COMMON COLDS
The common cold (also
known as nasopharyngitis, rhinopharyngitis, acute coryza, head cold, or simply
a cold) is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract which
primarily affects the nose.
Signs and symptoms include
coughing, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, and fever which usually resolve in
seven to ten days, with some symptoms lasting up to three weeks. Well over 200
virus strains are implicated in the cause of the common cold; the rhinoviruses
are the most common.
Turn on the tap and
drink a tall glass of cool water. Drink at least seven more glasses of warm
liquids over the course of the day. Warm liquids are soothing, help increase
blood circulation to the throat and speed clearance of respiratory mucus.
THROAT TONIC
946ml
water
3g grated
fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon dried
60ml
fresh lemon juice
2
teaspoons or 14g honey
Preparation
and Use: Boil the
water and then turn off the heat. Add the ginger. Cover and steep 20 minutes
and then strain. Add the lemon juice and honey. Sip the quart of tonic over the
course of the day. Reheat as necessary or drink at room temperature. How it
works: The hot water is a hydrator that keeps your throat moist and also
thins mucus and helps expel it. As you sip, simply breathing in the steam of
the warm liquid helps with decongestion. Ginger is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory,
analgesic, immune-enhancing, and an expectorant.
CONGESTION CLEARANCE
1 quart (946 ml)
water
2 to 3 drops
eucalyptus essential oil
Preparation
and Use: Boil the water and
pour into a bowl. Add the eucalyptus essential oil. Cover your head with a clean
towel. Lean over the bowl. Inhale through your nose to clear nasal congestion. Repeat
three to five times a day as needed to clear lung congestion, inhale through
your mouth. How it works: Inhaling steam from the boiling
water helps decongest nasal passages. Oil of eucalyptus is an expectorant and
antitussive (cough calming). It aids breathing by opening up bronchial tubes,
easing congestion, and promoting sputum. It is also antimicrobial. Note:
If you have asthma, try using only steam first. If steam doesn’t make you
cough, add 1drop of eucalyptus oil, working up to 3 drops as tolerated. In some
people with asthma, inhaling the vapours from plant essential oils may trigger coughing.
COLD CRUSHER
1 head garlic, cloves
peeled and crushed
1 medium-size
horseradish root, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 finger-size slice
of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
Apple cider vinegar
Preparation
and Use: This recipe is best prepared at
least one week in advance. Place the crushed garlic cloves,
horseradish root, and ginger in a clean, pint-size jar. Cover with apple cider
vinegar until the fluid level clears the chopped ingredients. Close the lid
snugly. Shake. Store in a covered cabinet. After two weeks, the chemicals in
the plants will have largely moved into the vinegar. Now you can strain and
rebottle the vinegar extract and store it in the refrigerator or you can leave
the herbs in the jar and eat them with the vinegar extraction. Sip 1 to 2
tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of this mixture at the first sign of cold symptoms.
You can dilute the vinegar with herb tea or warm water. Repeat each day for the
first three days of the cold. How it works: Garlic stimulates the
immune system and may defend against catching a cold. It may also help fight viruses.
Ginger is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immune-enhancing, and calms
coughing. Onions, which are botanical cousins of garlic, are also
immune-enhancing, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial. The spiciness of
horseradish stimulates thin nasal secretions, which helps clear away viruses.
GYPSY COLD-COMBAT TEA
3 cups (710 ml) water
1 tablespoon (2 g)
dried peppermint leaves
1 tablespoon (2 g)
dried yarrow flowers
1 tablespoon (2 g)
dried elderflowers or elderberries
Honey (optional)
Preparation
and Use: Boil the water. Turn off the heat. Add the herbs cover,
and steep for 20 minutes. Rewarm over low heat. Strain, sweeten with honey as
desired, and sip. Drink a serving three to six times a day. How it works:
This is traditional European tea and has been used for hundreds of
years to counter symptoms of influenza. These herbs make you sweat which helps
reduce fever. Peppermint reduces respiratory congestion, pain, and headache.
The steam can also help clear nasal passages.
WHEN SIMPLE DOESN’T WORK
•
Zinc lozenges can reduce the
duration of cold symptoms because zinc inhibits the replication of cold
viruses. Side effects include a bad taste in the mouth and nausea. Avoid
intranasal zinc, which has been linked to loss of the ability to smell.
•
The Indian herb andrographis (Andrographis paniculata) can shorten cold symptom severity and
duration.
•
Combinations of andrographis and eleuthero
(Eleutherococcus senticosis, also called Siberian
ginseng) is also effective to treat colds.
•
A study in children showed this
product outperformed echinacea.
•
Three studies have shown that, in
elderly people at risk for respiratory infections, an extract of American
ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) helped prevent colds.
Follow the
package instructions for dosing guidelines.
ECHINACEA TINCTURE
Tinctures made with plant extracts, water, and ethanol
(alcohol) are surprisingly simple to make. Absolute Vodka has the right blend
of water and ethanol.
1 cup (26 g) ground
echinacea root (Echinacea purpurea)
1½ cups (355 ml)
vodka
Preparation
and Use: Pour the grounded echinacea root into a pint-size jar.
