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None of us can keep away from colds and flu, and there are a wide vary of potential treatments that all of us turn to. But no longer all of them can help – and which remedy you should flip to will depend on whether or not you will have a chilly or the flu.
They share similar symptoms – but they’re different beasts.
a cold will make you’re feeling rotten. Flu is more critical and sends you for your bed.
it is usually prone to include a fever and depart you feeling actually exhausted.
So here is what the proof has shown is helping… and what does not.
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The Advice is that you wish to try to eat some healthy meals to maintain your strength up, but do not feel that you could have to pressure it down if you are not hungry.
Soldier on or go to mattress?
Listen for your frame. Do Not push yourself too onerous and get a few relax.
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How so much you need will rely on how you’re feeling.
Indubitably, a light chilly won’t stop you getting out and approximately… or going to work!
Honey and lemon or a scorching toddy?
neither is confirmed to assist, however honey and lemon may well be a better choice than the whisky, in particular if you plan to have greater than one drink.
Medical Doctors suggest various fluids – during which they mean water – plus the unusual cup of tea or coffee.
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If you have a cold or the flu you will almost definitely be sneezing, coughing and sweating out more fluid than you normally may, and so need to maintain topped up.
However don’t overdo it. there’s a lot of research to turn that consuming too much water will also be bad – and will even kill.
Paracetamol or ibuprofen?
Both paintings. You will also take paracetamol and ibuprofen together to ease your symptoms – it is secure to take both doses at the same time or spaced aside.
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However do stay tabs on how a lot you’ve had so that you don’t exceed the maximum really useful doses in any 24-hour period.
Ibuprofen is better taken with food or on a whole stomach.
Eucalyptus or menthol oil?
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there is not any just right evidence that they paintings, but they could be offering some temporary relief. Rubbing a few to your chest or hanging a few drops in a steamy bowl of water may also help unblock your nose.
Vitamin C and zinc?
Diet C has been proposed as a remedy for respiration infections for the reason that 1930s. It changed into particularly in style within the 1970s whilst a Nobel laureate – Linus Pauling – prompt that research evaluating it with a placebo (dummy) treatment confirmed vitamin C could prevent and alleviate colds.
But a up to date analysis by way of the Cochrane Group, which assesses clinical proof for and in opposition to other remedies and treatments, discovered dosing up does not appear to assist that much, if at all.
Nutrition C is beautiful innocuous – we pee out any excess quantities that the body can’t use.
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However Zinc can be bad when you take an excessive amount of, so the recommendation is to take care with the amount you’re taking.
Absolute no-no’s
There has been a huge public information marketing campaign to lift consciousness of while antibiotics are – and are not – vital. Antibiotics are no use in treating colds and flu as a result of they are resulting from viruses – and antibiotics do not deal with viruses.
The handiest time you want to look your GP is if a bacterial infection develops.
NHS Alternatives has more information on chilly and flu care.
We’d like to listen approximately your attempted and depended on treatments – join the talk on Facebook.
