How to get rid of a cold fast?
How to get rid of a cold fast?
I am going on holiday in 3 days and of course my body decided a couple days ago to catch a cold...right before my long awaited holiday!!
Any tips on how to get rid of it asap? Speed up the recovery somehow?
I have flu/cold medicine with paracetamol, caffeine and phenylephrine hydrochloride, however I have stopped taking it after 2 doses (of two capsules each) so I can allow my body to do what it needs with no obstruction before I go away..
I am resting (sleeping until I feel rested. I have free days before the holiday so can sleep as much as I need), eating light meals, plenty of drinks and soothers for the dry/sore throat
Does taking medicine to relieve symptoms prolong the actual healing process? Or am I suffering for no reason right now?
Please, any help is appreciated, I'm desperate here 🙏🙏
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If you're running a fever you should definitely let that happen (assuming it's nothing too crazy, of course). Your body does that to try to kill the infection with heat.
Anything that involves spreading bodily fluids around (coughing, runny nose) should probably be treated, in general diseases do that to help themselves spread.
Disclaimer: this only very general advice, if you have any serious medical concerns please talk to a doctor irl and do not rely on internet randos.
Yeah I have a slight fever that I'm letting it do its thing. I am not taking anything to reduce fevers.
As for coughs, I am doing my best to prevent spread! Isolating myself, and drinking tea with honey mixed in (which is actually really nice, I will most likely have honey tea more often!)
There's this idea that relieving the fever makes your recovery take longer, but that's based on a misunderstanding off the role of fevers. Yes, a fever happens because it helps you eradicate viruses and other infections, but it's basically the last line of defense. Your immune system is also working on making antibodies and white cells. That will still happen regardless of whether you're allowing yourself to suffer through a fever or not. There is no evidence at all that treating a fever lengthens an infection, so you might as well help yourself rest by not feeling totally miserable.
If you're running a fever you should definitely let that happen (assuming it's nothing too crazy, of course). Your body does that to try to kill the infection with heat.
Your body is also trying to kill the infection by finding the virus "cells" and consuming them. The fever's helpful just in case your body can't get a handle on things. That was useful back in the days before evidence-based medicine, but not so much now. There's no good reason not to treat the fever.
This is the largest study published, 700 people randomly assigned to receive acetaminophen or not. They found no difference in the number of ICU days:
A. Lowering a fever is not the same as no fever B. the study concluded taking Tylenol did not affect number of ICU days. It did not conclude that fevers are not an important part of the immune system.
C. This is also on an ICU setting, with (presumably) significant treatment protocols in effect. You shouldn't assume it applies to other situations.