Frequent Colds – Dos & Don’ts and Homeopathic Treatment

The common cold is a disease condition resulting due to several viruses, and it presents through various symptoms, such as sore throat, runny nose, malaise, cough, a low-grade fever, and body aches.  In adults, the chances of getting infected with cold-related diseases may vary between two to four times a year, whereas in kids it can be more frequent typically ranging between 8 to 10 times a year.

The risk associated with contracting the cold is minimal, but it is more important to understand the disease, as it affects the people most frequently. And, following dos and don’ts of keeping the frequent cold at bay can help you enjoy a healthy life. So, let’s have a look into the common dos and don’ts to prevent frequently occurring common cold and develop a better preventive approach to the disease.

Dos to Prevent Frequent Cold 

The most common self-preventive mechanism against the common cold is as follows:

1. Stay Hydrated: Maintaining the body in a well-hydrated state is one of the effective ways of keeping cold-related diseases away. Have a regular intake of warm water and tea with lemon. The consumption of warm liquids can be soothing to the infected areas, such as sore throat, and can help in preventing dehydration and ease congestion. It is also important to keep yourself away from food items, such as salty foods, alcohol, coffee. and sugary drinks, which can dehydrate your body. 

2. Gargle with saltwater: The most commonly recommended self-preventive technique is to gargle the sore throat with lukewarm water mixed with a pinch of common salt. This can go a long way in reducing the swelling of the affected area.

3. Vaporizing: Studies have revealed that dry nostrils are more prone to the attack of viruses. Exposure to the dry air can worsen the situation of the patient who is already suffering from the cold. In such situations, air humidifiers or vaporizers may help. Expose your body to the warm water in a closed environment for self-vaporizing the body. 

4. Ample Rest: The more rest you can give to your body the better your immune system will be. So, try to have enough sleep like 7 to 8 hours a day to rejuvenate your whole body and immune system.

5. Personal Hygiene: One should develop good personal hygiene habits, such as washing your hands often, particularly during the peak cold and flu seasons (in the late winter and early spring), to minimize the exposure to cold or flu causing viruses.

Don’ts to Keep Common Cold at Bay:

Just like there are good practices that one needs to follow, there are a few bad practices that one should distance themselves from to avoid catching cold-related problems. Some of the Don’ts are:

1. Refrain from Touch: Excessive touch to your eyes, nose, and mouth with your bare hands should be minimized, as the chances of viruses affecting these areas from hands are pretty high.

2. Exposure to Dust: In some people, exposure to the dusty environment, pollen, etc., can trigger the symptoms of the cold. Hence, it is always advisable to take self-precaution against exposure to such an environment.

3. Smoking: Indulging in smoking and exposure as a passive smoker can further irritate a sore throat or an already existing infection as the case may be.

Homeopathic Remedy for Frequent Cold

Homeopathy recommends a wide range of medication to people suffering from the common cold. A few of the most commonly recommended homeopathic medicines for cold are as follows:

1. Arsenic Album: Arsenic Album offers an effective remedy when the symptoms are like a thin watery discharge from the nose accompanied by sneezing and burning sensation occurs.
2.  Aconite: Aconite is prescribed as a remedy to people suffering from the cold after sudden exposure to the cold air. The symptoms include scanty nasal discharge with a stuffy nose along with sneezing. The patient may show an increased thirst for cold water also.
3. Gelsemium: When the cold is generally accompanied by headache, it is advisable to put the patient under the medication of Gelsemium. The patient may also experience related symptoms, such as feverishness, continuous sneezing, drowsiness, etc.
4. Nux Vomica: Nux Vomica has shown highly positive results in the patients reported with nose blockage, particularly during the night followed by watery discharge from the nose during day time. The cold can sometimes be accompanied by extreme chilliness.
5. Belladonna: The patients do complain about throat pain on the consultation for the common cold.  The pain in throat gets worse when you try swallowing saliva, liquid, or food items. On physical examination, the throat may look inflamed and dry. The patients do complain about headaches also. In such cases, Belladonna has shown excellent results in treating cold and enabling patients to obtain relief.
6. Echinacea: Echinacea is a powerful immunity booster that can be recommended when a patient is showing symptoms, such as inflammation in the body with aches and pains that are followed by a common cold.
7.  Pulsatilla Nigricans: Pulsatilla Nigrican is recommended as a medication to treat the common cold which is followed by thick yellowish discharge from nostrils. These can also help in relieving your headaches which accompany the cold.

As we have seen, there is no one particular preventive measure for frequent cold and related problems. The best prevention is to follow good self-hygiene practices and refrain from certain bad/unhygienic practices as discussed above. It is also suggested that one should remain conscious enough to identify these factors before it affects them.