The season of winters brings along a variety of illnesses that include cough, cold and flu. Elders and children are more susceptible to these diseases. And many causes can lead up to this, one being the common problem of going from a warm place to a cold one quite suddenly or sitting in the midst of people who already have flu. Smokers are even more likely to catch viruses or cough since their lungs are not strong enough to resist this.
Overall weakness and illnesses due to the cold:
One reason why people catch colds quite frequently is the fact that our immune systems aren't that strong and nor do we have the overall strength needed to combat viruses. Wearing lesser clothes or wearing too many clothes and then taking them off often causes our bodies to catch a cold. Babies often face this problem along with people who don't cover themselves well.
Proper diet is incredibly important in this case, meat eggs vegetables wheat and rice all should be taken in good quantities. Foods containing Vitamin A and D are helpful too. These vitamins are present in milk, ghee and butter but if someone suffers from cough then oily foods have a negative impact and cause even more cough. In this case, warm drinks like soup help comfort the walls of the throat. Joshanda acts as a cure for exactly this reason. Vitmin C from sangtaray, oranges helps too and if their juices are mixed with warm water then it's even better. Warmer undergarments, socks and shawls that cover the neck and chest are important too.
Avoiding unnecessary medicines in cough and cold:
The area where babies sleep should not be heavily carpeted or covered with wool that holds dust for longer since that causes cough or flu. Also open windows, too many people, and windy places should be avoided.
Since flu is not caused by some bacteria hence heavy medicines should be avoided. A virus like flu can be treated with rest and a good diet. Children and elders may need some medication to strengthen their immune system but young people should avoid indulging in medicines. Instead they should rest in a comfortable environment that had fresh air. It takes at max ten days to cure a cold but if people don't take care of themselves in that time then the cold may lead to pneumonia, Chest infections etc. The impact of improper care during a cold is more severe for elders and children.
Proper care for patients:
Prescribed care and supervision is necessary for a patient to recover from cold which is why diet given should be warm, soothing that can be easily digested like soup etc. Fried, spicy or tangy diet should be avoided at all costs. And medicines should not be taken without prescription. Catching a cold is often frequent when a person goes outside without any warm clothing, remains wet or smokes a lot. Also if feet stay cold for very long then chances of catching a cold become far increased. Hence wearing socks is suggested. Taking Vitamin C to cure a cold is also not a bad idea.
