Dr. Currey's Top Cold and Flu Strategies
It’s Fall, and sniffling noses, sore throats, and upset stomach season has begun. I have yet to see any cases of the flu, but it's only a matter of time. While I love seeing patients, sometimes staying home and resting is your best strategy with the simple forms of these illnesses.
Since prevention is always the best medicine, ensure you take precautions against getting sick, especially if you have contact with young, old, or immune-compromised people.
Wash your hands regularly and well!
Wear a mask when entering crowded situations or around others who are sick—even people who swear they are experiencing unseasonal allergies. I wear a mask in my patient visits because my partner is a Kindergarten teacher and brings home whatever viruses are currently in fashion.
Get vaccinated if you can. October is a great month to do this!
Below you will find a few tips on how to care for yourself should illness strike your house.
What to take in:
Elderberry syrup - You can read all about elderberries and their anti-viral properties here. Take 1 Tbsp (1 Tsp for children) of elderberry syrup daily to boost your defense against upper respiratory viruses. If you do fall ill, increase your dose from once daily to 3-4 times daily.
Fluids—One of the worst parts of having a cold is not being able to breathe due to thick, sticky mucus. The very best way to thin this and keep it flowing out is to drink copious amounts of fluid.
Herbal steam—Plants' strong smells are plant antibiotics, and they are quite effective against a wide variety of germs. Breathing in herbal steam can help loosen mucus and provide a dose of topical antimicrobials.
What to do:
Warming socks - This is an old naturopathic remedy that not only works to modulate the immune system through its relaxing effect on the nervous system. All you need is access to cold water, a pair of cotton socks, and a pair of wool socks. Make sure your feet are warm first and that you have plenty of blankets on your bed. Everyone in my house and I know the surprising effects of warming socks on headaches and stuffy noses.
Rest - You could hop yourself up on cold and flu medicine and caffeine and power through, but this will likely accomplish two things getting everyone around you sick and extending the length of your illness. The more you rest at the first sign of illness the quicker you will recover.
What to avoid:
Sugar—While a bowl of ice cream or jello may sound soothing, sugar can thicken mucus, feed whatever infection has taken over, and create inflammation that will amplify your symptoms.
Any known food allergies—At this point, you are adding more stress to an already stressed system. Sticking to easy-to-digest foods like chicken or vegetable soup or even fasting for 24 hours is much more helpful for decreasing the duration of your illness.
If you have a simple case of the sniffles, these measures will provide your body all the support it needs to recover.
If you are experiencing pain, breathing difficulties, high fevers, intense headaches, or other worrying symptoms, please schedule an appointment with your doctor sooner rather than later to be checked for a more complicated or dangerous illness and to receive extra support. Some strains of cold and flu are more aggressive and some can set you up for a secondary bacterial infection such as an ear infection, strep throat, or pneumonia. We want to catch these early so they are easier to treat.
If you have a chronic illness, or are experiencing an illness that acts unlike any other you have previously experienced, this is also a time to seek out medical care.
