hummus

Made of chickpeas, which are rich in fiber and protein and a good iron source. High in fat, but mostly unsaturated fats (the healthy ones) that decrease the risk for heart disease. Good alternative to animal protein.
Serving suggestion — let them dip carrot sticks and pretzels in it or spread it over bread or crackers.

Think twice before giving your kids ...

Salad Toppings

Can be deceiving. Many salads are very high in calories and fat because of the toppings we choose, such as nuts, bacon, cheese, and regular salad dressing.
Alternative — choose a low-fat dressing (2 tablespoons or less) and limit high-calorie toppings (nuts, bacon pieces, cheese, croutons) to 1 tablespoon per ingredient and no more than four “extra”ingredients.

Eggs

Back on the “good” list. A good protein source but also contain choline, which helps regulate the brain as well as the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Good for vision, too, due to their carotenoid content.
Serving suggestion — include them in more than just breakfast. Eggs are a great variation to your typical dinner protein. Scramble them and mix in a new vegetable or boil it and add it to a salad.

Think twice before giving your kids ...

Sweet Cereals

Many cereals children like best have more sugar per serving than a few cookies. Fiber is also important; make sure breakfast gives kids energy and nutrients that last and help them grow.
Alternative — choose cereal with less than 10 gram sugar and at least 3 gm fiber/serving.

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