Fighting the cold war

It is always fun when one of us in the house gets sick, but not so fun when the two parents get sick and you have to care for an ambitious, energetic toddler. Mike and I have been battling cold symptoms since about mid-week.

Even though I am totally into modern medicine and the treatments it provides, we do rely on some of the old fashion, natural cold remedies. Here is our cold battle ammunition (some might work for you should you have to fight the common cold war):

• Lemon tea with honey (we use a lot of UW-Madison mugs as alumni, but of course any collegiate mug of your choice is fine) :)
• Chicken Noodle soup (we like Mrs. Grass' Extra Noodles)
• Vitamin C tablets (or lots of OJ which is what Mike likes)
• Cough drops (for the sore throat and cough)
• Tylenol for the throat and ear pain and/or fever if there is one
• Salt......what, you might say? Salt?! That is odd. Well, I swear by salt water gargles for a sore throat (fill a cup [yes, we us the UW mugs] with 6-8oz of warm water, add about 1 tsp of salt and stir to dissolve salt-gargle in throat 3-4 times). It really helps with the pain and reduces the swelling and makes it easier to swallow. I have no idea why or how it works (here are some theories), but I think it works well.
• Baby bulb syringe. Nope, not for Julia; for us adults. Once the nasal congestion hits, I also swear by nasal saline rinses to relieve sinus pressure and congestion. 1) Mix 8 oz water with 1/2 tsp of salt, stir to dissolve salt (some recipes add baking soda too, but we use just salt). 2) Head to the nearest sink (you definitely want to do this over a sink). 3) Lean your head over sink and inject salt solution into one of your nostrils. Be sure to point the nozzle toward your ears when it is in your nose to hit the sinus cavities. Blow your nose afterwards because "stuff" will come out. (sorry for the detail).

It will be messy. It will sting a little, but it totally relieves the congestion. It is same the same thing as buying pre-mixed nasal saline rinses from your local pharmacy, so you can use those too if you don't have a baby bulb syringe.

That is it for your health (sickness) tip of the day. :) Stay healthy and happy!