Colds
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MANY PEOPLE THINK there's nothing they can do for a cold; they assume that they just have to tough it out. The fact is that there's good news about colds. While there's not a great deal you can do to stop a cold once you've caught it, there are natural remedies that can reduce its duration and severity. In addition, if you have frequent colds, you can take steps to reduce or completely eliminate their onset.
A cold is caused by a virus. You know you have a cold when you experience a stuffy nose and sneezing, a dry, sore throat, perhaps a slight temperature along with fatigue and headache. You can usually tell the difference between a cold and the flu: A flu may cause a higher fever and more severe symptoms including muscle aches and pains. And there will probably be news of a flu epidemic in your area.
The important thing to keep in mind about colds is that they are far more likely to attack when your resistance is down. If you get more than one or two colds a year, you could have a weakened immune system and you take measures to improve your immune system.
I've found that many of my patients develop colds when stress, particularly emotional stress, puts them over the top. They become generally run-down by working late, not eating properly, drinking too much caffeine and alcohol, and then they undergo a stressful incident that precipitates the cold: a project that's due and demands intense work, an emotional trauma involving a loved one, a professional setback, and so on. As stress reduces immunity, there's often one particular incident that they can point to that probably caused their cold. Obviously we can't avoid problems in our lives, but we can work to become as healthy as possible so that when something does come along to stress us we don't wind up in bed sick.
My approach to fighting colds is twofold: First strengthen your resistance to infection so that you won't catch a cold, then follow a course of action to lessen its length and severity.
You strengthen your immune system by following the recommendations in the Blueprint for Health, page xvii. In general, you must eat a wholesome diet, take a good daily vitamin, exercise regularly, control stress, and get enough rest. All these measures will go a long way to preventing colds.
One additional recommendation: If you are scrupulous about washing your hands frequently during cold season, you will considerably lessen your chances of catching a cold since a very common method of transmission of the cold virus is from your hands to your face. You shake hands with someone with a cold, you use a stair rail that someone with a cold has used, and soon you, too, are sick. So make a point of frequent hand washing, especially during the winter or when someone in your family or office is suffering from a cold.
To lessen a cold's symptoms and duration, you need to be willing to take the time--at least two days--to let your system fight it off. If you try to suppress the symptoms, you may feel better temporarily but, in my experience, the cold often lasts longer.
Unfortunately, the antibiotics that can be so effective against a bacterial infection will do nothing to help a cold. I've had patients beg for prescriptions of antibiotics because they're so conditioned to think that any pill is better than nothing. But the truth is that I believe no pill is best when it comes to a cold. That applies to over-the-counter remedies, too. Most of them contain ingredients that have uncomfortable side effects including nausea and drowsiness. Interestingly, a recent hearing sponsored by the Government Operations Subcommittee on Health attacked antihistamines as being useless for cold sufferers. As a cold is caused by a virus, it does not cause a release of histamines--the substances that antihistamines are designed to fight (and do fight in a runny nose caused by allergy). Studies have found that cold sufferers on antihistamines did no better than those given a placebo. And the antihistamines have potentially dangerous side effects. (I was amused to hear a "newsbreak" on TV, which heralded a new cold remedy that will reduce symptoms in most people about 20 percent. But the side effects were so serious --they included excessive bleeding, blurred vision, among others--that I can't imagine why anyone would prefer these problems to the cold itself.)
Vitamin C really can help reduce the length and symptoms of a cold. It enhances the immune system, including white blood cell production and antibody response, and can act as a natural decongestant. I suggest you take extra vitamin C for the duration of the cold, in addition to your regular daily supplement.
Vitamin A is a powerful infection fighter. It works to boost our immune system and more effectively rid our bodies of the cold virus. I suggest that people with colds take a vitamin A supplement daily for the duration of the cold.
One mineral that has been proven to lessen the symptoms and duration of a cold is zinc. Zinc gives a boost to the immune system and, like vitamin C, has a specific antiviral property. I have found zinc lozenges to be the most effective.
