From homemade chicken soup to a hot shower—everyone has their own remedy for a cold or flu. If you get sick this winter, health management nurse Tracy Mullen has seven tried-and-true suggestions to help you feel better.
- Get lots of sleep. “It’s your body’s way of healing itself,” Mullen says. Shoot for at least six to eight hours a night, and nap if you can.
- Drink lots of water to prevent dehydration and loosen mucous.
- Gargle with salt and warm water to relieve pain, Mullen says.
- When you have a stuffy nose, try a humidifier. “It hydrates and loosens the secretions in your sinus,” Mullen says. Visit Facebook.com.applemag.ca for tips on cleaning your humidifier. You can also use a saline nose mist.
- Talk to your pharmacist about safe over-the-counter medications for you.
- Give your body time to heal.
- Get the free flu shot to prevent future colds and flus.
