I hate getting sick. I despise feeling crummy, missing out on fun, and possibly spreading it to others.
Here's the advice the doctor I used to work for had me give to my patients who would call the office sniffling & the advice that I continue follow. The vast majority of these bugs are viruses and they go away with home treatment after 10 to 14 days. Bacterial infections can be opportunistic. So if you take good care of yourself with a viral cold, you can spare yourself the added hassle of a secondary bacterial infection.
1. Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Stay away from sick people if you can. (If at all possible, if you are ill, please have the courtesy to stay home). WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN! If you can't, use alcohol gel. Please try not to use anti-bacterial soap. It doesn't make that much of a difference anyways and helps contribute to drug resistant bacteria. Studies have shown that it is the thorough scrubbing/rinsing action that gets your hands clean. If you sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star at a calm pace while you wash, that should be sufficient. Make sure to get under your nails. When you turn off the faucet, don't touch it - your germy hands turned on the water! Use a towel between your hands and the faucet. Use that towel to touch the restroom door handle. You'd be amazed how many people don't wash up properly! GROSS!  Don't touch anything on your face while you are out. Wash your hands immediately when you get home. Lysol doorknobs, desktops, telephones, etc often during cold/flu season. Get lots of sleep, relaxation and exercise often. They boost your immune system. A good all-purpose multivitamin/mineral can't hurt either.
2. If you do start to feel ill, if OK with your doctor, start taking some extra vitamin C and zinc lozenges. Zinc has been shown in studies to reduce the length of time you'll feel crummy. They can make some people nauseated however and if they do have a small snack first. Increase your fluids like crazy - think clear. Water, juices, teas...stay away from dairy and caffeinated drinks (but that goes without saying around here!). Dairy thickens your mucus and that can contribute to a bacterial infection starting.
3. When you blow your nose, do it gently. Hard blowing can lead to irritation, bleeding and bacterial sinus infections. So can constantly 'sniffing up' your mucus. So blow your nose gently, don't sniff up your mucus, but don't think its funny, because its snot.  Sorry, I digress. If you are congested, saline nasal sprays are really helpful. One brand that I know of that is good is called Ocean.
4. For sore throats, hot liquids such as broths or teas can be very soothing. Salt water gargling every hour is very helpful - draws out infection and soothes sore tissues. Sucking on hard candies can be good too. Just make sure they don't have fake sugars!
5. Rest, sleep and rest some more. Your body is engaged in a fight - give it a break so it can do its job well. This is the time to watch movies and read good books.
6. If I don't feel like I am improving or I am getting much worse, I always call my doctor. It is a good idea because they can ask you questions and ascertain what is best to do next. Antibiotics have been prescribed way too often. Some patients demand them for every little sniffle. They only work for bacterial infections - they will not help one iota with a viral cold. The key is communication with your doctor. The more detailed info you keep on your symptoms, the better treatments he can give you. So, record your temperature, keep a daily 'sicky journal' on a piece of paper so in the event you do have to call for help, you can give clear, useful, coherent information. There is nothing more frustrating to medical staff than a patient who calls and doesn't know when it started, how it started, what has happened since, if they've had a fever or not, etc. They need good info to do their job well for you.
I follow these things above because I hate how antibiotics make me feel. I get horrible tummy pains, cramping, diarrhea and nausea. They are a potent medicine and should be used only if truly necessary. Overuse of them has caused many problems in medicine...resistant bugs are a big problem that we need to all be concerned about. If you ever get really ill with a bad infection, you want to know that your doctors can give you a antibiotic that will work!
I hope we can all stay well this winter!
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Antibiotics tear my gut up too
