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| Facing up to flu By Biba Pearce You wake up in a cold sweat; you feel like you’re swallowing a prickly pear. You’re feverish and clammy. Your complexion is pale and wan. Your eyes are overly bright and your skin has a sallow, pasty tinge. Then the sneezing begins. At first it’s random and bearable. Then it becomes every five minutes. Enter the mucus. It builds, clogging your nasal passages, creating pressure in your brow. Then it goes into free-fall. You stumble back into bed armed with an econo-pack of toilet roll (‘cos you’re out of tissues) and a year's supply of paracetamol. The abrasive single-ply erodes the sensitive skin on your nose faster than you can say ‘forget-me-not twin savers’. You may as well be using sandpaper. Soon your nose resembles a road-works chevron. In desperation you fumble in your medical box for an ancient tub of Vaseline. Now you have a shiny, runny, road-works chevron. Depression sets in. You’re disgusting — a living host for multiplying bacteria. Your husband/boyfriend/partner takes one look at you and dashes for the shower. He orders you to stay in bed and, giving you a wide berth, escapes to the office. Only the fat family Labrador still loves you. You feel wretched, ugly, bunged up and unattractive. It doesn’t have to be this way! Liar, I hear you shout. No really, the flu doesn’t have to make you feel or look like the waking dead. You can still lounge in luxury, rest and recuperate, whilst maintaining that feminine inner glow. Your family need not avoid you like you have a red cross painted on your bedroom door. There is hope. Here are some easily do-able steps to a substantially less painful cold or flu episode, for you and your family. Steam it up! The first thing you must do is run a steaming hot bath. Add a few drops of Eucalyptus or Tee-tree (preferably both). These essential oils, combined with the steam, will help to unblock your stuffy sinuses and boost your sagging immune system. If you don’t have any on hand, a good teaspoon of Vicks or even Tiger Balm will do the trick. Most importantly, remember to wash your hair. There is nothing worse than lying in bed with dirty, greasy hair sticking to your face. Once done, don’t linger. Enfold yourself in a large fluffy towel or bathrobe and blow-dry your hair. Whatever you do, do not leave it wet. You need to get warm and dry before all your energy is sapped. Instead of pulling out the first old threadbare nightie you can get your hands on, put on a satin or silk night shift or pyjamas. The satiny touch feels wonderful on a hot and feverish skin. Thirsty skin! Step three is to moisturise, moisturise, moisturise. Your entire body, that is. You’ll sweat and your skin will dehydrate, so you need to replace that lost moisture. It’s important to use a good moisturiser on the skin around your nose to stop it from getting sore, drying out and finally flaking (every girl’s worst nightmare) — and to prevent the dreaded shining. Oh, and soft, double-ply tissues are the only way to go. Anything else and you’ll end up looking like Rudolph. Settle back in bed with a hot herbal beverage. Herbal teas are cleansing and soothing for the throat. I particularly recommend the Berry, Vanilla and Cinnamon blend. If you don’t have herbal teas, then boiling water with a squeeze of lemon juice, honey and, if available, a slice of ginger will be more than adequate. Not many people are aware that honey has natural antibacterial properties and will act on the germs in the throat, soothing and preventing infection. Dose up! The new age woman’s medical kit should include Echinacea drops, Vitamin C (1000mg tabs), Zinc lozenges, a wide range of essential oils in particular Tea-tree, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Thyme and Lavender oil. Echinacea is a blood purifying herb and effective antibiotic. It activates the body's immune system, increasing the chances of fighting off disease and is particularly effective in fighting the common cold and influenza. Vitamin C as a cure for colds and flu is often overlooked. It works like an antibiotic and will help to boost your immune system. Tablets often come in 500 or 1000 mg dosages. It’s recommended to take one at least twice a day, or every few hours if you’re very sick, but don’t over do it or you may end up with diarrhoea, gas or even vomiting, which will only add to your problems. You can safely take up to 5000 mg’s per day, but not on an empty stomach. Zinc supplements often help to shorten the duration of the common cold. It is usually taken as a lozenge or a nasal spray. Scientists believe it works by either preventing virus cells from reproducing or coating them so they can't take effect in the body. A few years ago, while on a sailing holiday, I came down with one of the worst colds I’ve ever had. A pharmacist recommended Vitamin C and Zinc lozenges. I sucked them like sweets. Within six hours I was feeling a hundred times better and was ‘sheeting the main’ with the best of them. Highly recommended. Soothe those sinuses Essential oils hardly need any introduction. I would however like to point out that steam inhalations (i.e. put a few drops in a pot of boiling water and a towel over your head — breathe deeply) are the most effective way of getting the essential properties right where they work best. A mixture I’ve found particularly effective when dealing with colds and blocked or painful sinuses is:
2 drops Tee-tree oil Lavender oil is incredibly soothing. Mix some of it in your moisturiser or rub a little on your pressure points. Remember that a virus causes a cold or the flu. This is important because any medication that you take will only provide symptomatic relief. It won’t cure your cold. Medically prescribed antibiotics and other such drugs are useless against viruses. Antibiotics kill bacteria, so unless you have an associated infection, such as a chest infection or ear infection, antibiotics are not recommended as the side effects (and there are many) out way the benefits. The best way to minimise the effects of a cold are to boost your immune system, rest and use alternative supplements with antiviral properties, such as the above mentioned essential oils. Pamper yourself “Feed a cold, starve a fever.” Old wives tale. Listen to your body. If you are hungry, eat. If not, drink plenty of fluids. Water, fruit juice and herbal teas are best. Your body knows what it best for it. Learn to listen. Take this opportunity to pamper yourself. If you have the energy a quick DIY manicure does wonders for your self-esteem and general well being. Lets face it, its not like you’re going anywhere. File jagged edges and paint nails the palest coral. Then admire at will when you’re sipping your herbal beverage or reading your favourite magazine. Not essential, but thoroughly recommended. Other frivolous bits of advice include adding a touch of rouge to pale and sallow complexions to bring some much-needed colour into your face. Use lip balm ad infinitum to prevent cracking and dry lips, and to add a nice glossy sheen. Finally, make sure you stock up on all your favourite glossy magazines, the latest Penny Vincenzi or your favourite author and lie back and indulge yourself. Sleep when you feel like it, luxuriate in your time off, think gleefully about all those poor souls who had to battle the traffic this morning on the way to work, and pour yourself another cup of Camomile Tea. This way you’ll not only feel better about yourself, but when hubby gets back from work, you’ll be rested, relaxed, still a little fragile but feeling a lot happier. A far cry from the miserable, snorting, wheezing, snot-infested victim you were when he left that morning.
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