We’ve all experienced it. You go to bed feeling absolutely fine, and then you wake up the next day unable to breathe out of your nose and practically coughing your voice out. It’s a given that at this time each year you’re eventually going to pick up a monster cold, the trick is knowing how to cure it. So here are a few tips to help you along the way.
Without sounding too ‘mumsy’, make sure that you’ve got the right tablets. I know that people tend to say that no amount of tablets will fight your cold, but I think there’s no harm in taking the edge off your horrible stuffiness. Find a good branded cold and flu tablet, day and night nurse are always a good buy. They maybe won’t help you too much but they’ll certainly send you to sleep, which is always a god send because the last thing you want to do is be up all night coughing or with a runny nose.
If tablets don’t do the trick there are always some home remedies that you can try. After years of singing lessons and always managing to get a horrible cold at crucial times, I’ve learned that lots of hot drinks certainly do the trick. My singing teacher used to swear by hot water with honey, personally I found it vile to drink, but I wasn’t going to argue and it certainly helped! (I suppose you do tend to pick up one or two things when you rely on your voice so much). If you’re like me and hot honey liquid doesn’t sound too appealing then switch it for a bowl of hot soup. It’ll keep you hydrated, and if you make chicken soup, the protein will help strengthen your antibodies to fight of the virus. Don’t just stop at soup though, because a curry can really help cure your cold. The ingredients, like chilli and garlic are well-known for their anti-viral properties, so opt for an Indian take way and have your blocked nose cleared in no time. Getting better by eating delicious food is certainly a win-win situation if you ask me.
One way that will definitely prove popular with everyone is getting a good amount of rest. Take a couple of days to chill and sleep and you will cure your cold a lot quicker than if you try and carry on with your daily routines. That said, don’t exercise. Your body needs all of its strength to try and fight off the virus, it hasn’t got time for over exertion.
Now you know. Drink plenty of hot liquids, eat spicy food, get the right balance of tablets and you’ll feel fighting fit in no time. That monster cold that you’d been held by for so long will disappear and that long anticipated moment when you breathe through your nose will finally become a reality, leaving you, (to quote cold and flu TV adverts) feeling human again.
