Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 11-24-17

Health
Try a Decongestant Spray
When you can’t get any air in your nose, this type of nasal spray can help open up your nasal passages and ease the stuffiness. But beware -- using one for more than 3 days in a row can end up making things worse.
Use Nasal Strips
Some people try these sticky strips to ease conges- tion while they sleep. They go across the bridge of your nose to help stretch and open the nasal passages. A strip won’t break up mucus, but it may allow more space for some air- flow.
Ease a Cough With Salve
Rub a menthol salve on your chest and throat to soothe the cough that often comes with a cold. Don’t eat it or put it inside your nose. And never use it on children under 2.
Soothe a Sore Throat
For quick relief, gargle with warm salt water before you go to bed. You can also try over- the-counter lozenges, throat sprays, and pain relievers. Let your doctor know if you have a severe sore throat and a fever for more than 2 days -- espe- cially if you don’t have typical cold symptoms like congestion and sneezing. It could be due to a strep infection.
Choose Wisely
Some cold medicines treat many problems at once, like congestion, runny nose, cough, fever, and aches. Check the in- gredients carefully, and choose the medicine that most closely matches your symptoms. De- congestants can keep you awake. Antihistamines, on the other hand, might make you drowsy.
Get More Potassium
On top of helping nerves and muscles function properly and regu- lating blood pressure and your body’s pH level, potassium acts as a natural diuretic. Eating more helps you de-bloat and feel lighter by sweeping excess sodium out of your body and relieving water retention.
Good sources include lima
beans, spinach, Brussels sprouts,
sweet potato, tomatoes, avocado, lima beans, salmon, and mushrooms.
Drink Water Only, and Sip More Of It
Make water your only bever- age and up your intake. H2O sup- ports optimal metabolism, and helps naturally curb appetite. Drinking more water also flushes out excess sodium to help you quickly de-bloat, and it gets your digestive system moving to relieve constipation. Aim for 2-2.5 liters
of water a day (about 8-10 cups).
Tune In
Eat slowly, pay attention to your body’s signals, and stop when full, even if you haven’t finished your meal.
Use Gadgets to Help You Breathe
Run a humidifier or vapor- izer all night to release mois- ture into the air. Steam can loosen congestion and keep your head from drying out. Be- sides helping you breathe eas- ier, moist air can soothe irritated tissues in your nose and ease sore throat pain as well.
Make a Saline Rinse
You can use this over and over to loosen mucus. To make the solution, mix 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in 8 ounces of warm dis- tilled water. (Do not use tap water because it can be dan- gerous.) Pour it into in a spray bottle -- the kind that can go into your nose. You can also use the mix with a neti pot to flush out your sinuses.
Raise the Head of Your Bed
You may have heard that your sinuses will drain more easily if you prop up your head on many pillows. Doctors say this isn’t a good idea, because it bends your neck in a way that can make it harder to breathe. So raise the head of the bed instead. You can put large books under the legs of your headboard and secure them. This creates a gentler, more natural incline.
Shower Before Bed
When you have a cold, get the benefits of steam from a hot shower to make it easier to breathe. You can also try a few other ideas: Run the shower and sit in the steamy bathroom with the door shut. Bend over a sink filled with running hot water. Or put a warm com- press over your sinuses.
PAGE 8-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017