How to Stop a Runny Nose 8 Effective Methods

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

In this publication, answers to questions such as How to Stop a Runny Nose, What is Good for a Runny Nose are given.

Top tips against a runny nose

Cough, runny nose, fever - we're in the middle of the cold season. Here's how to stop your runny nose this winter

Autumn and winter are cold seasons – but do they have to be? Not if you follow our tips. Our tips will help you stay healthy even in the colder months.

8 tips to avoid the common cold

1. Keep your distance

If possible, avoid large crowds such as public transport. Instead of taking the bus or train, you can walk or cycle - the fresh air also strengthens the immune system. If you can't avoid socializing, be careful. If you notice that the person next to you is coughing or sneezing, turn around and breathe through your nose - the hairs in the nasal cavities help catch viruses.

2. Wear gloves

Gloves not only keep you warm, but also minimize the risk of illness. Because both cold and flu viruses are often transmitted through the hands, gloves can protect against infection. Unfortunately, we tend to touch our faces a lot after picking up viruses and bacteria from grab rails, stair railings, or other frequently used surfaces on the subway or bus. These then enter our bodies through sensitive mucous membranes such as the nose, mouth or eyes.

3. Wash Your Hands

With soap! Don't forget to wash between your toes too. You should not dry yourself with a towel that has been used by others before. Thorough drying is also important: viruses like to burrow in damp areas, so even the best scrub won't do much if your hands are still slightly wet.

How to Stop a Runny Nose 8 Effective Methods

4. Get enough sleep

According to a study by Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, people who sleep less than seven hours a day catch a cold three times more often than someone who sleeps more than eight hours. So: Always make sure you get enough sleep.

5. Ventilate well

In cold seasons, you want to be warm inside, but unfortunately, the warming air can also make you sick. This dries out the mucous membranes and makes us more susceptible to pathogens. That's why you should always ventilate your home and workplace well - a few minutes is all it takes. You should also take regular walks in the fresh air to refresh your respiratory tract.

6. Fortify yourself with vitamin C

Diet plays an important role in the fight against viruses. Therefore, your meals should always be rich in vitamins and nutrients to protect you against diseases. For example, you can replenish vitamin C with a glass of orange juice in the morning. Real vitamin C bombs are also bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and black currants.

7. Take a hot bath - and only your feet!

Among other things, you can take a regular, foot bath. This stimulates blood circulation and prevents infections. For a rising foot bath, fill a bowl with body temperature (about 36 degrees) water. You fill it with hot water every few minutes, which slowly but surely raises the temperature to 40 degrees. After soaking your feet in water for a total of 15 minutes, you should wrap them in warm socks.

8. Drink Lots of Water

Drink plenty of water - this will provide your body with the moisture it needs to strengthen its defenses and protect against viruses and bacteria. Tea is also an effective beverage to prevent colds and flu – if you choose the right kind! Ginger, sage, linden flower and elderberry teas are recommended for the cold seasons.

What is good for cold?

Let's try to help ourselves first. Some rely on their pharmacist, some on their homeopathic medicine cabinet, and some on their grandmother's advice. We have brought together some effective remedies and measures against the common cold for you.

Over-the-counter sneezing preparations

Decongestant nasal sprays (do not use for more than 5 days if possible, sprays destroy mucous membranes if used continuously!). Better to avoid: antihistamines (against allergies) and sprays with preservatives. The alternative: over-the-counter saline sprays help with colds—but also effectively prevent them.

Homeopathic, herbal preparations for colds

For acute runny nose and sore nose: Allium Cepa D 6, 5 globules 3-5 times a day; for thick mucus and stuffy nose: Kali bichromicum D 12, 5 globules 2-4 times a day. Oregano and evening primrose root, e.g. B. In "Sinuforton Saft", loosen secretions and stimulate lashes.

How to Stop a Runny Nose 8 Effective Methods

Grandma's medicine cabinet

Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to 400 ml of hot water and inhale the vapors: it reduces inflammation and loosens stubborn phlegm. Alternatively: Klosterfrau "Cold healing bath". Tip: Regular nasal rinses with salt water: This cleanses the mucous membranes, keeps them moist and (temporarily) unclogs them.

When should I go to the doctor with a cold?

If the cold does not go away after a week, if there is a fever or (severe) pain in the forehead and cheekbones.

Eating spicy Asian soups has long been considered an insider tip against a stuffy nose. Typical spices stimulate the formation of secretions, but at the same time have a decongestant effect on the mucous membranes.

US scientists have tested for the first time a nasal spray based on capsaicin, the main ingredient in pepper and eucalyptus oil, and present the results in the journal "Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology."

The drug showed a significant improvement in short-term cold symptoms such as nasal congestion, a feeling of pressure in the nose and forehead area, and headaches. The effects appeared very quickly (within one minute) and lasted more than an hour in all patients.

The nice thing about it: After stopping the spray, the typical side effects of traditional nasal decongestant drops didn't show up. After a very short period of use, they cause withdrawal symptoms such as nasal congestion and limited sense of smell when we stop using them.

