Do These 10 Things When You Feel a Cold Coming On

We have been fairly lucky this year in terms of illness. My son and I had some sinus issues in the fall due to our allergies but other than that, no one has been sick. I had hopes that our home would continue to stay healthy til spring allergies rolled around but, of course, that was too much to ask. 4 days ago my son tells me his throat hurts….my first response was to feel his forehead for a fever which was not present. So, what to do next? When you feel a cold coming on, what are the first things you need to do? I have a list of things I do that I wanted to share with you and included a few other handy tips that I found online. Let me know if you have any other suggestions! I would love to know what YOU do when you feel a cold coming on! (and the key is often making sure you keep your house well stocked BEFORE you get sick!)

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Do these 10 Things when you feel a cold coming on
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When You Feel a Cold Coming On:

1. Reevaluate your to do list:  You need to make time to rest so that means when you feel a cold coming on you will not be able to do all 27 things on your to do list. Prioritize. Your health is most important right now and if the clothes stay at the dry cleaners a few more days, they wont care. I promise. For kids, you might want to consider keeping them home from a sports practice or canceling their next play date.

2. Plan on an early bedtime:  Your body needs to be well rested and your energy reserves should be recharged with a good night’s sleep. Getting to bed an hour early will give your body the energy it needs to fight off the infection.

3. Start supplying your body with probiotics:  When you feel a cold coming on, you probably don’t think about probiotics, right? Aren’t those just for upset stomachs? Honestly, your body gets a huge amount of it’s immunity from your gut. And if your gut flora aren’t healthy, your immune system is not up to par. Kefer, yogurt, and probiotic capsules are always in my fridge and we use them regularly. When you feel a cold coming on, you should start ingesting even MORE!

4. Up the vitamin C:  I know, scientific studies have probably shown absolutely no effect of vitamin C on colds right? I don’t believe it. (and I have a science degree…). I really think that vitamin C can help you fight off that infection. Orange juice and fresh grapefruit are great but even if all you do is take a few vitamin C capsules you are better off than taking none at all.

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5. Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of clear fluids will help keep your body in tip, top shape. It won’t help your body actually fight off the illness but it will cut back on how horrible your symptoms are. Plenty of water will keep mucus flowing easier, thus reducing chest and head congestion. We usually use Emergen-C which is a packet of vitamin C that you dissolve in water. That way we are getting plenty of Vitamin C as well as increasing our fluid intake.


: Cold viruses actually thrive in dry air. The added moisture in the air can help keep the virus from thriving–and help keep your nasal passages from feeling dried out and sore.

7. Practice good hygiene.  Yes, you are already sick. But when you feel a cold coming on your are already shedding that virus and sharing with your family. Change all the towels in the house, sterilize toothbrushes, clean the handles of doors and sinks (if you get a new toothbrush, check out my post on how to upcycle your old toothbrush!) (if you get a new toothbrush, check out my post on how to upcycle your old toothbrush!). Keep your hands away from your face and wash them regularly. Good hygiene will cut down on the spread of germs to the rest of the household.

8. Consider supplements:  There have been numerous studies done to see what effects they have on the common cold. Some show promise and some don’t. Everyone has their own preferences for which ones to take to boost their immunity. The key is to keep them stocked in your house at all times and take them at the VERY first sign of a cold. Do not wait till that cold is really knocking you on your butt! Some people like Zinc and Echinacea (I avoid Echinacea due to allergies) but personally I use garlic. It has amazing antiviral and antibacterial properties as well as a ton of other health benefits. Learn more about the health benefits of garlic and then make sure you keep it well stocked in your house. Both fresh and capsule form are beneficial.

9. Fight the germs where they live:  Viruses love to take up housekeeping in your nasal passages. Invest in a few cans of Simply Saline (which stays sterile inside due to the design!) and clean your nasal passages with saline every few hours. This will also help clean out the mucus from your sinuses. I also like to gargle with salt water to help sooth sore throats and keep those lymph nodes in the back of the throat cleaned out.

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10. Get your blood pumping:  When you feel a cold coming on, the first thing you may want to do is to curl up in bed and hide. But, a nice brisk walk will help your blood get circulating and boost immunity (does running boost immunity, too?  Sure.. but it takes a lot more energy!). We are not talking marathon running, here. A nice brisk walk is all! I also let to get blood moving with spicy foods and cayenne pepper supplements. I put fresh cayenne in my tea, take it as a pill with dinner, and sprinkle it on my food. It will help clear out your head as well!

When you feel a cold coming on, it is important that you listen to your body! Trying to push on through the symptoms will only make your cold last even longer. Take a day off! Pamper yourself and provide your body with the things it needs to fight the infection. I promise, if you just listen to your body and follow these simple rules you will be back your old self much faster!

What do YOU do when you feel a cold coming on?

7 thoughts on “Do These 10 Things When You Feel a Cold Coming On”

  1. I need to share these tips with the people I work with. I stared with the flu 2 weeks ago & I wasn’t here but somehow one of the technicians is managing to spread it because his wife had it. It is so weird how germs work.

    Reply
  2. So how does the echinacea affect your allergies? I’m interested, because we take it often during cold season.
    Another thing we do is take elderberry syrup when a cold is coming on!

    Reply

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