Colds and cases of flu are easier to prevent than to cure. We don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, but let’s be honest – we don’t need a crystal ball or a horoscope to know that each and every one of us will catch at least one infection this year. After all, our bodies are attacked by more than 200 types of germs, mostly rhinoviruses, coronaviruses and adenoviruses. These microbes are so clever and mischievous that although we named them and learned to recognize them under a microscope, we are not much better prepared to fight them than our great-grandmothers and grandfathers were. Obviously, it is better to harden our immune systems against infections than to fight them once they get us. Still, every illness must be endured in bed, with our families tending to us with chicken soup and raspberry syrup. Which is why we have prepared a list of more (and less) traditional ways of fighting runny noses, coughs and aching joints.
Drink
Make sure you drink plenty of liquids, but not necessarily at boiling temperatures; there’s no need to burn your already damaged mucous membranes. Black tea with lemon and ginger or raspberry cordial, or linden blossom and willow bark infusions will soothe symptoms of rhinitis and inflammation of the mucous membrane. Indians recommend drinking hot milk with turmeric, ginger, honey and black pepper (which many people find more pleasant than the traditional Polish warm milk with butter and honey, often mixed with crushed garlic). The Chinese, however, find it beneficial to limit your dairy intake altogether. Just choose whatever your gut tells you.
Try (over)sleeping
If you don’t want to strain your already weakened body (and the public health service) in vain, make sure you get plenty of sleep. People who sleep fewer than seven hours a day, especially if their sleep is shallow and often interrupted, are more susceptible to infections. Also, once they catch a cold, it develops five times faster than in those who are more rested, according to the precise calculations of researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The scientists from Pittsburgh also proposed a hypothesis that when we are sleep-deprived, our immune system becomes inactive, affecting mainly cytokines and histamines, which are responsible for fighting illnesses.
Eat
It’s best to stick to meals that are easy to digest: buckwheat or pearl barley, along with vegetables – preferably beetroots and meadow mushrooms (two separate research groups at Tufts University have confirmed these foods improve our resistance to diseases) – and fruit (while vitamin C does not prevent us from catching an infection, it can speed up the recovery). And, of course, chicken soup. Pickled and fermented vegetables are a winter staple, too – not only do they provide us with vitamins and micronutrients, but they also fortify our intestinal flora, whose role in stimulating our immune systems cannot be appreciated enough. Korean grandmothers recommend eating kimchi (fermented napa cabbage with chilli), while Russian babushkas prefer gogol-mogol (raw egg yolks beaten and ground until smooth and creamy) with rum, a mixture quite similar to egg nog. Honey is also priceless, so make sure you have some around.
Bathe
It’s important to sweat the cold out, of course, but regardless of what our grandmothers have to say about it, we should also bathe and wash the sweat, as it’s a wonderful environment for germs and microbes to thrive in. Hot and humid air also helps to thin down the mucus and phlegm that make it difficult to breathe, unblock respiratory tracts, and clear sinuses. You can add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to the water, as it has strong antibacterial properties. Lavender and oregano oils also work pretty well.
Follow your nose
Don’t blow your poor nose too hard (scientists warn that intense nose-blowing may push mucus further down the sinuses, thus spreading the infection; we choose to believe them without imagining this process in more detail). Before sleep, stick an extra pillow under your head (it will help you to unblock the sinuses and nasal tract). It might also help to rub some marjoram ointment under your nose.
Air your room and your head
Every illness requires a great deal of staying in bed, but it doesn’t mean you should sit in a stuffy room all the time. When fighting a nasty virus, fresh air is your ally, so air the rooms regularly. Sunlight is also useful (we realize that in our latitude, this advice makes about as much sense as saying “don’t stress too much”, but one can still hope for at least a few nice days), so if you’re not running a high fever, try taking a walk. It will improve your blood circulation, mood, and the overall performance of your immune system. The sun also stimulates your body to start producing vitamin D.
Laugh and stay happy
Maintaining a good mood not only prevents infections but also makes it easier to survive those that manage to get you. We recommend administering increased doses of Marek Raczkowski’s drawings (but if your health deteriorates severely, you might need to read all of “Przekrój”). Try also some Czech cinema (such as Ice Mother, directed by Bohdan Sláma – a movie about the benefits of ice swimming for the body and soul), and lots of our classic cartoons.
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