Years ago, a doctor told me how to tell the difference between an allergy reaction and a cold. I usually have both in the fall because I am sensitive to smoke (people lighting fireplaces put smoke in the air) and breathing in the sudden cold air tends to irritate my bronchial tube. Therefore, knowing what to take and when to take it is sometimes difficult; especially when I don't feel well.
I have a general rule written down and refer to it when my thinking is foggy and I can't seem to figure out what I need to do to feel better.
It is: Clear phlegm is usually histamine; at that point, I need an antihistamine.
Slow-boiling a pot of water on the stove and throwing in a couple of tea bags of Celestial Season's Tension Tamer does wonders. Between the moisture added to the air and breathing in the herbs it is often all I need to do to feel better.
I even do this when my grandchildren come over with runny noses. I ALWAYS use a handle-less pot on the back burner so I don't have to worry about anyone or anything catching the handle up on the stove.
If my nose is annoyingly runny and I need something more, I also drink the tea. (No sweetener added if possible.) I do not give this tea to the children to drink because they are too young.
Variation: If I miss the stage where my mucus is clear and it has started to turn white or yellowish, I switch to the cold remedy mixture of mint teas (spearmint or peppermint), lemon, eucalyptus, and red pepper.
The sooner I realize I am sick the quicker these remedies work. But, if I get too busy and too stressed, sometimes I just keep pushing myself deeper into illness without realizing it.
Comments