Sore Throat - I Think I'm Getting Sick

[Guest cassidy]

I have a sore throat and whenever I get a cold that is how they start. I have tried Zicam and echinachea and zinc in the past to try to stop the cold from starting and shorten the duration. Since I'm pregnant I have decided that I don't want to take any drugs, even things that the doctor said are ok because I don't want to do anything to hurt the baby and I don't think doctors always know everything. That being said, is there anything natural that I can still take to try to head off this cold? I'm having a big problem with flavorful foods not sitting well. I can't tolerate citrus, tomatoes, black pepper, garlic and really anything with flavor so I can't think of any nutritious food that would be helpful.

I always take my vitamins and they are good ones.

Any ideas?

[Ursa Major]

Echinacea and Zinc will NOT harm the baby. Especially if all you do is suck Zinc lozenges, and drink echinacea tea. Also, it is completely safe to up your vitamin C, since any excess is just excreted with your urine.

I was going to suggest making hot lemonade with honey, since that is fairly effective. But I guess that's out because it's citrus.

Other than that, I can only suggest to drink lots of water (not orange juice), and get plenty of rest, to give your immune a chance to kick in (you heal best when resting, especially sleeping).

[BRUMI1968]

You don't live in Washington state do you? There is a horrible bug going around here.

Right away, start gargling with salt water.

Honey is good for sore throats - in hot water or herbal tea or something. If you can't eat that, try Agave nectar. I doubt it has the same antibacterial properties, but it does coat similarly.

Don't talk too much or sing too loudly. I got laryngitis a month ago from a sore throat i'd had for weeks. It was from having a meeting, and then singing loudly the whole way home in the car (I live 1.5 hours from meeting).

Good luck to you. Drink lots of water and tea. Zinc should help. Vitamin C should help. Goldenseal might help; check with the pregnancy thing, though.

[Guest cassidy]

Thanks for the tips. I wish my health food store was open today. I am actually feeling better but I would like to get something in the house just in case.

I just realized that I haven't been sick once since going gluten-free. I was one of those people who would get a cold in November, it would turn immediately into bronchitis and I would be sick til February after going to the doctor 10 times and taking 4 different antibiotics. I'm a drug rep so I'm in at least 10 different doctor's offices a day surrounded by sick people so it is amazing that I haven't gotten sick yet.

I guess my immune system really does like being gluten-free.

[RiceGuy]

I have found garlic and to some degree onion to be helpful in fighting a cold/flu bug. Some good ways to get garlic down in generous amounts is mashing it with a margarine/spread/mayo etc, and spread it on toast/bagel/muffin etc (gluten-free of course). I find that if the toast is crispy enough to scratch your throat a bit on the way down it can help more, though you might feel some notable sting as it passes the sore spot. If the bug isn't that bad yet then you have less discomfort to endure, but always have the garlic raw whenever possible, or at least as raw as you can tolerate. Same for onion. I like onion sandwiches anyway, so no problem for me. Garlic bread is always a favorite, so I just make sure it's extra strong. Most times though I just add the garlic to my food, but not cook it any longer than whatever I can put up with.

I actually haven't had a cold or flu in years though, but I still like garlic and onion enough to have them regularly. It does help boost the immune system, so I suppose that could be one reason I haven't had any of the bugs that seem to get everyone else around me.

Diligent hand washing whenever you contact items that others touch is one of the best ways to prevent catching a bug like that. Being coughed or sneezed on by a sick person is not so likely a cause, unless you happen to be stand within about three to four feet or so. Beyond that it's usually through contacting infected objects, like computer keyboards/mice, sinks, doorknobs, food containers, etc. The list is practically endless, so I just wash my hands and be mindful whenever I know others are handling the items I handle. That can be difficult in a family situation, but the sick are not supposed to be going into common areas of the home when they are contagious. That's why they are to stay in bed and have things served to them. It's not to make them comfy as much as it is to protect the rest of the family. It's called a quarantine, but just pretend you are giving them a royal treatment so they don't feel bad about it

[ArtGirl]

I have found that I can reduce the symptoms and duration of a virus to about half or less, once I come down with it. Here's what I do.

