In winter, many people are prone to catching a cold. Due to inadequate or insufficient warmth, the cold virus takes advantage of the opportunity. Wind-cold colds not only affect our normal life and work, but also have an impact on our health. So, what should we do when we have a wind-cold cold? Let's find out!
What to do with wind-cold colds
1. Rub your hands daily
The muscles at the base of the thumb (medically known as the thenar muscles) are rich, and when the palm is extended, they are obviously prominent and occupy a large area of the palm. The thenar muscles are closely related to the respiratory system. Rubbing your hands daily is beneficial for improving the susceptibility to colds.
The method is to rub the thenar muscles of both hands until they become warm. The rubbing technique is similar to rubbing the skin of peanuts with both palms. Fix one hand and rotate the thenar muscles of the other hand, alternating up and down. Rub the two thenar muscles in opposite directions for about one to two minutes, and the whole palm will become warm. This can promote blood circulation and strengthen the body's metabolism, thereby enhancing the body's resistance and making it less susceptible to colds.
2. Inhale steam
Fill a large cup with hot water, lower your face over it, and take deep breaths of the rising hot steam until the water cools down. Repeat this several times a day. This method is particularly effective for treating colds, especially at the early stage.
3. Nasal irrigation
In Western medicine, it is believed that when the human body is exposed to cold or rain, the frequency of ciliary movement in the respiratory tract decreases, and the time that nasal mucus and the viruses, bacteria, and fungi adsorbed on it stay in the nasal cavity greatly increases. This allows the virus that causes colds to multiply and invade the body in large numbers, leading to colds. Therefore, repeatedly rinsing the nasal cavity with saline solution when you have a cold can wash out the viruses in the nasal cavity and prevent the virus from multiplying and continuously invading the body. This method can cure a cold within 2 to 4 days with no side effects.
4. Reduce salt intake
Experiments have shown that reducing sodium intake in salt can increase the content of lysozyme in saliva, protect the epithelial cells of the oral cavity and throat mucosa, and stimulate the secretion of more immunoglobulin A and interferon to deal with cold viruses. Therefore, limiting daily salt intake to less than 5 grams is beneficial for preventing and treating colds.
5. Drink honey
Honey contains various bioactive substances that can stimulate the body's immune function. Drinking honey twice a day, morning and evening, can effectively treat and prevent colds and other viral diseases.
6. Get plenty of sleep
Researchers from Harvard Medical School in the United States have found that when people sleep, bacteria in the body can produce a substance called "cell wall acid," which enhances the body's immune system and accelerates the recovery from colds and other viral diseases. Therefore, sleep is also a form of treatment, especially for colds.
