Hacking, spitting, sneezing, coughing and clearing the throat all make unsavory noises and are often accompanied by peels of “ewwww!” People suffering from cold, flu or sinusitis tend to refrain from these to avoid grossing classmates and co-workers out. However, as the adage goes, no good deed goes unpunished.
Bacteria and viruses infiltrate the nasal cavities and live in mucous. The body has natural safeguards against this, but when they break down, bacteria multiply and viruses spread. True to its name, the Rhino virus and its ilk wreck shop inside your head, causing discomfort and inflammation. Without draining the mucous, these invaders continue to spread.
Let Go, Let Flow
While it is never a good idea to hack, spit, cough or sneeze directly on a coworker or classmate, to keep it inside would give the sickness greater opportunity to spread. If it becomes so distracting to everyone else, excuse yourself to the bathroom. Their opinion isn’t worth your health, so don’t hold it back.
Another adage says that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” If the excess mucous is drained, virus and bacteria have less area to spread to. Furthermore, doctors have warned for years that the overuse of antibiotics makes them less effective, so don’t wait until the condition becomes unbearable. Start with your grandparents’ remedies – they taste better anyway.
Hydration is important. Residents of drier areas are particularly susceptible. Water, clear broth, juices and teas containing anti-oxidants, and other thirst-quenchers are a good place to start. Fluid alone cannot cure a cold, but it can help to flush out the excess. Saline nasal sprays and gargling salt water may not hydrate, but they work to break up congestion and help with drainage. Then, of course, there is Chicken Soup.
Chicken Soup for the Sinuses
Medical professions have accepted chicken and other soups made with vegetables as weapons in the fight against upper respiratory sickness. Some work better than others, but the heat from steaming soups alone helps to soften mucous and usher it out the door. A study at the University of Nebraska determined that chicken soup and its ingredients (chicken, onion, sweet potato, parsnip, turnip, carrot and parsley) contain anti-inflammatory properties, both individually and when acting together.
The study showed that the effect of soups on a cold can vary. Some canned soups work as well or better than the homemade version while others seem to have no effect at all. Though some of the more effective canned soups may contain more and better active ingredients, homemade soup benefits from the placebo effect. If Grandma has been talking about how well her chicken soup fights a cold, then spends time preparing it with love to be extra-special for her grandchild, that child’s belief in the remedy bolsters his immune response and amplifies the actual effects of the soup’s inflammation blockers.
Whether it is soup, tea, orange juice, or good old fashioned lung power, it is important to continue to prevent the spread of virus and bacteria. Antibiotics are important and should be used as instructed by your doctor in co-ordination with a healthy diet and the natural preventatives that are a part of that diet.
WebMD - Informative Article on the Common Cold
University of Nebraska Study on the Healing Properties of Chicken Soup
