Health: How to Nip Stuff in the Bud

[TheGreenWizard]

Hope you all are well because - on behalf of those that are sick - I am starting to feel that familiar tickle at the back of my throat. Just wonder what everyone does to help nip those early warning signs in the bud before they metamorphose into whatever sickness it may be (cold, flu, etc)?

[sevensons]

Hope you all are well because - on behalf of those that are sick - I am starting to feel that familiar tickle at the back of my throat. Just wonder what everyone does to help nip those early warning signs in the bud

How are you bearing up.

[Ashmire]

Hope you all are well because - on behalf of those that are sick - I am starting to feel that familiar tickle at the back of my throat. Just wonder what everyone does to help nip those early warning signs in the bud before they metamorphose into whatever sickness it may be (cold, flu, etc)?

Probably not the answer you were hoping for, but there may not be much to be done and it'll just have to run its course.  However, the few times I have apparently managed to stave something off, it's been by immediately taking complete bed rest and basically acting as if I already were full-on sick---only soups and sports drinks/fruit juice/green tea( plus a few vitamin supplements---zinc and vitamin C especially) for intake, sleep as much as possible, etc.  Which is perhaps even less welcome advice, but it does work.

[Jenett]

Hope you all are well because - on behalf of those that are sick - I am starting to feel that familiar tickle at the back of my throat. Just wonder what everyone does to help nip those early warning signs in the bud before they metamorphose into whatever sickness it may be (cold, flu, etc)?

Get ahead of it, mostly.

For the tickle in the throat: cancel stuff so I can get more rest (doing stuff with other people, but also my own plans for what I might get done at home), be good about going to bed early. Eat stuff that will help my body (for a cold, that involves some vitamin C, but chicken soup is traditional for this stuff for a lot of reasons).

For stuff where pain or inflammation might be a thing, getting ahead of it with OTC painkillers often helps a lot (my usual preference is naproxen sodium, because it's a 12 hour dose.) Most of them work better if you take them before stuff gets miserable.

And then of course, also do the preventative stuff that helps avoid the problem, like a flu shot, hand washing, avoiding people who are sick where possible. I've discovered that my tendency to pick up colds has gone way down since I started using a CPAP machine (and so am breathing filtered humidified air all night). While room humidifiers didn't do that much for me before that, trying them might be helpful if you're prone to picking up lots of colds.

[Aisling]

basically acting as if I already were full-on sick---only soups and sports drinks/fruit juice/green tea( plus a few vitamin supplements---zinc and vitamin C especially) for intake, sleep as much as possible, etc.

Seconding this.  Hydration and extra vitamin C, D,  and zinc works well for me.  I'll also drink quite a bit of hot water with honey and lemon for the tickling throats or peppermint tea if it's settling into the chest.

[Kylara]

Hope you all are well because - on behalf of those that are sick - I am starting to feel that familiar tickle at the back of my throat. Just wonder what everyone does to help nip those early warning signs in the bud before they metamorphose into whatever sickness it may be (cold, flu, etc)?

I tend to front-load garlic (and sometimes ginger)...I will load it into my food.  For the throat specifically I either go with tea and honey or Apple-cider vinegar and honey (diluted with water until it's drinkable).

[Chatelaine]

Hope you all are well because - on behalf of those that are sick - I am starting to feel that familiar tickle at the back of my throat. Just wonder what everyone does to help nip those early warning signs in the bud before they metamorphose into whatever sickness it may be (cold, flu, etc)?

1 part honey into 2 parts orange juice, mix well and drink like normal orange juice (in between doses, keep refrigerated and stoppered). Having a cold drink on a sore throat may sound counter-intuitive, but it works.

[TheGreenWizard]

How are you bearing up.

Right now? At the tail end of the sinus infection. It's moved to my lungs and that's usually the end phase of it for me. Only down side is that my body wracks itself to get the sputum out so I'm sore and slightly wheezy (yay for my albuterol inhaler!).

Probably not the answer you were hoping for, but there may not be much to be done and it'll just have to run its course.  However, the few times I have apparently managed to stave something off, it's been by immediately taking complete bed rest and basically acting as if I already were full-on sick---only soups and sports drinks/fruit juice/green tea( plus a few vitamin supplements---zinc and vitamin C especially) for intake, sleep as much as possible, etc.  Which is perhaps even less welcome advice, but it does work.

