by Kathy Thorpe, MA, CHom
After a long, warm autumn, winter showed up just in time for Thanksgiving. And with it came the common cold. People on planes, trains and buses were coughing and sneezing. And now, people at offices and schools everywhere are getting colds. So how can you and your family be prepared for the cold season?
Beyond washing your hands often and staying away from people who are sick, the following recommendations are the most effective items to have in your medicine cabinet to prevent and shorten the common cold:
- Cold Nip is a combination of three classical Chinese herbal formulas for the cold with three anti-viral herbs. It works about 80% of the time while most other remedies work about 40%. Take at the very first signs and chances are, you won’t get the cold. You can also take it preventively if you will be around anyone sick or will be traveling by plane.
- Emulsified Vitamin D –Take one drop (1,000 – 2,000 IUs) daily for prevention and take up to 50,000 a day if you are getting sick.
- Zinc – Optizinc 30 mg/day or zinc lozenges. This infection fighter will help stop a cold by preventing the virus from replicating.
- Sinus Congestion: At the first signs of a cold, use a neti pot twice a day and add a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of baking soda. This will help flush out the virus and shorten the cold. The Chinese herbal formula Pueraria N will help resolve the congestion and open the sinuses. Argentyn 23 Silver Hydrosol nasal spray has antibacterial properties to help prevent a sinus infection.
- Sore Throat – if you have a fever or severe symptoms, get checked for strep. If not, gargle with salt water and spray with Argentyn 23 Silver Hydrosol Throat spray. Manuka honey throat lozenges will also help calm a sore throat.
- Cough – if you have a fever or a severe cough, see your doctor. The Chinese formula Platycodon & Fritilliaria helps transform phlegm, quiet the cough and calm inflammation in the lungs. Golden Lotus Cough Drops also help calm a cough.
Stay healthy!
