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Colds always seem to come around at the worst possible times--whether it's the day before your big trip to Cancun, during your sister's wedding, or right before a huge life-changing presentation, colds just kind of sneak up on you.
Is there a fool-proof way to eliminate those pesky colds in just a few hours?
Turns out, yes!
When you wake up, decide whether or not you actually have a cold (or something worse!). If you should take a sick day or power through it, take this advice from Dr Jason Jones, a GP at Leeds Nuffield Health Hospital: "If you have a fever (above 37.5°C), diarrhea, are coughing heavily or are so congested you have a headache, don't go to work. These are signs you're fighting an infection. Pushing yourself can make it worse, and you may end up needing more sick days."
Your best bet is to always stay hydrated, so start drinking up! "Start with a glass of orange juice or a shot of vitamin C to boost your immune system," says Dr Jones. "Follow with a glass of water, and drink at least eight more during the day. Water flushes out toxins and if you're feverish you need to replace any water you may have lost through sweating."
Most importantly, don't think your body can handle your cold on it's own--cold medicine is your friend! "Paracetamol and ibuprofen help break a fever by cooling you down and ensuring you don't lose any more fluids. They also trigger an immune system response, so your body fights the illness harder. Take a dose in the morning and again four hours later."
By lunchtime, you should be replenishing your system with vitamins and minerals. "You need to top up the vitamins your immune system is using up," says Dr Jones. Another great thing? Chicken noodle soup--it really does work! "Protein in the chicken rebuilds immune defenses, onions fight infection and broth flushes out toxins." Bananas are another great option since they're filled immunity-boosting potassium!
At around 3:00 p.m., if you've powered through the first half of your day, you're starting to feel a nap coming on--take it! "Take a nap if you feel tired in the afternoon, but for no longer than 40 minutes – you enter a deeper sleep after that and will wake up feeling groggy," says Boots pharmacist Angela Chalmers.
Before dinner, if you feel up to it, try to go on a 10-minute walk. "A brisk walk helps your body function more effectively and will help recovery," says Dr Jones.
The last thing you need to do--go to bed early! "Go to bed early, but not more than an hour before your usual bedtime so you keep your routine and sleep well," says Dr Jones. Make sure you get about eight hours, that way you'll get enough sleep to produce the growth hormones essential for healing.
What do you think about all this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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