Old people catching a cold is a common occurrence in cold winters, and the medication for colds in the elderly is slightly different from that of other age groups. Below, I recommend several foods that are beneficial for treating colds in the elderly.
Eating these foods helps treat colds in the elderly
1. Ginger
Ginger is commonly known as a remedy for treating colds. When experiencing a cold, many people like to make ginger water. Ginger has the saying "keep the skin of the ginger for cooling effects, remove the skin for warming effects." If symptoms include constipation, bad breath, and oral ulcers, indicating "heat" in the body, it is best to only consume the ginger peel. This way, the diuretic effect of the ginger peel can be utilized while avoiding "adding fuel to the fire."
2. Radish
Radish has various effects such as relieving bloating, eliminating phlegm, treating wheezing, detoxification, diuresis, and tonifying deficiencies. The lycopene in radishes has a unique effect on preventing and treating colds.
3. Chicken soup
Drinking chicken soup can prevent respiratory infections such as colds and flu. Chicken soup reduces the secretion of mucus in the respiratory tract and the frequency of coughing, relieving the discomfort caused by colds.
4. Pomelo
Pomelo is a fruit that we are all familiar with. We know that pomelo has the function of reducing heat, making it suitable for consumption by the elderly when they have a cold.
5. Shiitake mushrooms
As people age, their immune system gradually weakens. If not properly protected, they may catch a cold easily. Research has found that consuming shiitake mushrooms can promote metabolism, increase energy levels, and reduce the likelihood of catching a cold.
Precautions for colds in the elderly
(1) Regulate the spleen and stomach
Due to the aging process, the essence of the kidneys dries up first, affecting various organs. At this time, the spleen and stomach play a crucial role in digesting and absorbing nutrients from food to support the whole body, nourish vitality, and prevent diseases and extend life. Therefore, when using medication, the spleen and stomach should be taken into account. Medications that harm the stomach should be used cautiously and supplemented with spleen-tonifying and appetite-enhancing ingredients. Bitter and cold ingredients are easily harmful to the spleen and stomach, such as Gentiana scabra, Coptis chinensis, Phellodendron chinense, and Cortex Eucommiae. Greasy flavors hinder digestion, such as cooked Rehmannia root, donkey-hide gelatin, and others. Spleen-tonifying and appetite-enhancing medicines include Radix Codonopsis, White Atractylodes, Fructus Amomi, sandalwood, and Jiao Sanxian.
(2) Emphasize tonification
Sun Simiao, a great medical scientist of the Tang Dynasty, believed that generally, people under 40 years old have a stronger physique and can take laxatives when they are sick, without necessarily needing tonics. However, for people over 40 years old, their physique gradually declines, and they should avoid laxatives and focus on tonics. After the age of 50, when kidney qi declines, organ functions decrease, and deficiency diseases arise, "taking tonics throughout the year" is recommended. Tonification is effective for the elderly because it can invigorate organ functions, improve overall weakness, eliminate evil influences, and self-heal from colds. Specific medications should be prescribed based on the differentiation of yin, yang, qi, and blood. Huangqi and Danggui are used for qi deficiency, Shengdi and Shengdihuang for blood deficiency, Shashen and Maidong for yin deficiency, and Fupian and Guizhi for yang deficiency.
(3) Use small doses of medication
This is because the elderly have insufficient qi and blood, and their organs are weak. After the age of 70, generally only three to five parts of medicine are prescribed. If the dosage is too large and the medication is too strong, it can easily harm the person, worsen the condition, and even lead to phenomena such as "excessive deficiency" and "over-attack." When having a cold, the use of diaphoretic medicines generally should not exceed 9 grams, while using qi-tonifying and warming medicines like Huangqi and Fuzi can be slightly larger than usual without any adverse effects.
