Cold Comfort

ALLOPATH ADVICEAccording to Dr Anoop Misra, professor of internal medicine, no medication is necessary for cold viruses. Allopathic treatmen...

ALLOPATH ADVICE
According to Dr Anoop Misra, professor of internal medicine, no medication is necessary for cold viruses. Allopathic treatment is symptomatic. His virus-busting suggestions:
8226; Take anti-histamines and anti-allergy medicines, along with hot gargles, to arrest a runny nose
8226; Steam inhalation with a decongestant like Vicks is beneficial
8226; Nasal drops can ease respiratory uneasiness
8226; Drink lots of fluids

AID-DE-AYURVED
An Ayurved will target one particular component of the body system to tackle colds, says Dr Anjana Kalia, a Delhi-based ayurvedic doctor. 8216;8216;Avoid dairy products and overdosing on sweets, both of which increase the kapha factor and make the body prone to colds,8217;8217; she says. 8216;8216;This is especially true between 6 am and 10 am, kaphaj time.8217;8217; Her booster shots:
8226; Turmeric, ginger and tulsi. Have tea with tulsi. Add turmeric to milk, if you must drink it. Dry ginger powder with milk also helps, as does honey with ginger
8226; Drink warm water, instead of cold water or water at room temperature
8226; Add a pinch of turmeric to water, let it come to a boil. Inhale for immediate relief

HOMOEOPATHIC HELP
Delhi-based homeopath Dr Kalyan Banerjee goes against conventional wisdom. His measures:
8226; Avoid unnecessary exposure to cold, but don8217;t lock yourself up with a room heater. Too much heat or sudden cold can worsen the symptoms
8226; Don8217;t wear too much to bed. Wear loose clothes, and go easy with woollens
8226; Homoeopathy has different medicines for different stages of a cold. To treat the initial exposure to cold, try Aconite
8226; If the cold has set in, try Arsenic Album
8226; To treat a combination of headache and cold, check out Sanguinaria
8226; Belladonna is useful to combat sudden exposure to the virus, while Alium Sepa is good for wheezing and watery eyes

NUTRITION NUGGETS
What you eat can go a long way in beating the cold, believes Delhi-based nutritionist Dr Shikha Sharma. 8216;8216;The basic idea is to treat the symptoms and boost immunity,8217;8217; she says. Her pointers:
8226; Load up on amla. Soak dried amla in water and drink up the concoction
8226; Avoid/restrict foods that clog the system: Fats, fried food, white flour
8226; Use lots of ginger, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, lemon grass to open up clogged nasal channels
8226; To balance the loss of taste and smell sensations, have lots of hot chicken/meat/ dal/chicken-veg broths. Onions and leeks are also recommended
8226; Kashmiri kahwa8212;saffron and herbs boiled in sugar and water8212;is a godsend