Submitted by: Zen-Jay Chuang

With cold and flu season upon us in full force, now is the time to learn how to ease your miserable symptoms, and better yet, take the proper steps to prevent the cold and flu virus from catching you in the first place.

If you missed our previous article, (Part 1) covering the first four steps to naturally bust your cold, visit our website at www.wholehealthalerts.com, and click on Past Issues.

Use the Force of Gravity

You most likely notice increased congestion from a cold when you re lying down. That is because the force of gravity is not at work helping to drain congested sinuses. When you are in bed, prop your head up with extra pillows. This may help the natural drainage of nasal congestion.

Gargle for Soothing Relief

You can gargle with salt water (one teaspoon of salt in a cup of water), tea, or lemon mixed with honey (squeeze lemon juice into one cup of water with 1/2 teaspoon of honey). Make sure that the solution is comfortably warm. This may soothe your sore throat.

Use Warm Compresses to Soothe Pain and Lessen Congestion

Wet a face cloth with hot water. Make sure the warmth is evenly distributed throughout the cloth and not scalding. Lay the compress over where it hurts: ear, nostril, cheek, and forehead for 10-15 minutes. You may also get a heating pad or pack to do the same. This is a great way to relieve pressure and pain while loosening the congestion in your sinus passages.

Take Natural Supplements to Speed Recovery

Vitamin C does not prevent you from getting a cold, but at high doses (2000 mg a day), it may cut down on cold symptoms by 1 to 1 days. Be aware that diarrhea at this dosage can be a side effect. If you have a history of kidney stones, do not take a dose higher than 1000 mg a day. Just like vitamin C, echinacea has not been shown to be helpful for preventing colds, but it may help when you are acutely ill by reducing symptoms and speeding up recovery. Among different types of echinacea, only Echinacea purpurea has shown consistent results against the cold virus. Do not use it if you have allergies to ragweed (hay fever), because echinacea and ragweed are from the same family of plants.

Zinc lozenges may help lessen the symptoms of a cold too, though it seems to work only when started within 1 to 2 days of catching a cold. To be effective, zinc lozenges must be taken every 2 to 3 hours while awake. Do not use zinc spray. It may make you lose your sense of smell.

According to researchers from the Swedish Herbal Institute, a combination of the herbs andrographis and Siberian ginseng may help with cold symptoms if taken within 3 days of onset.

If you take any medications regularly, check with your doctor before trying any of the above supplements for possible interactions or side effects.

How About the Flu?

Flu is also caused by viruses. But the symptoms you have from flu tend to happen faster and be more severe. You are likely to have a more severe headache and muscle aches, along with profound fatigue.

All the natural actions of steps 1 to 7 apply to flu as well as to cold. But rather than using supplements that may not work, there are proven effective prescription medications against flu viruses that can cut down on your sick time.

So if you suspect flu, check with your doctor as early as possible. The sooner you start the effective medication, the better it works. A simple test may diagnose the flu so that your doctor can treat you appropriately.

An Ounce of Prevention

You have to deal with the symptoms once you have the virus. Wouldn’t it be much better if you had prevented this cold or flu?

Here are some tips to prevent cold and flu from catching you: Wash your hands. This beats any supplement to prevent cold or flu. Avoid touching your mouth and picking your nose. This cuts down the chance that the viruses will get a free ride inside your body. Minimize contact with people who have a cold or flu. Eat healthy. Be physically active. Get enough rest and sleep. These actions keep your immune system at an optimal level. Get your flu immunization every year, unless you had bad reactions or a known allergy to it previously. Immunization (flu shot) NATURALLY boosts your immune system.

The best time to get your flu shot is in October or November (though it is not too late to get it until the end of flu season, usually in May). Consistent studies have shown that flu immunization does not give you the flu. Some people may feel a few muscle aches and a brief slight fever. This actually means that the flu shot is turning up the body’s natural defense system into a higher gear ready to combat the real flu.

When to see a Doc

You need to check with a health care provider to make sure that you have nothing other than a cold if you have any of the following symptoms: Shortness of breath Pressure or pain in the chest Prolonged fever above 102 F Symptoms not much better after more than 10 days Fainting, persistent light-headedness Severe sinus pain in forehead or your face Persistent vomiting Confusion Very swollen glands Possible flu attack

Always Be Considerate of Others

While you are ill, help minimize the spread of the virus to others. Cough inside your elbow, not into your hands. Avoid contact with other people, especially those whose immune system is weak because of medical conditions. Remember, you are the most contagious the first day or two of the illness. After one week, you most likely won’t spread the cold or flu virus to others.

Zen-Jay Chuang, MD, is a primary care physician and Chairman of the Whole Health Alerts advisory board. Go to http://WholeHealthAlerts.com/free-reports/ to find out how Dr. Zen-Jay s biodynamic, cutting edge approach to ancient and modern medicine can help you achieve the best health of your life.

About the Author: Keep reading to discover the keys for defusing ticking health bombs that could be lurking in your body at

WholeHealthAlerts.com/free-reports/

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