So-called Cures for the Common Cold
It’s that wonderfully gross time of year when everyone you know seems to be roaming around with tissues sticking out of their sleeves and cough drops in their pockets: Cold season. Sadly, I’m one of those people right now; everyone that hears my nasally voice slowly backs away from me and asks if I’m ok (read: contagious). In the grand scheme of things, I’m fine; colds are just annoying. That being said, I’m always on the hunt for a new way to nurse myself to better health as soon as possible, so I decided to ask some residents what their go-to “cures” are for the common cold. Some of these I may try… others I’m more than a little wary of (sorry guys!):
– Luzia: Add lemon and honey to a hot cup of tea and drink it all before it cools down. Repeat every 90 minutes. This sounds like it involves me getting off the couch more often than I want to, but I bet it would soothe my sore throat!
– Jay: Boil water on the stove. Stand over stove, drape a towel over your head, and breathe in deeply for several minutes. The steam is supposed to clear the sinuses, which sounds great. Maybe I’m just accident-prone, but I’m pretty sure I’d set myself on fire if I did this. Try at your own risk!
– Andrea: Put Vik’s Vapor Rub under your nose instead of just on your chest. If you can handle the intensity of the smell being directly under your nostrils, than give this a whirl and you could be better by tomorrow, according to this resident!
– Kleyton: Gargle several times a day with salt water. He says his mother made him do it when he got sick and, to this day, it always makes him feel better. Hmm.
I tend to drink plenty of hot tea all day, every day, when I’m sick. I take DayQuil when I’m feeling really crummy, though I do try to avoid loading up on medicine during the day because nothing helps me sleep better with a cold than my always-trusted NyQuil at night! What are some of your favorite home remedies?