Cold Season is back & as always, I'm prepared. And now, you will be too!
Last Friday I woke up with a scratchy slightly sore throat. My nose felt stuffed & I was feeling tired after a full night's sleep. As soon as I got out of bed I immediately used my Sinucleanse Neti Pot, squirted some Zicam gel into my nostrils, & made sure I had some Zicam in my purse, since it was a work day.
I felt a little tired through the day, but I never got the cold! I posted my Knock a Cold Dead Before It Knocks You Out--Really!! instructions last February 2008. Since many of you are new to my blog, I want to make sure you know how to get rid of those nasty annoying colds when they come your way--and you know they will!
Cold germs are everywhere. If someone has a cold they transfer the virus to 42% of every surface they touch.
Dr. J. Owen Hendley recently reported his research team's results to the Annual ICAAC & Infectious Diseases Society of America Meeting in Washington, DC. (October 29, 2008)
- Rhinoviruses are often found on the refrigerator door, TV remote, and faucets when a family member has a cold. Bathroom faucets are the most likely surfaces to harbor the cold virus.
- The virus is mostly transferred through the fingertips, and on to anything the sick person touches.
- If you touch a contaminated surface, then touch your eyes or nose you risk getting a cold
- The chances of transferring the virus is almost 23.5%, 1 hour after the mucus has dried
- After 24 hours the chance of transfer drops to 4%, and after 48 hours the risk is gone.
Here's How to Knock a Cold Dead Before It Knocks You Out-Really!
Here's my research-backed 4 step method to knock out a cold!
TIP: You must do this as soon as you get that funny, scratchy feeling at the back of your nose or throat. If you delay a day results will be spotty.
1. Rinse your nose with SinuCleanse - If you have the discipline, rinsing daily may prevent the start of a cold, and ease allergy symptoms. For many people, it's as necessary as brushing their teeth.
2. Apply Zicam Gel inside your nostrils after your SinuCleanse rinse. Be prepared. I keep one in my purse. **As of 6/17/09 the FDA warned consumers to stop using Zicam, a popular homeopathic cold remedy, because it could damage or destroy their sense of smell. Click here to read more.
3. Wash your hands alot, and always before eating or touching your face. Keep some anti-bacterial gel or wipes handy for when you can't wash.
4. Get a good night's sleep at the first sign of a cold coming on.
I've been following parts of this routine for a number of years, and through trial and error I've finally come up with this 4-pronged method that works. I've tried Vitamin C, echinacea, and Coldeeze Zinc lozenges, but the results were not consistent enough.
Here's what I've discovered:
1. I first heard about the use of nasal cleansing/irrigation about 10 years ago from a 92 year old retired physician. He began using the practice daily in his sixties & claimed he hadn't suffered a cold or viral illness since then. His only hope was that the word would get out.
Then, 3 years ago on a medical mission to Honduras, I met a priest who had been using the Indian neti pot to cleanse his nose daily for the past 5 years. He taught in a high school and he was always getting sick, but hadn't had a cold since he started with the neti. He happily demonstrated the procedure to me, while everyone else present quickly ran out the door. The doctors & nurses on the mission thought the whole thing was a bunch of hogwash, but as soon as I returned home I checked it out on PUBMED & sure enough I found medical evidence for the practice.
That's how I discovered the handy plastic SinuCleanse product 3 years ago. At the time, I had to look far and wide to find it in a drugstore. I've been using it ever since. I'm not disciplined enough to do it daily, but I always use it when I feel like I'm getting a cold. And I always travel with it!
2. SinuCleanse nasal rinsing is based on an ancient Yogic and Ayurvedic practice that has an anti-inflammatory effect on the nasal passages; flushes the nose of mucous, allergens & irritants; and provides a healthy environment for the tiny nose hairs to remove germs from the nose. The nose is really the first line of defense in keeping those germs out of your body. There have been a number of randomized controlled studies to prove that this method is safe, effective and low cost.
For simple instructions on how to "cleanse your nose" see the Annals of Family Medicine. (click on the supplemental data in the link) Also, check out the most recent study to confirm the benefits of the nasal wash practice in the press release for the November 2007 article appearing in the Archives of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. Even the gold standard Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews gave a thumbs up to nasal saline irrigation in June 2007.
My Tip: Make your own saline solution to cleanse your nose with 1 cup warm water, mixed with 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt, & 1/4 tsp. baking soda. Use 1/2 cup to rinse each nostril. Have a tissue handy to catch the "run-off". It does take practice, and if your cold has already started you might feel the uncomfortable pressure of getting water in your nose while swimming. Don't worry - it's OK.
3. I discovered Zicam in 2003 after reading Dr. Sherif B. Mossad's article in the Quarterly Journal of Medicine. His study of 1087 patients found significant reduction of the symptoms and the duration of colds in patients who started using Zicam within 24-48 hours of the start of their illness. **As of 6/17/09 the FDA warned consumers to stop using Zicam, a popular homeopathic cold remedy, because it could damage or destroy their sense of smell. Click here to read more.
My Tip: Don't wait, keep Zicam handy, not just at home. Use it as soon as you feel a cold coming on. Continue to use the gel 4 times a day and it's best to use it after rinsing your nose with SinuCleanse, not before.
4. Get a really good night's sleep if you're feeling run down, stressed or about to get a cold. Sleep does affect the immune system, and for one of many articles on the subject, see Dr. Penelope Bryant's article in Nature Reviews - Immunology.
5. Hand-washing is plain old common sense. Wash often, and concentrate on not touching your face. If you share phones or keyboards at work, wipe them down with anti-bacterial wipes.
You have nothing to lose, but a cold, if you try this approach. It's safe, low-cost, and effective.
Be very cautious with Zicam. I've know a couple of people who have lost their sense of smell for extended periods of time from using it. Some permanetly. There is a huge lawsuit against the company, but it will probably come to nothing, as they say it's "homeopathic." Google it for more info...
Posted by: Anon | November 03, 2008 at 10:07 AM
I got instructions for saline nasal lavage from an HMO physician (at the same time as she prescribed a steroid spray, which I opted not to use) to clear up a drip. The health plan's instructions call for Pickling & Canning Salt, rather than Kosher Salt--P & C is very pure, with no additives.
It also suggested using an ear syringe to spray the solution, which works great (it does not come apart into two pieces for cleaning, but I rinse it with scalding water after every use).
The recipe (1-3 tsp salt, a tsp soda) makes a gallon of solution at a time, which I store in a covered glass pitcher in the bathroom and pour into a separate dish to use with the syringe (so the jar solution isn't contaminated). I've used it most mornings for the last three years, and it's served me well.
Posted by: KJ | November 04, 2008 at 04:45 PM
Thank you for this column. All of your info bears repeating from time to time.
Posted by: babs | November 04, 2008 at 05:17 PM
Great tips. I really love this site. How refreshing to see claims supported by science. Thank you!
Posted by: Chris G. | December 17, 2008 at 06:46 AM
Thanks Chris. I can't tell you how many times I've dodged the bullet with my neti pot, Zicam, sleep & hand washing. My husband & grown-up kids are converts, too.
Strange as it sounds, sometimes I can actually notice when the cold is about to take hold & it actually just leaves. I'm thinking about giving SinuCleanse & Zicam to the folks at work for Christmas--seems like someone is always getting sick where I work.
Posted by: The Healthy Librarian | December 17, 2008 at 09:52 AM
Also try using Alkalol ( http://www.alkalolcompany.com/products.html ) with your Neti pot. It's a very popular remedy in our neck of the woods here in NY!
Posted by: Health-Nut in NY | January 20, 2010 at 01:21 PM