Cover with vodka and stir. Add more vodka to the level of the herb. Cover
tightly and shake vigorously. Store in a cabinet, shaking daily, for at least two
weeks (4-6weeks are great). Strain and pour the tincture into a clean, dry
pint-size jar. Cap and store in the cupboard. It will keep for years. At the
first sign of cold symptoms, take ½ teaspoon of the tincture mixed with water
or tea. How it works: Echinacea enhances immune function and
has antiviral effects against respiratory viruses. It is seen that the echinacea
modestly reduces cold severity and duration. Warning: Echinacea is in
the same plant family as ragweed. Some people are allergic to it. If you
develop any symptoms of allergy, discontinue use.
KID-FRIENDLY HERBAL GLYCERITE
Many parents prefer not to give alcohol-based extracts to
children. Vegetable glycerine makes a suitable substitute.
2 tablespoons (3 g)
dried echinacea root (E. purpurea or E. angustifolia)
2 tablespoons (3 g)
dried echinacea leaves and flowers (E. purpurea)
2 tablespoons (3 g)
dried lemongrass leaves
2 tablespoons (3 g)
dried lemon balm leaves
1 tablespoon (2 g)
dried sage leaves
1½ cups (355 ml)
vegetable glycerine
1 cup (235 ml)
distilled water
Preparation and
Use: Using a clean coffee grinder or food mill, grind the
herbs into a coarse powder. Mix the water and glycerine in a quart-size jar. Add
the herbs and shake until the herbs are moist. Seal the lid tightly. Place in
the cupboard, shaking daily, for two weeks. Strain through several layers of
cheesecloth to remove herb particles. Store in a clean jar or you can use
dropper bottles. How it works: Lemongrass is antioxidant and
antimicrobial. Lemon balm is antioxidant and antiviral. Sage has a gentle
drying effect. As mentioned previously, well-prepared Echinacea products taken
at recommended doses modestly decrease cold symptom severity and duration. Echinacea
syrup significantly improved cold symptoms. Warning: If ragweed
allergies run in your family, try a single dose and wait several hours. If your
child develops a rash, discontinue use. Other signs of allergy include runny
nose and sneezing (already present with a cold) and stomach upset.
VAPOR RELIEF
1 drop ravensara
essential oil
Preparation
and Use: Tilt the essential oil bottle until a single drop falls
onto a facial tissue. Twist the tissue so that the spot of essential oil is at
the center and so you can insert that bit of twisted tissue into your nostril.
So what if you look a little weird. Breathe deeply ten times and remove. Repeat
with a fresh tissue on the other side. How it works: Ravensara
(Cinnamomum camphora) comes from Madagascar. The tree is the source of camphor,
though a different, safer chemotype (a plant with distinct chemical constituents)
is used to make the essential oil. It smells much like eucalyptus, but is
gentler. It’s antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. Note:
If you can’t easily find ravensara essential oil, you can use eucalyptus or
peppermint essential oil, which are antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and
decongesting.
LIFESTYLE TIP
If you or your child
is prone to colds, consider consuming fermented foods, such as yogurt, or
supplementing with probiotics. Probiotics, live microorganisms with health benefits,
have been shown to prevent upper respiratory tract infections, such as colds.
Take care with over-the-counter
cold medications:
1.
They don’t cure the common cold.
2.
Most combination products contain acetaminophen which is
toxic to the liver.
3.
Most products contain an antihistamine, which dries nasal
secretions, as well as your mouth and other mucus-covered membranes in the body
and they can also make you sleepy.
4.
Another common ingredient in cold medications is a
decongestant, which does shrink mucous membranes, but also can cause
nervousness and increased heart rate.
If you’re going to
use a decongestant, nasal sprays produce fewer side effects than do oral
products. They do make it easier to breathe. However, with overuse or continued
use (more than a few days), the shrinkage of the mucous membranes is followed
by rebound swelling. This rebound stuffiness causes people to reach for the spray
bottle, perpetuating a vicious cycle that can be surprisingly hard to break.
Chicken
soup is a time-honoured remedy against the common cold. Hot chicken soup
hastens clearance of nasal mucus and is anti-inflammatory (and the immune
system’s inflammatory response creates many of the cold’s symptoms). Plus the
parsley, mushrooms, onions, garlic, shiitake mushroom, astragalus root and
Italian seasonings (thyme, oregano, rosemary) so often in soup have relevant
medical properties.
FACT OR MYTH?
Vitamin C
prevents the common cold. It is hard to say.
Some studies show success, but many do not. Vitamin C supplements may be
effective in people subjected to physical stress, such as performing vigorous exercise
in very cold weather.
Being out in
the cold will cause you to catch cold. Studies show that’s
not true. However, being chilled stresses your body, and people who are under
stress are more at risk for the common cold.
Yellow nasal
discharge means you’ve developed sinusitis. Actually, nasal mucus normally starts out clear and thin and becomes yellower
as your immune system kicks in. The yellow comes from shed white blood cells
and cells lining your nose and other debris. Furthermore, most people with
colds do have, as evidenced by CT scans, sinus inflammation. Some people may
subsequently develop bacterial sinusitis.
WHEN TO SEE THE DOCTOR
•
Respiratory symptoms persist
longer than two weeks. The common cold should resolve within seven to ten days.
•
You develop a high fever. The
common cold causes mild fever, at best.
•
You develop pain and
greenish-brown discharge from one or both nostrils.