There's also an herb--echinacea--that's very effective in stimulating immune functions and fighting a cold. It also has antiinflammatory properties. Echinacea is commonly known as the purple coneflower, and it's native to the prairies of the midwestern United States. I have many patients who swear that it has reduced their cold symptoms dramatically. You can get echinacea in a capsule in health food stores, and one or two capsules twice a day, or as directed on the bottle, for up to two weeks can be helpful.
If your throat is sore, gargling with salt water will reduce the pain. Just mix a teaspoon of salt into a glass of half warm water and half hydrogen peroxide and gargle every hour or so.
Sleep and general bed rest will help speed the course of a cold. As I mentioned, many people feet they have to "tough" out a cold, and they wind up suffering from it for days and days. A day or two of rest could have made the difference. During the deepest levels of sleep our immune functions are greatly increased, functioning more effectively than during an active day. If at all possible, go to bed for at least the first day of a cold, when you're suffering the worst symptoms.
Fluids are important when fighting a cold, as a highly moistened respiratory tract will more readily repel the virus attacker. Liquids will also improve the function of the white blood cells and will flush out the virus in mucus. However, fruit juices are not the answer. Stay away from orange juice, apple juice, and other fruit juices. Anything with a high concentration of sugar--and that includes fructose and sucrose--will slow down the immune system. I suggest that you stick with water-with perhaps a slice of lemon--or seltzer or club soda either plain or with a splash of fruit juice. Warm beverages, including herb teas and soups, are the most effective liquids for fighting a cold.
If you are congested from a cold, a humidifier, especially one in your room at night, will help you breathe easier.
Many of my patients ask me if they can exercise with a cold. My recommendation is to stop exercising for the first day or two when the symptoms are worst. Don't push yourself; this will only weaken your immune system and prolong the cold. Wait until the third or fourth day when you are feeling "yourself" to resume exercise.
Many of my patients ask about taking cough or cold medications. As mentioned, I don't recommend them. Many have been proven to be ineffective, and most of them just mask symptoms. The only exception I make to this is if you have a cough that's keeping you awake at night. In that instance I think it's fine to take a cough medicine that wilt allow you to rest. If you tend to develop ear infections, using a decongestant at night, along with a humidifier, can help. I never recommend the use of nasal sprays, as they can cause a rebound effect. They temporarily stop your nose from running, but as soon as you discontinue them your nose runs even more than it did in the beginning. People sometimes get virtually addicted to these sprays, and I don't think they are of any real benefit.
One last tip: Alcohol swells your bronchial tissues, so if you do have a cold, it's best to avoid drinking so as not to exacerbate congestion.
NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR COLDS
FOR PREVENTION:
- Strengthen your immune system by following the recommendations in Blueprint for Health, page xvii.
- wash your hands frequently during cold season or when someone In your household or office his a cold.
FOR TREATMENT:
- Get sufficient sleep and bed rest, especially for the first day or two. It really does make a difference in the duration of the cold.
- Drink plenty of fluids. Avoid any sugared drinks. Avoid fruit juices including orange juice, and rely on herb teas, warm soups, and vegetable juices.
- For sore throat pain, gargle with a teaspoon of salt dissolved in a glass of half warm water and half hydrogen peroxide, you can repeat hourly or as needed.
- Use a humidifier, particularly in your room at night.
- Don't exercise until the third or fourth day after the start of the cold, with the exception of light stretching exercises.
- If coughing is keeping you up at night, use an over-the-counter medication that will allow you to rest.
- Avoid the use of nasal sprays, because they can cause a rebound effect,
- Because alcohol swells your bronchial tissues, avoid drinking.
IN ADDITION TO YOUR DAILY SUPPLEMENTS,TAKE:
- Vitamin C: 500 mil. of vitamin C every four hours for the duration of the cold, not to exceed 2,000 mil. daily, if you develop diarrhea, reduce the amount.
- Zinc: one lozenge of zinc gluconate of 23 mg. every six hours for the duration of a Cold. Discontinue after a week:
- Vitamin A: 25,000 I.U. daily for the duration of the cold. Discontinue after one week.
- Echinacea. This herb is available in capsule form in health food stores. Take one or two capsules twice a day, or as directed on the container, for up to two weeks.
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