I'll keep this tidbit of info in mind. I do know that I've been lacking sleep as of late, and haven't been drinking enough fluids. Yesterday, all I did was lounge on the couch, and had copious amounts of different teas - herbal, black, white, green, and more.

[TheGreenWizard]

Get ahead of it, mostly.

For the tickle in the throat: cancel stuff so I can get more rest (doing stuff with other people, but also my own plans for what I might get done at home), be good about going to bed early. Eat stuff that will help my body (for a cold, that involves some vitamin C, but chicken soup is traditional for this stuff for a lot of reasons).

For stuff where pain or inflammation might be a thing, getting ahead of it with OTC painkillers often helps a lot (my usual preference is naproxen sodium, because it's a 12 hour dose.) Most of them work better if you take them before stuff gets miserable.

And then of course, also do the preventative stuff that helps avoid the problem, like a flu shot, hand washing, avoiding people who are sick where possible. I've discovered that my tendency to pick up colds has gone way down since I started using a CPAP machine (and so am breathing filtered humidified air all night). While room humidifiers didn't do that much for me before that, trying them might be helpful if you're prone to picking up lots of colds.

Thanks for the advice - at the behest of my doctor (and the chagrin of my husband) I got a humidifier a year or two ago and noticed that my night time asthma effectively stopped being a thing. Also noticed that my rabbits were sneezing a lot less and were more energetic as well (they're also in our bedroom, and we vacuum a LOT to keep dander levels down).

The only down side of the humidifier is my apartment can get moldy at times - we've alleviated that by keeping the windows open a crack at the top (they're double hung windows), and keep the bedroom door open a smidge to allow for some circulation.

Seconding this.  Hydration and extra vitamin C, D,  and zinc works well for me.  I'll also drink quite a bit of hot water with honey and lemon for the tickling throats or peppermint tea if it's settling into the chest.

Peppermint tea is heaven and I think I used up all of the teabags we have in the house (we had two tins of it so... oops). Good thing I"m starting to grow mint now.

[TheGreenWizard]

I tend to front-load garlic (and sometimes ginger)...I will load it into my food.  For the throat specifically I either go with tea and honey or Apple-cider vinegar and honey (diluted with water until it's drinkable).

I think I used a lot of these recently actually. But will definitely try to do it again when I'm at the starting phase. There's an herbal remedy that you reminded me of that I used to have when I got sick. It was equal parts ginger, garlic, horseradish, onion, and the hottest peppers you could stand, blended in a liter (I think) of raw apple cider vinegar. We'd let it ferment and then have it. That honestly got me through college when I was working myself to death to catch up with assignments. Probably should make some of that now

1 part honey into 2 parts orange juice, mix well and drink like normal orange juice (in between doses, keep refrigerated and stoppered). Having a cold drink on a sore throat may sound counter-intuitive, but it works.

That sounds... interesting. I'll definitely have to try this! Thanks!

[Brangwen]

Hope you all are well because - on behalf of those that are sick - I am starting to feel that familiar tickle at the back of my throat. Just wonder what everyone does to help nip those early warning signs in the bud before they metamorphose into whatever sickness it may be (cold, flu, etc)?

that familiar tickle at the back of my throat

I drink tea made with slippery elm root,  elecampane, peppermint, hyssop, ginger and cheyenne with a bit of honey. It's easy to add anything else you might prefer or need to boost your system.

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[PerditaPickle]

Just wonder what everyone does to help nip those early warning signs in the bud before they metamorphose into whatever sickness it may be (cold, flu, etc)?

Hope you're feeling better now TGW -- bit late with this advice, but for future reference we've a product over here called Vicks First Defense which I swear by for those occasions when I know I've been exposed to someone with cold symptoms/someone sneezing or coughing on the train.  I've no idea if you can get it over there, but if so it comes in a little just-about-pocket-sized bottle -- you can also get non-brand named ones over here, such as Boots pharmacy own brand which is slightly cheaper.

Also, this may have been already mentioned up-thread, but taking care of your immune system even when well is probably the best advice one can give/be given.  So a good nutritional intake and keeping up that self-care practice, including sufficient sleep all week/month/year round.  (Easy advice to give, not always the easiest thing to achieve though, I realise.)

[Sefiru]

I got a humidifier a year or two ago and noticed that my night time asthma effectively stopped being a thing.

Speaking of nighttime breathing issues: I got a buckwheat hull pillow for Christmas and I've been sleeping much better already. Probably because of the improved support (It's basically a beanbag for your head), too early to tell if it's really as dust-mite-free as it's claimed to be.