How to Fight Common Colds and Flu?

How to Fight Common Colds and Flu Naturally

farmeric August 6th, 2008

Picture courtesy of Readers Digest Australia

Are Common Colds Curable?

You can take all the medicines you want but your common colds won’t be healed. Sadly but true. Medical doctors and even scientists admitted that common colds is incurable, and yet this is the commonest cause of visits to the physician’s clinic. Billions of dollar is being spent on over-the-counter colds medications. Lastweek, a news came up in UK that doctors will be banned from dishing out antibiotics for sore throats and colds (source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk).

Not So Common Belief

No one knows exactly why people are catching colds. A lot of people believe that common colds are caused by bacteria , where in fact, are actually caused by viruses. The good news is, our body can heal common colds and prevent it as well. Instead of spending your hard earned money on cold medications that does not really work, try the following tips to keep your body in peak condition to fight not only against common colds but other diseases too (and prevent them as well).

Eat Healthy.

Not only the food you’re eating but anything that you’re taking in .Yes, you need a healthy body to fight any kind of diseases. It’s is absolutely important that you need a strong immune system. To achieve this, you need to have a healthy diet. Our body immune system is activated since we were birth. We just need to strengthen and make it work. Taking vitamins to boost our immune system is a great way to add nutrients and minerals that we don’t usually get enough from the food we eat.

Be Active!

We are more inclined to retreat inside our rooms during rainy/cold season, which unfortunately will only weakens our immune system. Try do some indoor exercises. Being active is one way to improve the blood circulation in our body. Keep the organs in our bodies, specially the heart, functions properly. Rainy seasons may look sad and miserable but don’t let it control our body.

Sleep, sleep and more sleep.

Yes, get plenty of sleep! It may be contradictory to the previous tip but not getting enough sleep is one guaranteed way to attract colds. Our body uses sleep to rest, repair and recover.

Drink plenty of fluids.

Water and fresh juice are the best. Liquids help in replacing the extra fluid our body lose while it’s producing mucus. Have a ready supply of water and juices at the onset of colds or flu because your body will work overtime so it needs to be regularly hydrated. Avoid coffee and sweetened drinks like sodas.

Wash your hands frequently.

Did you know that colds are transmitted commonly through hand to hand contact than sneezing or coughing? This is the reason why you need to wash your hand regularly. Avoid touching your nose and eyes if you have colds. If your nose is running , don’t just keep on sniffing but instead use disposable tissue to clear your nose, and promptly throw the tissues away. Again, wash your hands after wiping your nose.

Did you know that people who smoke are more likely to catch colds than people who don’t?

Can Colds Be Prevented?

Sooner or later, you can catch a cold. I know it’s frustrating when you keep on getting colds and can’t figure out why. The tips stated here are just some of the simple ways to prevent yourself and your family from getting this “not-nice-to-have” common colds.

According to National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), adults should simply ‘take a rest’ while children should be offered ‘love and attention’.