Kristi King, wtop.com
Mucus is good. It can help prevent ailments and help your body get rid of infections.
So, now that it’s cold and flu season, it’s especially important to stay hydrated. That keeps mucus membranes in your upper respiratory tract moist enough to efficiently trap infections.
When your nose runs like crazy, mucus is trying to wash away the bugs making you sick. To help your nose flow Men’s Health Magazine quotes research saying that taking one dose of a decongestant one time when you first feel stuffy will open nasal passages to help mucus flow. That can cut symptoms by 13 percent.
It’s probably no accident that your nose runs when you’re really cold. Men’s Health references studies that show brief exposure to cold stimulates your immune system, and that working out doesn’t affect recovery time when you’re ill.
So, even if you’re not feeling 100 percent well you have nothing to lose by taking a brisk walk in the cold that can boost endorphins and brighten your mood.
A sore throat, congestion, cough, and fatigue are symptoms common to both the cold and flu. But the flu comes on more quickly, more severely and includes a fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Swine flu also is associated with vomiting and diarrhea.
There’s no cure for colds. They just need to run their course. However, there is medicine that can shorten the life of the flu, if you get to the doctor within 48 hours of feeling ill.
Whether you’re congested with either the cold or flu, another tip from Men’s Health is to wipe, don’t blow. Research shows blowing your nose can clog your sinuses with germ-laden mucus.
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