9 things to do immediately after catching a cold

Affected by the cold air, there has been a “collapsing” cooling in the south recently, and the north has basically reached the beginning of winter. The rain and snow in the central and eastern regions have continued, and 18 provincial capital cities may hit new lows. 

The cold air may be accompanied by a soaring number of colds. 

A new study of immunobiology from Yale University in the United States shows:

20% of people carry rhinovirus in the nasal cavity, which is the most common cause of the common cold, but in most cases, the immune system can prevent the invasion of cold viruses.

When the body’s ability to resist virus invasion decreases with the temperature, it is easy to catch a cold. 

Now we come to teach you to protect yourself in this special winter. If you catch a cold, you can also improve your symptoms through these scientific methods.

9 things to relieve cold discomfort scientifically

There is usually no cure for colds. After catching a cold, the following 9 methods can relieve the discomfort of a cold effectively and alleviate 5 common symptoms.

Stuffy nose

Hot compress + saline nasal wash

saline nasal wash: Rinsing the nose with normal saline (or 2.25 g of salt in 250 ml warm water) can wash away irritants such as mucus, viruses and bacteria, reduce the concentration of local inflammatory media, and help keep breathing smooth.

Hot compress: A warm and moist towel applied to the root of the nose can relieve congestion and swelling of the nasal mucosa to a certain extent.

If the air in the room is dry, you can use a humidifier to increase the air humidity, and pay attention to opening windows for ventilation.

cough

Drink more water + wear a scarf

Wear a scarf: Keep your respiratory tract warm, try to wear high-necked clothes, or wear a mask and scarf when you go out.

Drink more water: Drink more warm water, which can dilute and clear allergic substances in the respiratory tract and reduce allergic reactions in the respiratory tract. 

When coughing or sneezing, keep your head down to avoid others, and cover your face with a handkerchief or tissue. 

Sore throat 

Gargle with salt water+ throat lozenges

Gargle with salt water: Philip Hagen, editor-in-chief of the book Family Remedies from the Mayo Clinic in the United States, explained that salt water can remove mucus from inflamed tissues and reduce irritation.

Throat lozenges: Cold viruses usually enter the body through the nose or throat. With throat lozenges, the oral care secretes more saliva, which can inhibit microorganisms in the throat.

Have a fever

Warm water bath + scrape Dazhui point

If the body temperature does not exceed 38.5℃, physical cooling can be used to reduce fever. 

Warm water bath: Wipe the patient’s skin with warm water at 32~34℃, wipe the upper limbs, back, and lower limbs in the order of the armpits, elbows, palms, groin, popliteal and other large blood vessels with a little force and extend the time to promote heat dissipation. Do not rub the bath for more than 20 minutes to prevent the patient from catching cold.

Scrape Dazhui point: Sitting down, the depression below the highest point on the back of the neck is the Dazhui Point. Scrape the area from 5 cm above to 5 cm below, with a little more force, about 20 boards in total, and scrape until the Sha is coming out or the scraping part is slightly hot.

Location of Dazhui Point

Running nose

Apply moisturizer

When there are more watery noses, the skin around the nostrils may become inflamed due to repeated wiping. You can apply a little petroleum jelly or any other moisturizer. 

A table teaches you to choose cold medicine 

When you have a cold, you must first distinguish between the flu and the common cold. 

Common cold: Dry itchy pharynx, sneezing, nasal congestion, and runny nose are the main symptoms, and there are generally no systemic symptoms. As long as there is no secondary bacterial infection, it will usually heal itself within 1 to 2 weeks.

Flu: Sudden high fever, headache, discomfort, and chills are the main symptoms. Respiratory symptoms are mild, and systemic symptoms are heavier, such as body aches, dry throat, and dry eyes.

The common cold can be observed at home when there are no other serious symptoms and take some cold medicine to relieve symptoms. 

In the case of severe cold symptoms, high fever, or long duration, it is recommended to go to the fever clinic in time. 

4 tips to prevent colds scientifically

You are about to enter a period of high incidence of colds. You must be able to use the following scientific methods. 

1.Washing hand

The cold virus often lurks on doorknobs, armrests, tables, mobile phones and other items, and it will stick to our hands when we touch them.

Generally speaking, every five minutes, people will touch their face unconsciously, and the virus will take the opportunity to enter the mouth and nose. 

2.Gargle

Gargling can wash away the cold virus on the oral mucosa. A study by Kyoto University in Japan showed that the incidence of colds among those who did not gargle was 26%, while the incidence of those who gargle with water dropped to 17%.

3.Mask

In the crowd, wearing a mask is better than not wearing it, and N95 masks or medical masks are more effective. 

4. Keep warm

Although a warm scarf around the neck (to cover the nose and mouth) does not prevent the virus from invading, it can improve the body’s ability to deal with the virus. 

In addition to the above methods, some anti-cold remedies should be used with caution. Taking Radix isatidis and sweating is not suitable for everyone;Methods such as smoking vinegar or putting onions in the room to prevent colds lack scientific basis and are not recommended.

The last thing to remind is that if you find that you have a “cold” in a special period, it is best to live in a separate room at home, wear a mask when you leave your room, and remind your family to wear a mask. If the symptoms are not relieved in about a week, go to the hospital for examination in time.

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