Chest colds are no fun and it seems
that this warm winter is the culprit for many of them! Not only is that hacking and coughing
exhausting, elevated temperatures often accompany these respiratory ailments
causing chills, aching and fatigue which can be quite debilitating. When we don’t feel good, we just want to “Be done with it, already!” So… we often reach
for the easiest, quickest “remedy”. However,
did you know that…
- while cough suppressants may be effective in quieting a
cough; a productive cough is our body’s way of expelling mucus in the
lungs and upper airways?
Suppressing the cough causes retention of secretions which can lead
to secondary infections.
- fever reducing medications suppress our body’s ability to produce antibodies. In fact, studies show that this actually results in the infection lasting up to 50% longer! The elevated temperature actually destroys the virus or bacteria causing the problem. They don’t like heat!
So… what am I suggesting; allow the
fever to fry your brain cells and wait until you collapse from exhaustion
before you take any action? While this
isn’t quite what I have in mind J, I would like to offer a few suggestions that may be
more effective in the long run than the typical modern-day approach:
X-rays – if you have chest congestion and a productive cough, you
don’t need a chest x-ray to tell you that your lungs and/or upper airways are
congested. You already know that! It really doesn’t matter which lung! It really doesn’t matter how far down the
congestion runs! What matters is you
have respiratory congestion and you need effective treatment! Don’t expose yourself to radiation
needlessly!
Antibiotics – Most often chest colds are viral and not
bacterial. An antibiotic will have no
affect whatever on a viral infection. Taking
antibiotics needlessly only builds your body’s resistance to antibiotics. If you are unsure if your infection is viral
or bacterial and you are keen on antibiotics, have a sputum specimen done. If
the infection is bacterial, the report will specify which antibiotics will be
effective. Don’t accept a wild guess
from your doctor as to which antibiotic you need. Personally, I’d hold off on the antibiotic
until I knew it was absolutely the
last result.
The measures that momma and many other
caring moms always took when we had colds
are still as effective today as they were
then and
most of us are alive and well to tell about
it!
I would encourage you to use them:
REST – Momma would keep us home from
school when necessary, but… there was “no horsing around!” We were in bed! She knew that our bodies needed rest to heal. If we had a fever, she didn’t have to do much
coaxing! Isn’t it amazing that a fever
makes us so tired that we can hardly function?
There is a reason for that! We
need to stop trying to function as normal so that we can heal! If coughing is keeping you awake, use extra
pillows to prop yourself up or sleep on your side to prevent drainage and facilitate
freer chest movement.
FLUIDS – Momma always had hot tea,
broth and water available on a chair next to our beds. She knew how important it was to “Drink! Drink!
Drink!” An elevated temperature
isn’t going to hurt us unless we
become dehydrated. Stay way from mucus
producing fluids like dairy products.
Many herbal teas are very effective for cold treatments: Echinacea,
mullein, elderberry to only name a few.
HUMIDITY – I remember that momma would
make a misting tent over our bed with blankets.
She then placed steaming pans of water on a chair next to the bed and
just inside an opening in the “tent”.
She knew that moisture in the air helps to relax the airways. Run a humidifier, put a tea pot full of water
on the stove and/or cover your head and shoulders with a towel and hold your
head over a steaming pan of water. Do
anything that will help to increase the moisture in your respiratory system!
AROMATICS – Lozenges and cough drops
are aromatics. The aroma and cooling
effects of the essential oils in them help to sooth the throat, quiet a cough
and expectorate mucus. When I was a
child, Vicks Vapor Rub was also the ticket!
Momma rubbed it on our chests! She
rubbed it on our temples! She even stuck it up our nostrils. It was definitely her go-to item when we had
a cold. While studies have shown since
then that shoving petroleum up your nose isn’t the safest thing in the world to
do, using aromatics is still a very important part of treating respiratory
ailments. Here is a simple recipe for making
your own chest rub that is not only quite effective at clearing congestion; the
ingredients are a bit healthier than its over-the-counter “equivalents”.
Heat one ounce olive oil. Add ¼ tsp Vitamin E and one tbsp. grated
beeswax
When the wax is melted add:
60 drops eucalyptus
20 drops wintergreen
10 drops peppermint
2 drops thyme
Allow to cool
thoroughly and solidify before using.
Rub on chest and back and apply heating pad or warm rice pack for 20
minutes 3-4 times daily.
While it is no fun to be miserable,
don’t add fuel to the fire by shutting down your body’s natural defenses. When we work in harmony with how Father has
created our body to heal itself, we are reminded how fearfully and wonderfully
made we really are (Psalm 139:14)!
Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie
P.S. Please
feel free to contact me with questions, thoughts, topics you’d like to ponder
or to read past articles at: http://whole-heartedlife.blogspot.com/. You may also contact me at:
Bonnie
Jaeckle
In Search
of the Whole-Hearted Life
Diagonal
Progress
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treat, cure or prevent disease. This is
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