Try as you might, it's not always easy to dodge colds. Most colds last only three to five days, but you can still be congested or have a cough for up to two weeks, says Tina Q. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. The trouble is, colds can linger longer or get worse as a result of lifestyle habits like eating foods that undermine your immune system and behaviors, including those you might otherwise have thought were healthy. Below, experts dish on seven of these things that could be making you feel worse or prolonging your recovery from the common cold.
Exercise can be a mental godsend when you're sick, lifting your spirits at the very least. But don't take this as permission to give it your all when you're sick, or you could make yourself worse. If you have a runny nose or mild nasal congestion, you have permission to exercise with one caveat: "Keep the intensity mild to moderate," Dr.
Tan says. However, if you have a fever, cough, chest congestion, or stomach upset, hold off on all exercise until those symptoms resolve. If you've always subscribed to the mind-over-matter philosophy when it comes to recovering from colds, give it up.
Don't worry about whether to feed a cold or starve a fever. Just eat when you're hungry. And you might have heard that chicken soup can cure a cold. There's no real proof of this, but sick people have been swearing by it for more than years. Teens who catch colds usually don't get very sick or need medical attention. But talk to a doctor if any of these things happen to you:. You should see your doctor if you think you might have more than a cold or if you're getting worse instead of getting better.
A doctor won't be able to identify which specific virus is causing a cold. But your doctor can check your throat and ears and possibly also take a throat culture to make sure your symptoms due to another condition. A throat culture is a simple procedure that involves brushing the inside of the throat with a long cotton swab.
Examining the germs on the swab will help determine whether you have strep throat and need treatment with antibiotics. If your doctor does prescribe antibiotics, be sure to take them exactly as directed. If you stop taking them too soon — even if you're feeling better — the infection may not go away and you can develop other problems.
Sooner or later everybody catches a cold. But you can strengthen your immune system's infection-fighting ability by exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, and getting enough rest. Although some people recommend alternative treatments for colds such as zinc and vitamin C in large doses, or herbal products such as echinacea , none of these is proven to prevent or effectively treat colds.
A tipple of rum with honey and water would only soothe your congested chest, right? Alcohol consumption, according to a study in the journal Alcohol in , is linked to an increase in lung and bronchial inflammation. Alcohol also suppresses the white blood cells in your blood, which you need to fight the cold. As mentioned before, your body needs more fluids to keep you hydrated when you have a cold.
Coffee, tea and caffeinated drinks act as diuretics, i. So clearly, having your regular three-four cups of cappuccino or latte is not a good idea when you have the sniffles. However, studies have found that milk, instead of producing more phlegm in the body actually makes the existing mucus thicker and more difficult to get rid of.
A genetic weakness in the lungs, such as cystic fibrosis for example, can put people at risk if they just catch a common cold. It's the same process that means you usually only catch chickenpox once. Find out if you are eligible today. The good news is that, in addition to wisdom, age often comes with greater immunity, for the simple reason that we have been exposed to more viruses over our lifetime, which means less severe colds.
However, as we get older, our immune system inevitably slows down, and eventually we may start to suffer from more severe, and potentially serious, lower respiratory and chest infections. In addition, both lack of sleep and disturbed sleep patterns can disrupt the immune system, making people more vulnerable to catching colds.
Stress is another factor that can lower immunity and the body's ability to fight infection. A host of lifestyle factors - where and how we live, hygiene and nutrition, such as the intake of vitamin D - are also important when it comes to how vulnerable people, and particularly children, are to catching colds.
In addition to a lack of vitamin supplements and food fortification, Jacobs identifies three other important factors.
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