General Tips Cold and Flu

• One can cool down by using a wet towel.
• Products available now to prevent spread of viruses
• Always carry tissues with you
• When you sneeze/cough cover your mouth or nose with tissue and bin it then wash your hands.
• Consider wearing a face mask.
• Use hand sanitizers.
• Wipe all surfaces (viruses live up to 24 hrs on surfaces).
• Avoid kissing.
• Avoid sharing cutlery, cups, foods and towels
• Avoid touching eyes/nose/mouth.
• Avoid contact with anyone with cold and flu (Avoid crowded areas)
• Avoid smoky or heavily polluted irritant areas i.e. pubs
• Explain to children good hygiene.
• Lips are prone to dryness and are damaged by the sun, hot and cold environments).
• Obtain lip balms for dry lips.
• Use more skin emollients for dry skin (Since skin is exposed to cold environment and warm environment indoors) please refer to eczema chapter for emollient treatments (by clicking for initial report).
• Consider to stop smoking.
• Cut down on alcohol
• Have a good healthy diet.
  • Garlic contain an ingredient called Alliin, and when cut of crushed is converted to Alliicin (an anti-bacterial property) with in 10 minutes, it is believed if eaten raw or added at end of a cooked food meal, it may help with a cold. It should be part of our healthy diet.
  • Chilies/spicy food (if suitable) contains capsaicin which helps to break down and increase the flow of mucus, this may help to break down phlegm and help one to remove it from the body via a runny nose and chesty cough.
  • Broths have a good source of an amino acid called cysteine that helps to thin mucus and make it easier to expel.
  • Lemon/peppers/berries/tomatoes have vitamin C and is believed to reduce the duration of a cold.
  • Nuts (if suitable), seafood (if suitable) and/or wholegrain (if suitable) have high sources of zinc that help to to reduce the duration of a cold.
  • Ginger in a tea form may help to reduce nausea and general discomfort.
• Drink plenty of water (avoid coffee, tea, fizzy drinks, alcohol drinks) to prevent dehydration.
• One should always:
  • Wash their hands thoroughly
  • Social distancing if one has a serious infection
  • Isolate oneself if one has a serious infection

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If have additional symptoms to cold and flu symptoms please look at links below if applicable:

• Sinus (congestion, blocked , runny nose) tips
• Sore throat tips
• Fever tips
• Dry cough tips
• Chesty cough tips
• Headache tips
• Diarrhoea tips
• Conjunctivitis ‘Sticky eye’ tips
• This condition may show similar symptoms to:
  • Allergy (Allergy tips)
  • Hay fever  (Hay fever tips)