--sinus wash at least three times a day, and rinse eyes, too (oh, so soothing)

--begin sucking on zinc lozynges immediately at the first sign of a scratchy throat and keep it up for at least two days, preferably three days (it's nasty so I can usualy only tolerate two days of this)

--drink only green tea or herb teas (no coffee, no black tea, no sodas, nothing with sugar)

--also drink lemon water sweetened with stevia

--do not consume any sugar or fruit juices (because of the high sugar content)

--eat chicken soup and other clear broth soups (but homemade chicken soup is best)

--eat lots of vegetables, at least half of them raw

--eat only moderate amounts of meat

--do not eat any starches

--take 4,000mg of vitamin C spread throughout the day (can go up to 8,000 mg) (the vit. C will clear up my sinusus just as well as an antihistime)

--take 12 garlic oil pearls a day

--stay home and get lots rest

Why it works:

The diet and drinks cause your body to be more alkaline rather than acid - viruses thrive in an acid environment but can't live long in an alkaline environment. (FYI - lemon/lime/grapefruit all are processed by the body as alkaline, even though they start out as acid)

The nasel wash clears away 90% of the germs in the sinuses with each wash, reducing the number of germs present.

The zinc kills the bugs in your throat - this is where they get a good hold on the body.

Taking the sugar out of your diet allows the vit. C to do it's work. Sugar depresses the immune system and prolongs viruses.

[BRUMI1968]

I have found that I can reduce the symptoms and duration of a virus to about half or less, once I come down with it. Here's what I do.

--sinus wash at least three times a day, and rinse eyes, too (oh, so soothing)

Can I ask about the sinus wash real quickly? My mucus (nose) right now is super thick - to the point where it is difficult to blow out, sounds real bubbly and the like. The ONE time I tried my nasal wash thing (the one that's like a syring - nasaline maybe), it reminded me of snorkling and I freaked out. That was w/o a cold.

Will the super thick snot make it tough to nasal wash?? How gross is it? How do you handle the fear? Of course, maybe you're not one who freaks out when salt water gets up her nose...I realize that. But what do you think?

[Canadian Karen]

The one most important thing you can do is gargle three times a day (especially just before bedtime) with a cup of warm water (as warm as you can handle it) with salt in it. Put 1 teaspoon of salt in a coffee cup and then fill it three quarters of the way with warm water, stir it up with a spoon and then gargle with it.

You will be amazed how quickly it takes care of the sore throat and kills the germs that are in there.....

Hope you feel better soon.....

Karen

[ArtGirl]

Will the super thick snot make it tough to nasal wash?? How gross is it? How do you handle the fear? Of course, maybe you're not one who freaks out when salt water gets up her nose...I realize that. But what do you think?

Yes, when it's thick like that, it is difficult. You just do what you can - you don't want it to back up into your ears. I don't have a problem, but my husband seems to sputter and cough a lot doing this. Maybe his technique isn't like mine.

I just pour a bit of salt water in my hand, press the opposite nostril closed and snort up the water - there's a lot of air in it doing it this way and it doesn't get into my lungs at all. I do this several time on each side. I did try using a small glass once and I did have some trouble choking on it, so maybe the less-than-perfect method in my hands is easier to control.

And be careful blowing your nose afterwards - blow gently. Again, you don't want to affect your ears.

Karen - I gargle with what's left of the salt water, also.

[ArtGirl]

For those of you who are reading this thread, I want to relay my latest confirmation of this method. I have had only three colds since I learned about this way of treating viruses a couple years ago - each one lasted only about 3-4 days and the symptoms were mild. (Previous to this I would ALWAYS get bronchitis with a cold and would be sick for weeks).

My last cold is right now. My husband came down with a bad cold three weeks ago. He is only now getting over it and still has a cough. I was very diligent with airing out the house and washing everywhere he touched, but slacked off this last week and it got me!

At the first sign of a sore throat I started up with the regimin and made a big pot of chicken soup. The hardest thing for me is the diet, but I stuck with it and today am feeling like it's about gone - this is day four. I have had all the symptoms he had, only less severe. I felt really bad for about a day and a half - but today am up and feeling pretty good. By tomorrow I don't expct to have any more symptoms.

What was the difference between what he did and what I did? The diet. he still drank coffee with sugar, would NOT drink herb tea or lemon water, ate lots of starches and practically no vegetables, drank orange juice, and generally kept his system acidic. He did do the nasal wash, a few times only; and he did the zinc a few times, but he was not consistent.

I think this time, as he sees that I got well in about four days where he was sick for three weeks, he MIGHT consider this method of mine next time. MAYBE!