6 tips to fight the common cold

It’s inevitable. Seemingly everyone comes down with the common cold during the winter months. Conventional medicine has little to treat it and we all just suffer through the runny nose, sneezing, fatigue and “tickly” throat.

But I don’t have time for that this year.

In addition to having three small children at home, my “cold” last year turned into the flu and pneumonia. The mere thought of getting a cold is like striking a raw nerve. So, when I began to get that tickle in the back of my throat with body aches, I use EVERYTHING in the book (and then some) to fight back!

In the past, I too would surrender to the cold and wait for it to pass. Of the countless tips for staying well and fighting a cold, here’s what works for me:

1)   Elderberry syrup. It is used as an anti-viral, anti-bacterial supplement. For prevention, I take one teaspoon every few days but once symptoms present themselves, I take 2 teaspoons daily.

2)   Vitamin C! Emergen-C packets, 2-3 times per day.

3) Fresh ginger tea. I boil about 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Ginger is used to promote sweating and thereby expel the cold pathogen in the Chinese Materia Medica.

4) Oscillococcinum. This is an over-the-counter homeopathic remedy. It’s used for cold and flu symptoms.

5) Acupuncture and cupping. I always get aches in my neck and upper back when I have a cold. Cupping is a manual technique to “release the exterior” in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In other words, it’s used to expel the cold from the muscle layer. Acupuncture is used in a similar fashion.

6) Chinese herbs. There is a whole chapter in the Chinese Materia Medica about fighting cold symptoms. I use a basic formula that matched my symptoms and made some modifications to support my immune system.

Thoughts? Share with me! Drop a line to info@acupunctureinmichigan.com.