Apple and horseradish for colds

It's hard to believe, but in the fall and winter, apples and horseradish are a true dream team - even if they are on completely different ends of the flavor spectrum. Apples have a sour-sweet taste, while horseradish makes them spicy. This combination is not only a real taste experience, but also really healthy. Now that the cold season is approaching, this unusual kitchen couple can strengthen the immune system and protect against colds, coughs and the like.

Apple - a fruit rich in vitamins

This round fruit has plenty of vitamins. It provides our body with B, C and E vitamins that strengthen the immune system; Vitamin C also contributes to cell protection. Plus, apples are packed with minerals like magnesium, calcium, iron, and potassium. Secondly, it helps especially when we are tired and allows us to gather new strength.

But apple consumption does not only benefit the immune system: This fruit also contains dietary fiber such as pectins, which promotes healthy digestion and keeps you fuller for longer.

Antioxidants protect cells against free radicals and strengthen connective tissue.

An added bonus for anyone who cares about their figure: Apples only have 50 to 70 calories on average. By the way, most of the vitamin C is found in the Berlepsch apple variety - and directly under the skin! So you can do without annoying peeling.

How to Stop a Runny Nose 8 Effective Methods

Horseradish - sharp awesome weapon

Only when this root is cut or grated does the familiar bitterness of horseradish appear. This is because the main active ingredient, sinigrin, turns into mustard oils when combined with oxygen. This is exactly what makes horseradish so spicy, but also healthy.

They put an end to harmful bacteria and viruses, ensure faster removal of pollutants from our body, protect the respiratory tract and throat. The clogged sinuses are cleared again very quickly.

In addition, mustard oils stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and thus support digestion. No wonder horseradish is considered a miracle cure for colds. It's not so bad if it brings a few drops of tears to our eyes with its intense aroma.

Blow your nose properly when you have a cold

Your nose is running, now what? To clean or to pull up? What is the healthiest way to get rid of annoying secretions when you have a cold?

A real cold isn't fun: your nose won't stop, your sinuses and head are bothered, you're breathing hard and you're only breathing through your mouth. Since you are constantly blowing your nose with a tissue, the skin around the nostrils starts to burn rapidly.

When you have a cold, your body produces mucus. Part of this epidemic passes from the nose through the throat to the stomach. The other part descends from the nostrils. This is where most people get their handkerchiefs.

But is blowing your nose really the right method? Or should he choose to withdraw, even if it doesn't make people happy?

Etiquette recommends wiping your nose inconspicuously from time to time. But with a real sniffing it won't do much. Children are also taught that it is okay to get up early. It is also considered unhygienic by many as mucus returns to the body instead of going out. Actually, this assumption is a myth: stomach acid is responsible for the destruction of microbes.

Hazards during cleaning and lifting

In general, it is better to blow your nose up one more time than to blow your nose too often. Because: If you blow with too much pressure while cleaning your tissue, you risk excessive pressure in the nasopharynx.

This allows bacteria to migrate to the middle ear or paranasal sinuses. These pathogens, in turn, risk turning a simple cold into an infection of the paranasal sinuses or middle ear. Children have shorter ear tubes than adults and therefore have an even higher risk of infection.

Excessive snoring can also lead to nosebleeds, as the runny nose irritates the mucous membrane. However, pulling up is not always the optimal solution. If you pull too hard, pathogens can also enter the sinuses here.

That's why the cold makes you tired

When we're cold, we just feel exhausted. And rightly so, because an inflammatory messenger reduces the activity of our internal clock.

Scientists from Switzerland have discovered why people are often so tired when they have a cold or cough: One of the weapons that activate the immune system in fighting infections is affecting the body's internal clock. The result: physical fatigue.

Internal clock is not synchronized

A protein called TNF-alpha is responsible for the extreme fatigue associated with coughs, colds and the like. This is produced by the body's own immune cells to trigger an inflammatory reaction in the body - as a kind of first aid measure against existing infection.

The immune messenger substance has long been suspected to be able to trigger depletion states. But only now was the research team led by Gionata Cavadini able to show how this effect actually occurs: it is due to the interaction between TNF-alpha and the clock generator.

The messenger reduces the activity of certain areas of the brain that control the daily rhythm of sleep and wakefulness. Although these switching points continue to open and close at their usual biorhythms, they only operate at half speed when active.

The researchers were able to observe the results directly in the mice studied: The animals used running wheels less than their own species and were generally less active in their cages.

Heading to the office with a cold?

If you are sick, it is better to stay at home. But what if you "just" have a cold? In a perfect world, anyone who got sick and could infect others would naturally stay at home. Instead of suffering at your desk, you can quickly get rid of a simple cold with bed rest and home remedies. In addition, co-workers are not exposed to annoying sneezing attacks and risk of infection.

The truth is, you recover faster at home than at the office. You don't even need to take medicine to beat the cold when your body is free to focus on healing by resting and sleeping, like drinking lots of herbal tea.

If it is not possible to call in sick or work from home, you should be considerate of coworkers who are not yet sick.