The CommonSenseMom's Cough Soother

Once in awhile, my efforts to prevent a cold or flu bug fail. Whenever one of the nasty bugs presents me with a sore throat or cough, I mix up a warm soothing non-alcoholic Hot Toddy drink. It's even easy enough for a sick person to assemble with a minimum energy expenditure.

Fill a mug halfway full of water.
Add a squirt of honey.
Add a squirt of bottled lemon juice.
Add 3 packets of Splenda sweetener.
Microwave 1.5 minutes, stir.

That's it. It's definitely not a replacement for cough syrup. But, it helps a little, and it sure feels good going down.

How to Knock Down a Cold

About 4 years ago, I was sick practically all winter. I would just finish one cold when another would start. I still have four kids ages 4-10, so colds are part of life around here. However, I am now approaching 10 months without having a cold. Woo Hoo!

Since my winter horriblus, I have stumbled upon a system for fighting off those nasty colds. This is my three-step plan for knocking down a cold that is threatening:

At the very first sign of a cold, start fighting it! Don't let it get ahead of you by even a couple of hours.

1. Gargle warm salt water if you have a scratchy or even slightly-sore throat. Salt water is the most potent weapon in your anti-rhinovirus toolbox. Use the warmest salt water you can stand. This is especially good to do right before bedtime, so the salt water can work uninterrupted for awhile. Repeat several times during the day. You may have to repeat for several days if your throat keeps twinging. If the cold is starting in your nose/sinuses, you can snort the salt water. I know it's gross, but it works.
2. Use Cold-eeze zinc lozenges. Three or four over the course of the day ought to be sufficient.
3. Drink a large (16 ounce) glass of orange juice. I can't comment about whether a vitamin C supplement would work or not, but I really think getting a bunch of OJ into your body helps. A second glass later in the day is optional if you feel you need it. The Cold-eeze package says not to consume citrus for 30-minutes before or after using a lozenge, so you may have to schedule your OJ & lozenges.

That's it. Make sure you go to bed at a good time, so you get a full night's rest to give your body a chance to finish off that virus.

On a related note, here are some other things that I think help keep those germs from gaining a foothold:

1. Purell! We keep it in the van. Everytime we leave a store or other location, we all use it.
2. As soon as you walk in the door after going somewhere, send everybody to the bathroom to wash their hands.
3. Change your kitchen & bath hand towels every single day, even when no one is sick.
4. Avoid the pediatrician's office. If you must go, take only the kid who needs to be seen. Immediately remove and launder the clothes you wore while there. Don't play with the toys or read the books and magazines there. Take your own books.
5. Don't touch any part of your face with your hands. This is especially hard for me, but I've heard that it works wonders.

Happy Winter!