Attack Your Cold with a Vengeance
If you think you have a cold, the first thing you should know is that colds are contagious. That means, even if you aren't feeling tremendously sick at first, just stay away from work and from others, especially elderly folks. If they get a cold, things could go from bad to worse, with them maybe even ending up with pneumonia.
After you've faced the fact that you just need to stay away from other people, think of the remedies your mother used on you when you were a kid. She probably made you drink a lot of liquids, which included a generous portion of chicken soup. In addition, maybe she propped you up on pillows, covered you up, and just let you watch your favorite television shows. When that happened, you more than likely remember falling fast asleep and staying that way for the first few days of your cold.
Try those old-fashioned remedies yourself. Maybe you aren't crazy about television, but you might have a good book you've been wanting to read. While reading the book, you might doze off and have some of the best sleep you've had in a long time. Keep a box of soft tissues next to you, plus a waste basket. You might be tempted to reuse the tissues, but don't. Even after one small use, toss that tissue in the waste basket.
Even if you don't feel like driving, get somebody close to you to pick up some over-the-counter cold medications. Besides the medicine helping you, you'll also be adding fluids to your body, which is important. When you are awake, try to spend some time outside. The vitamins you soak up from the sun might be some of your best medicines.
When your cold is over, be sure to disinfect everything you touched. If an adult or a responsible youngster lives with you, encourage the use of rubber gloves when they help you to take out garbage. And, of course, everybody around you should be washing hands as often as they come in contact with you or with things you have touched.
Maybe you realize that you had what you thought was a cold during the same month last year and maybe even in years gone by. If that's the case, you might actually have allergies instead of a cold. Think of keeping a journal. On days that you stayed inside, did you feel much better? That might have been because you weren't exposed to things like cedar, which caused you to think you had a cold.
Of course, as time goes by and you aren't feeling much better, consider making an appointment with your family doctor. They might give you prescription medicine that will shorten the length of your cold. And, if you do have allergies, the doctor might suggest that you return for further testing.