Heath & Wellness

Yes, grandmother was right. Chicken noodle soups relieves congestion since it’s hot and steamy. This can help the nose start to run, which reduces sinus pressure. The steam also helps with dryness and irritation in your nose. Meanwhile, the chicken provides energy in an easy-to-digest protein and the broth helps with rehydration.

Some other feel-better-fast foods include leafy green vegetables, crackers, eggs, bananas, apples and any lean proteins. Skip the dairy – it’s hard to digest and can aggravate nausea.

Honey is an antioxidant that can make you feel better. It can soothe a sore throat and relieve a cough. You can try a teaspoon or two plain – or add it to your tea. It’s good for kids, too. But remember, honey is only for children after their first birthday.

Rest is essential to feeling better. Our immune system only weakens if we don’t get proper rest. Aim to get more sleep than what’s recommended – for adults, that means going above and beyond 7 to 9 hours.

When you are feeling rough, it’s best to skip exercise – mainly long bouts of exercise or intense workouts. You should especially listen to this advice if you notice symptoms of fever, muscle/joint pain, vomiting, headache and/or diarrhea with your virus. These symptoms are a sign your body is busy fighting off the infection and needs all your energy to do its job.

Gargling with salt water is a popular remedy to help sore throats and common colds. The salt helps draw liquids to the surface, along with any viruses or bacteria in the throat. You can use warm or cool water for this, but warm water often feels better. Just mix about ½ teaspoon of salt in a glass of water to gargle a couple times per day.

If you have a fever or body aches, you can take over-the-counter pain medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. If you are diagnosed with the flu, you can talk to your doctor about a prescription for an antiviral – like Tamiflu. Antivirals are most effective if started within the first 48 hours of symptoms. If used accurately, they can shorten the duration of illness by about 24 hours and decrease the risk of complications, especially in high-risk populations.

If your symptoms include a sore throat or cough, use over-the-counter cough drops or cough medicine, such as Robitussin or Delsym. Be sure to check all medication ingredients and directions before taking them, and especially before giving to children.

Adults and children alike could benefit from sitting in a room that’s full of moist, warm steam that collects in the room from a running, hot shower. This can help loosen nose secretions, so it doesn’t build up causing breathing or cough difficulty. Using a cool mist humidifier serves the same purpose, as does putting your head above a steaming bowl of water.

Taking a lukewarm bath means finding a temperature that is warm, but not hot. This can help boost circulation and help the body regulate temperature back to normal if you have a fever. Similarly, if you have a fever, it’s a good idea to take off clothing layers and go with shorts and a t-shirt – or something very basic to allow your body to cool off. For the same reason, try to avoid bundling up under lots of covers while in bed.