I know I’m not the only girl on campus who has the Wellness Center on speed dial this time of year. About a week or two ago, a strange concoction of the flu/sinus infection/cold with all sorts of disgusting side effects (that need not be mentioned here) swept it’s way through campus, terrorizing weekend and classroom attendance everywhere. I was one of the lucky germ lotto winners, and have since tortured my poor roommates with Kleenex minefields around our apartment, greeted them in the morning with hacking attacks, and lulled them to sleep or lack thereof to the sound of a buzzing vaporizer in my room. Sadly, we aren’t the only ones affected by our sicknesses. Here are a few tools, some recommended by my mom and a few I found on my own, that I used to get me through those mornings (and afternoons and evenings) when I just wanted to hit the snooze and sniffle. Obviously, I’m no medical professional, but I’ve either tried or been subjected to these home remedies and not only survived, but also felt much better afterward.
Dark chocolate. Don’t you just love it when chocolate appears on health lists? In this case, the darker, the better. The endorphins that these magical squares of goodness inject into our system are a natural boost to our mental state. Endorphins aren’t quite cold-fighters, but they make you happy, making those sniffles a bit more bearable. Plus, dark chocolate is much lower in fat than milk chocolate. So go ahead, break off a bite or two and escape for a bit, guilt-free.
Ricola cough drops. These babies are addictive. Not only do you get to endorse a company that has a really great ad campaign (you can’t tell me you don’t smile when you hear those commercials with the Swiss man in the mountains holding a large horn, bellowing riiiiiiicolllllaaaa), but they also have tons of really great flavors and really help soothe coughing fits. My personal favorite is lemon mint because I feel like it really opens up my throat, but they also have honey herb and honey lemon with Echinacea (a herb similar to Vitamin C that is supposed to help fight colds), to name a few. The best part? You can pop up to three in two hours, making it totally plausible to throw them in your pocket and sub them in for your favorite hard candy during your bout with the cold. Remember, while these drops are technically medicine, they don’t actually fight your cold, instead they help you cough less and soothe the sore throat that makes you feel crummy.
Puffs with Vicks. Remember when you were little and your mom smeared this wonderful goo on your chest when you were sick so you could breathe at night? At first it may have freaked you out a bit but then voila! You could breathe! These tissues have the same effect. Here’s why they’re great: 1) You can simply sniff them and your nose starts to clear up a bit, especially when you first open the box. 2) They have lotion so you don’t look like one of those sad little Puffs characters with the Rudolph noses. 3) Your friends won’t want to steal them because if you don’t have a cold, the intensity of the Vicks tends to be a bit alarming. 4) You have a goo-free chest and nose, but can still enjoy the breathe-easy benefits of Vicks.
Afrin. I highly recommend this, but with a word of caution. The benefits of this nose spray are phenomenal- just a few quick puffs and it’s almost as if your nose was just messing with you when it convinced you that you may never breathe out of it again. You can sleep without waking up every five minutes to blow your nose, you don’t have to carry tissues around with you in your pockets (and fear you’ll forget to check and they’ll explode in the wash), and most importantly, you’ll be able to breathe. The downside is that you don’t want to use it for longer than a few days because it can actually make things worse. What Afrin does is it shrinks the membranes in your nose that create mucus and makes them less inflamed. However, if you over-use it, your body becomes accustomed to the properties of the drug, and it needs it more than before. So, the best way to use this is only when you absolutely need it, like before a class presentation, on a date, or at night before you go to sleep. Also- pairing it with something that will actually help you get rid of the mucus is helpful, too.
Disinfectant wipes. Help ensure your roommates don’t hate you when they happen to come down with your exact same cold a few days after you do. Normally, colds are more likely to spread within the first couple days of getting them. And we all know that these spread through contact, whether it be by human contact or through household items. This is why I’m obsessed with Clorox wipes. They kill 99% of bacteria, and leave a nice lemon or orange scent when you use them. A few things to make sure you wipe down are the door handles to your room and/or apartment door, surfaces that may have come in contact with tissues or sneeze residue, kitchen and bathroom counters, your computer keyboard (don’t worry, it’s never harmed my Mac), your cell phone, and other common items you frequently use and lend, like pens.
Whiskey. I can’t take credit for this one.According to my mother and grandmother, this is an old wives tale from the 1930’s that actually works. The idea is that whiskey works like any of the other common cold medicines we have today like Nyquil and Dayquil, who also contain trace amounts of alcohol. Alcohol works as a cough suppressant by dilating your blood vessels in your throat and increasing blood flow. Now, I am not sure if this is only whiskey or other alcohol as well, so other variations could also apply. My mom’s claim is that a shot of whiskey could be a bit better, because not only does it leave out some strange additives like color dye, it also “makes your feel pretty good,” according to my mother. (I should note that she said this with a completely straight face.) Honestly, I can’t argue. This being said, I also have a word of caution. Taking a shot of whiskey and taking let’s say, six shots of whiskey, is very different. Alcohol leeches water from your body and in large quantities can cause you to be dehydrated. Dehydration is quite possibly the number one thing you want to avoid when you’re sick. I know we can all probably hear our doctors from home now, droning that you need to ”drink lots of fluids,” but it’s totally true. So, while a shot of alcohol can help, more than that can actually cause problems.
Humidity. Speaking of water, part of the reason our throats are sore and our noses are stuffed up is because of the dry air we breathe during the winter months. Having some source of humidity helps relieve some of the dryness. While I realize not many of us packed our humidifiers with us on the trek to school, an easy alternative is to put a bowl of water by or even on your heater. The heat will cause the water to evaporate, making it easier for you to breathe and swallow with that sore throat of yours. However, make sure that the bowl you use is heat-safe, avoiding materials that are likely to melt if they become overheated. Ceramic containers are best.
Vitamins. Hear me out.I know you may be a bit haunted by memories of biting off the heads of purple Fred Flintstone vitamins before elementary school, but just because you know your multiplication tables now doesn’t mean you need vitamins any less. Plus, there are tons of different forms, from chewy vitamins, to the conveniently cheap generic Kroger kind you swallow, to even the C Monsters in the Hub that can help you get your daily dose. I used to avoid them like the plague, but when I started getting sick, my mom began to ask me if I was taking them. “Of course, I told her,” though I was pretty mine they had expired a few months ago. Once the guilt trip set in, I headed to the store and started popping them every morning with my coffee. I swear to you, I felt a million times better in just a few days. They’re little miracle pills.
Here’s why:
Vitamins are a quick fix for all the major nutrients you need, so even if you’re sick and you don’t have an appetite, you can still help yourself to that mega dose of Vitamin C, Iron, and others that will help you get over your cold. Some people say overloading on vitamins helps ward off sickness, while others claim our bodies simply flush the excess. Either way, it really can’t hurt to take in possibly more vitamins than our bodies need. We’re normally operating in the deficient anyway. So whether it be Fred or Barney, the generic brand, or the kind that are shaped like gummy bears, set your vitamins by your coffee maker or cereal box to take every morning and make your mama proud.